THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080299
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
American Legion baseball is making a comeback in Portsmouth. And very shortly, it could be better than ever.
After an absence of several years from Legion competition, Churchland Post 310 is fielding a team in District 2.
It's been nearly 30 years since Portsmouth teams were contenders for state titles in Legion baseball. Post 37 had numerous challengers for the Virginia title in earlier years.
This year, Robert Jones Sr. is coaching the 18-player Post 310 team and was instrumental in reviving the Legion sponsorship. Jones is a longtime youth league coach in the Churchland area and was one of the founders of the Churchland Fall Ball League.
Post 310 has completed the first half of its 24-game season with an 8-4 record and could finish as high as second place when teams complete opening-half action. The team currently stands in third place.
Second-half action was scheduled to start Thursday night for Post 310.
``We have a very competitive team this year with a solid pitching staff and some outstanding hitters,'' said Jones.
Under American Legion baseball rules, Post 310 is limited to drawing players from area high schools with no more than 3,600 enrollment (10th through 12th grades). Players must not be 19 years old before Aug. 1. College freshmen under the age limit are eligible.
Post 310 is getting players from Churchland, Wilson, Alliance Christian, Nansemond River and Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.
``We have eight players from Nansemond River, seven from Churchland, one from Alliance and one from Nansemond-Suffolk,'' Jones said. ``We had one from Wilson, but he isn't playing at this time.''
The team is based in Churchland but is using Nansemond River's field for practices.
Post 310's strong pitching corps is headed by Brett Craun, a second-team All-Tidewater hurler at Nansemond River who has signed a baseball grant with William and Mary. He has a 4-1 record. Other pitchers include Alliance's Mike Howard, Churchland's Robert Jones, Alliance's Mike Howard and Nansemond-Suffolk's Walt Bondurant. Grayson Craun, a lefthander and younger brother of Brett, is expected to fill the one vacancy now on the team.
The pitching staff carries a 2.39 earned run average. With Post 310 averaging 6.7 runs per game and sporting a .334 team batting average, the 8-4 record is easily explainable.
Jeff Church, an outfielder and designated hitter, paces the hitting with a
Brett Craun is batting .429. Dale Heely, a rising senior at Churchland, is swinging at a .421 clip, and Jones is batting .419.
The Post 310 squad also has All-Tidewater infielder Brian Elms of Nansemond River. Elms, who is headed to Radford in September, plays second base.
Neighboring Chesapeake has two teams in the District 2 league this year - Post 280 and Post 35.
Post 280, which includes All-Tidewater outfielder Derek Riebel and All-Tidewater infielder Shawn O'Dell, won the first-half championship with a single loss and is considered a top contender for state honors this year. Post 35 stands fifth in the nine-team district. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by C. BAXTER JOHNSON
Ed Gosman of the American Legion Post 280 baseball team dives for
first base in an earlier game.
Brett Craun
Pitcher
Brian Elms
Second baseman
by CNB