Athlete Spotlight: T.D. Davis & Ben Morgan

They have opposite roles, differ in physical makeup and have different ways of doing business on the baseball field, but Ben Morgan and T.D. Davis share the same purpose for the Greenbrier High School baseball team this season.

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"Our No. 1 goal is always to win region," Davis said.

The Wolfpack, who after last season lost a good portion of the players from their back-to-back state title teams, were looking for fresh faces to make an immediate impact and help carry them into Region 2-AAAAA.

Morgan and Davis have been key to Greenbrier's fast start in the region. The team was 6-0 in region play through April 13.

Morgan, a junior, is the Wolfpack's leadoff man and top base runner. He said his goal is to be a pest to opposing pitchers.

His presence on the base paths commands a lot of attention, but pick-off attempts do little to keep Morgan from moving around the bases at will.

"Every time he gets to first he ends up on third and scoring," Greenbrier coach Chris Wilkins said. "Any time he gets on, it's definitely a plus for us."

Wilkins said Morgan's presence drawing the pitcher's attention has aided his teammates at the plate.

"He never lets a pitcher forget about him," Wilkins said. "When he's on base, and the pitcher's thinking about him, he's taking some focus away from the plate. It helps the hitters see better pitches."

Davis carries the biggest bat behind Morgan.

The slugger, who signed to play baseball for Georgia Perimeter College next season, is batting close to .400 without seeing many good pitches.

Davis, one of the few remaining Wolfpack players on the 2007 state championship team, has been content to take his free passes and rely on teammates around him in the lineup.

When he was still under the radar as a junior in 2008, Davis said he saw some good pitches early. Once pitchers started respecting his power, the number of quality pitches he saw dwindled.

The trend has carried over to this season. Davis has seen a steady diet of almost nothing worth chasing.

Davis said he has been frustrated at times, but that he has tried to overlook all but the meatiest of pitches.

"All I want to do is hit," Davis said. "If I see a fastball, I'm swinging at it."

When Davis has seen fastballs, he often makes them disappear quickly.

Davis' first-inning blast against Union Grove on March 31 sailed over the highest point of a tree beyond the left-center fence.

"It's one of the longest home runs I've seen here," Wilkins said after the game.

Power hitters had been plentiful at Greenbrier in years past. This season, the Wolfpack has had to manufacture runs any way possible.

The different approach is achieving a similar result.

The Wolfpack have the majority of their region schedule left to play, but have positioned themselves to be able to control their fate from here.

Davis was a contributor in the Wolfpack's 2007 state title team before breaking his wrist. Morgan, then a freshman, was a spectator.

What they noticed most from watching was the state champions' work ethic.

"They all worked hard," Morgan said. "Basically, we just sat back and watched what they did and learned from them."