Campers fill diamonds at Tift County

Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, June 14, 2022

TIFTON — Young baseball and softball players finished a week of summer camp Friday in which they mixed skills with fun. Both camps took place at Tift County High School and were led by coaches Greg Williams and Taylor Barber.

Williams and Barber were in charge of baseball and softball, respectively. Players were split in the groups, based on age, and under the tutelage of Tift assistant coaches and players.

Camp began each day with warm-ups, stretches and sprints. Depending on what was on the schedule for each group, they might stay on the fields or head to the batting cages.

Skills challenges took place throughout, said Williams. Monday was fastest runner, Tuesday was strongest arm, Wednesday featured home run derby and Thursday was fastest pitch, measured by a speed gun. Each day also featured games. Older kids played on the diamonds, younger with tennis balls in the outfield.

On the softball field, Barber said they were giving attention to offense and defense. Defense saw everything covered from fielding fly balls and grounders, how to set their feet to even how to properly dive.

Attendance was “really good,” said Williams. There were around 125 boys participating and 25-30 girls.

And the camps were not just a local attraction. Baseball players came to Tifton from Cook, Irwin, Ben Hill and Turner counties and one young man from Perry was staying with relatives in Tifton so he could participate.

Camp ended at noon each day. It was not the end of the day for the high school teams in either sport. Barber’s Lady Devils have been traveling, playing summer scrimmages against a variety of opponents, including Lowndes and Mill Creek. Williams, with many players involved in travel ball, has been focusing on the strength aspects. He said they had had several good days in the gym and the summer has also included workouts in the pool.

Awards ceremonies wrapped up camp on Friday, with Williams announcing the following winners:

Softball

Fastest Arm: Tatum McCrary (3rd grade), Addison Bennett (4th), Caroline Lodge (5th), Ri Clements (6th), Kinsley Tawzer (7th) and C.B. McCrary (8th).

Strongest Arm: Charlee McKellar (3rd), Bennett (4th), Clements (6th), Tawzer (7th) and McCrary (8th).

Home Run Derby: McKellar (3rd), Brooklyn Meadows (4th), Abigail Ridgeway (5th), Clements (6th), Stella Bryant (7th) and Riley Williams (8th).

Fastest Runner: McKellar (3rd), Summer McGee (4th), Ridgeway (5th), Jaylin McCant (6th), Bryant (7th) and Williams (8th).

Baseball

Strongest Arm: Greyson Dotson (K), Nyles Johnson (1st), Brady Byrnes (2nd), David Floyd (3rd), Eli Callison (4th), Charles Sheppard (5th), Hunter Monk (6th), Davis Kunes (7th), Brayden Harris (8th) and Trey Dorminey (9th).

Home Run Derby: Greyson Dotson (K), Bowen Parrish (1st), Tanner Couch (2nd), Gabe Pritchard (3rd), Keegan Ehlers (4th), Bo Hall (5th), Evan Roberts (6th), Caleb Forehand (7th), Harris (8th) and Dorminey (9th).

Fastest Runner: Beau Womack (1st), Maddox Pate (2nd), Beckett Davis (3rd), Beau Southers (4th), Sheppard (5th), Roberts (6th), Willie Weldon (7th) and Dorminey (8th/9th).