The Dirtbags continue to get closer to being named World Wood Bat Champions as they were knocked off again in the Final Four in Jupiter, FL this weekend in the World Wood Bat Championship. Dirtbag southpaw Tyler Smith pictured left.

The playing field featured 80 of the top select teams in the Nation and beyond. The Dirtbags outscored their opponents 36-5 while going 6-1 in the top baseball tournament in the World.

"I am so proud of our guys. We work hard all year to get to this point. We played our butts off this weekend and topped some very tough opponents on our way to another third place finish in Jupiter. Mark my word, we will continue to emerge and soon become winners of this great event," said Coach Andy Partin.

"With several guys coming back from this group and the additions of some of the top players and people in the area, we are excited to take another shot at the title. We've got a group of winners, and winners always seem to win."

DIRTBAGS
GM 1: Bags 5, OTC Bearcats 0
GM 2: Bags 6, Baseball Northwest 0
GM 3: Bags 9, Perfect Game Royal 1
GM 4: Bags 3, Austin Baseball Club 1
GM 5: Bags 8, SC Diamond Devils 0 (Final 16)
GM 6: Bags 5, Central Florida Renegades 1 (Final 8)
GM 7: Reds Scout Team 2, Bags 0 (Final 4)
*6-1 record, finished 3rd
*36 runs scored
*5 runs allowed
(Ryan Leach Pictured Above)

Below are comments from www.worldwoodbat.com by Allan Simpson...

FRIDAY, Tournament Notebook...

... Like East Cobb, the Dirtbags won both their games by shutouts. Righthanders Patrick Johnson (Conover, N.C.) and Brad Mincey (Wilmington, N.C.) combined on a one-hitter in a 5-0 win over Georgia’s OTC Bears, while Ryan Leach (Kings Mountain, N.C.), Trent Rothlin (Hickory, N.C.), Vance Williams (Cary, N.C.) and Justin Poovey (Granite Falls, N.C.) allowed a good Baseball Northwest squad to three hits in the second game. The latter four pitchers were all in the 89-92 mph range and combined to strike out 10.

Despite their inspired play, the Dirtbags were the talk of the tournament--for the uniforms they wore on their back. Hoping it might spur them on to a championship on Monday (Halloween Day), the Dirtbags dressed in blue camo uniform tops with the head of a skeleton emblazed on the front. The Dirtbags, made up almost entirely from players from North Carolina, finished third a year ago.  

SATURDAY, Tournament Notebook...
 

The Dirtbags, meanwhile, have outscored their opponents 21-1. They rolled Perfect Game Royal 11-1 as senior outfielder Quincy Latimore (Apex, N.C.), junior shortstop Garrison Lassiter (High Point, N.C.) and junior outfielder L.J. Hoes (Mitchellville, Md.) combined to go 6-for-9 and collectively reached base 11 times in 12 plate appearances.

SUNDAY, Tournament Notebook...

In a battle of undefeated teams from the Carolinas, North Carolina’s Dirtbags (5-0) whipped South Carolina’s Diamond Devils (4-1) 8-0 in a five-inning, run-rule game as righthander Tyler Hibbs (Odenton, Md.) silenced the Devils on one hit, striking out eight. Third baseman Greg Holt (Clemmons, N.C.) got the Dirtbags started in the second with a two-run homer.

MONDAY, Tournament Notebook...

Top shortstop prospect Justin Jackson (Asheville, N.C.) singled twice and scored both times as the Reds Scout Team won 2-0 over the Dirtbags, a team composed primarily of fellow North Carolina players. Both teams entered the game with 6-0 records. The Reds scored in the first when Jackson singled, outfielder Jeff Schaus (Naples, Fla.) doubled and first baseman Eric Hosmer (Cooper City, Fla.) delivered a sacrifice fly. Jackson singled again to lead off the sixth and scored on a Schaus base hit. Righthander Ryan Sharpley (Marshall, Mich.), who worked the first three innings, and lefthander Chris Jones (Tampa) stopped the Dirtbags on three hits.

The loss by the Dirtbags marked the second straight year that the team has finished in third place. The Dirtbags, in fact, have made a habit of finishing third at Perfect Game sponsored events over the last two years as they finished third at the WWBA Underclassmen fall championship in both 2005 and 2006, and third at the 16-and-under WWBA summer championship. They finished second at this year’s WWBA 17-and-under summer championship.

Every one of the Dirtbag seniors, with the exception of Zach Woodley (Rocky Mount, N.C.), who was clocked from 87-89 mph, has verbally committed to a scholarship to an NCAA Division I school. The team’s best prospect, lefthanded-hitting shortstop Garrison Lassiter (High Point, N.C.), is only a high school junior.

Read more about the Dirtbags and the tournament at: www.worldwoodbat.com