Menu
Athletics place second in Putnam County Tourney
The Athletics of North Putnam Youth Baseball Rookie Division placed second in the Putnam County Tournament in Greencastle recently. The team, lead by Chris Davies of Bainbridge, had an outstanding season record of 11-4.
The season was off to a slow start by losing the first two games but soon turned around to a 10-game winning streak leading into tournament play. The next two losses were to the tournament champions.
"The most rewarding things as a coach is seeing the younger kids improve throughout the season," said assistant coach Scott Rader. "It is a testament to the dedication of our league to have two NPYBL teams finish second and third earning medals in the tournament."
The North Putnam Mets sponsored by Pizza Den earned a third place finish in the tournament.
The Athletics team sponsored by Nucor Steele and Hoosier Heartland State Bank put in a lot of extra practices working on basic fundamentals each week. They played five tough games during one week of the tournament to earn their second place medals.
The extra practices working on fundamentals, developing teamwork and parents working with their kids in the backyard are all elements that contribute to a successful little league baseball team, said vice president of North Putnam Youth Baseball League, Greg Lyons.
During the past two years the high school baseball staff and players have been involved in the youth league so players are taught exactly the same North Putnam fundamentals as the high school.
"This strategy makes the transition as they get older much easier and plants the seed for a strong North Putnam baseball program," Lyons said.