Local stars continue to succeed after high school
Former Augusta Christian star Josh Whitaker ended his prep career leading Augusta Christian to its third straight baseball state title earlier this year.
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Jeff Rowland and Brandon Cumpton were stars for Greenbrier's back-to-back Class AAAA state crowns in 2006 and 2007.
And of course, Nolan Belcher has won a state title each of his three seasons of varsity baseball (2005 with Augusta Christian and 2006 and '07 with Greenbrier).
So when the quartet was invited to play for the Savannah Chain, Chain coach Kris Edge knew he was getting a bunch of kids who knew how to win. However, even Edge could not have imagined a performance as dominant as the one his squad displayed at the 2007 Barrett Fletcher World Series in Tampa. The team barreled through the field with a perfect 8-0 record to claim the title.
Along the way they outscored their opponents an eye-popping 89-11. Brandon Cumpton was the team's workhorse on the mound. The 6-3 right-hander got two starts in the tournament. His first outing was a shutout as the Chain beat the Tampa Bay Angels 8-0. Then he got the call to start the championship game, which was played at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
It might have been the best pitching performance fans in Tampa have seen in that stadium in 2007. Cumpton completely shut down the American Nationals (Mississippi) as The Chain cruised to a 13-0 win.
Belcher also showcased the ability that has made him one of the nation's top 2008 pitching prospects as he threw a shutout vs. Tallahassee, Fla.'s Seminole Baseball in the tournament quarterfinals for an 8-0 victory.
Whitaker and Rowland were among the team's top offensive performers. Westside senior Chandler Hall also performed well in the tournament.
While Hall and Belcher will be back on the high school diamond again in 2008 baffling hitters, Whitaker, Rowland and Cumpton will be moving on to the college level. Rowland and Cumpton have been penciled in as major contributors as freshmen at Georgia Tech, while Whitaker is a prized recruit that Kennesaw State will likely put in the middle of their batting order the minute he puts on a uniform.