THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9605310216
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 99 lines
NANSEMOND RIVER baseball player J.C. Caperton says that deciding on a college in January helped him relax at the plate this season. No pressure, just play baseball, was his attitude.
While Caperton was relaxing at the plate, opposing pitchers were running for cover. The senior, who will play next year at Pfeiffer College, hit .424 with four home runs and 20 stolen bases during the regular season.
Bay Rivers District coaches noticed, voting Caperton the district player of the year last week.
``Being able to go out and not worry about doing well and who was watching had a lot to do with it,'' said Caperton, who earned first team all-district and all-Region I honors last season. ``I was a little more relaxed this year.''
The Warriors, who won the regular season district title and were scheduled to play Park View in a region semifinal Thursday, earned four other spots on the first team: senior Grayson Craun at pitcher and designated hitter, senior John Drames in the outfield and sophomore Chip Runyon in the outfield.
Craun, who injured an ankle during practice last week and may not return this season, went 6-1 with an ERA just above 1.00 and hit .308. Drames batted
Southampton, which finished second during the regular season before losing to York in the district tournament final in eight innings, placed five players on the first team - seniors William Brown (first base), Brad Davis (second base) and William Jones (pitcher) and juniors Larry Woodley (outfield) and Durane Parker (utility player).
Brown hit .454 with 14 doubles, 21 runs scored and 31 RBIs, while Davis added a .381 average, 19 stolen bases and 17 RBIs during the regular season. Parker (.516) led the team in batting and had 21 runs and 18 steals. Woodley hit .378 with a school-record 31 stolen bases. Jones batted .353 and was the staff's ace.
Lakeland's Geoff Williams, a catcher, and Chris Gentrip, a third baseman from York, rounded out the first team.
Williams hit .464 with five triples and 25 RBIs and 28 runs scored for the Cavaliers.
Lakeland's Ron Robertson was named coach of the year.
All-Bay Rivers baseball
First team
1B - William Brown, Southampton; 2B - Brad Davis, Southampton; 3B - Chris Gentrip, York; SS - J.C. Caperton, Nansemond River; C - Geoff Williams, Lakeland; P - Grayson Craun, Nansemond River, and William Jones, Southampton; OF - John Drames, Nansemond River, Chip Runyon, Nansemond River, and Larry Woodley, Southampton; U - Durane Parker, Southampton; DH - Grayson Craun
Player of the year: J.C. Caperton
Coach of the year: Ron Robertson, Lakeland
Second team
1B - Chris Ricks, Lakeland; 2B - Tom Wilson, Lakeland; 3B - Mike Byrum, Nansemond River; SS - Brian Spearman, Bruton; C - Tom Stracken, York; P - David Kolb, Franklin, and Will Parker, Lakeland; OF - Mike Andriliunas, Poquoson, Steve Eno, York, and Scott Jones, Bruton; U - Keith Campbell, Bruton, and Chip Runyon, Nansemond River; DH - Jimmy Ruehl
Honorable mention
Lee Parks, Nansemond River; Evan Spivey, Nansemond River; Mark Berry, Southampton; Greg Kloster, Franklin; Steven Drake, Franklin; Chris Sherman, Poquoson; Chris Riley, Poquoson; Derek Collins, Lakeland; Matt Christenbury, Lakeland; Jeremy Rodgers, Bruton; Ryan Turnage, Bruton; Josh Bell, Smithfield; James Brady, Smithfield; Ryan Penley, York, and Adam Brayman, York ILLUSTRATION: BAY RIVERS BASEBALL
J.C. Caperton
Nansemond River
Grayson Craun
Nansemond River
John Drames
Nansemond River
Chip Runyon
Nansemond River
William Brown
Southampton
Brad Davis
Southampton
William Jones
Southampton
Durane Parker
Southampton
Larry Woodley
Southampton
Geoff Williams
Lakeland by CNB