THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 11, 1994 TAG: 9408090182
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
IF YOU CAN'T find him on the baseball field, you might try the tennis court.
Rising Granby senior and Little Creek American Palomino club player Frank Thompson has a penchant for hitting balls with sticks.
``I would play tennis if it wasn't in the same season as baseball,'' Thompson said at a practice session at Grand Slam Batting Cages in Virginia Beach as the team prepared for the Palomino East Zone tournament in Butler, Pa.
But it was a bat that Frank Sr., a former Old Dominion pitcher, put into his son's hand first.
``I think I've had a bat in my hand since I could walk,'' Thompson, 17, said. ``I started playing T-ball when I was 5 or 6.''
Since then, Thompson has been a pitcher's nightmare.
He hit .500 during the regular season at Granby, going 33 for 66 with five home runs and 24 RBI.
Granby coach Vince Zebro said Thompson is one of the best hitters he has ever coached.
``He has great bat speed. He is an awesome two-strike hitter and very disciplined at the plate,'' Zebro said.
Thompson finished second in the All-Eastern District team voting to Maury's Chris Libbey, who is one of his teammates on the Little Creek team.
Thompson hit .525 during the South Region tournament with a two home runs and four doubles as Little Creek advanced to the East Zone tournament.
A win there would have sent the team to the Palomino World Series, which they missed by one game last year.
Rain washed out all games and practice sessions for two days. When the tournament finally got under way, Little Creek lost to North Alleghany, the No. 10 team in the country, 9-7. Winning the second game 4-2 over Seneca, Pa., earned Little Creek a bout with Weirton, W.Va.
Weirton took Little Creek to the wire, scoring in the bottom of the seventh to oust Little Creek 5-4.
Thompson went 3 for 4 with one RBI during the tourney.
It wasn't just Thompson's bat that helped Little Creek advance to the East Zone tournament.
After a lackluster performance on the mound during the school year (5-5 with a 2.60 ERA) Thompson's pitching game came together this summer.
He was 3-0 through the South Region tourney tossing 22 innings, allowing just three earned runs and striking out 19.
``My pitching always comes together during the summer,'' Thompson said. ``I don't know what it is, maybe I'm more relaxed or something. It's a weird thing.''
Little Creek coach Steve Siderias thinks the amount of bat support Thompson received from his teammates helped him relax.
``When you get strong bat support, you tend to throw more relaxed and you throw better pitches when you are winning,'' Siderias said. ``When you are behind, you tend not to throw your best pitches.''
Although his throwing arm may get Little Creek a win every now and then, Thompson knows it's his bat that will get him where he wants to go. Where exactly that is, Thompson isn't sure yet.
``I like hitting better than pitching,'' Thompson said. ``I don't throw hard enough to really get anywhere as a pitcher. My hitting will get me where I need to go.''
The broad tournament exposure he has gotten this summer won't hurt either.
He mentions Georgia and Georgia Tech as college possibilities but hasn't ruled out ODU or William and Mary.
``I don't really know yet,'' Thompson said. ``I think I'd like to play in Georgia, or really anyplace around here.''
Thompson has some more time to think about that and time to take a lot more swings and continue to improve his game.
``Coach Zebro really worked on my swing this year and we totally changed it around,'' Thompson said. ``During the off season I'll do a lot of conditioning work, lifting weights and taking a lot of swings.''
The Little Creek team spent two days at the batting cages last week before traveling to the East Zone tourney.
``Thompson was the last one to leave,'' Siderias said. ``He's a real hard worker and he really takes advantage of the chance to take swings.''
Thompson made taking swings a habit during the school year when he was on his way to .500 performance.
``I knew I was batting good,'' Thompson said. ``I used to hit every day after practice.
``I would notice the difference. If I practiced hitting a lot, I hit good. But if I didn't do it for a couple of days, I wouldn't hit as well. It's something I need to do constantly.
``I like to get in as many swings as possible every practice.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DENISE MICHAUX
Granby's Frank Thompson hit .500 during the regular season. He is
considering Georgia and Georgia Tech as college possibilities, but
hasn't ruled out ODU.
by CNB