Watauga trio making

contributions to Post 29
By Steve Behr
 
GRANITE FALLS - Playing American Legion baseball is serious business in Caldwell County. Caldwell Post 29 has contended for state championships in recent years and the 29ers have attracted an impressive following.

Watauga does not have a legion team, but three former Pioneers — pitcher Jon Sharpe, catcher Adam Church and first baseman Trey Dunnigan — call M.S. Deal Stadium in Granite Falls their baseball home this summer. The trio have been key additions to the Post 29 team this season with Church settling in as the team’s primary catcher, Sharpe as a starting pitcher and Dunnigan, who played at East Tennessee State, the designated hitter.

And though Post 29 snapped a three-game losing streak, the team is looking forward to the Legion post season, which begins next week. Post 29 plays a key game against Cherryville at M.S. Deal on Tuesday night and another home game, a make-up, against Shelby, on Wednesday night.

The Watauga players are very aware of what’s expected in Caldwell County when it comes to baseball. They learned their lesson during their prep years when competing against South Caldwell, a team that has been nationally ranked as late as last year, but a team Watauga has beaten three times in the last two years.

“The (summer) baseball is much different down here than in Watauga,” Church said. “They live, sleep, eat and breathe baseball down here.”

Sharpe said there were several factors involved in his decision to play for Caldwell instead of a showcase travel team.

“It’s definitely grade A baseball,” Sharpe said. “It’s also free. We don’t have to pay showcase money. They cover everything and they have a great program down here. They want to win and we definitely have a shot at winning a state championship. They are all pretty big factors as to why Church, Dunny and I want to come down here and play.”

It may seem odd that Watauga players would join forces with their South Caldwell rivals, but any feelings of animosity went away quickly. The three have become good friends with South Caldwell’s standout pitcher Cody Poarch, who vacationed with Sharpe during the senior beach week last week.

Poarch tossed a complete game in a 5-0 South victory over Watauga in the Northwestern 4-A Conference Tournament finals. Earlier in the season, he took the loss in Watauga’s win over the Spartans in Sawmills, and also pitched in Watauga’s 12-6 win in the first game of the season series.

“I had already known a lot of their top kids before from the state games and from showcase games,” Sharpe said. “Poarch and (Cody) Penny are great guys. They welcome you in no matter what.”

“It’s definitely different with it being a rivalry all through high school,” Dunnigan said. “They’re really good guys and we’ve known them for a long time.”

Though the two teams have battled for the NWC championship the last two seasons, there has been respect. South Caldwell showed respect for Will Dicus during Senior Night, which was moved from the last NWC game of the season to the first.

Each Spartans player gave Dicus, who died of Ewing’s Sarcoma on June 1, and his mom, Pepi, a hug during the ceremony.

“I never talked to them until this legion year,” Poarch said. “I didn’t know what to expect from them, but they’re really cool guys and actually, they’ve become my best friends on the team. Any time they need to stay down here they stay with me and of course, we hung out at the beach together.”

Watauga's players have also made important contributions to Caldwell County’s 10-5 record. Sharpe tossed eight innings of shutout baseball at powerful Cherryville, but Cherryville rallied in the ninth inning and won the game.

Church, who is out of town this week, has been batting third in the lineup and has delivered several key hits and has scored some runs. Dunnigan has done the same.

Dunnigan, who has played some first base, but mostly at designated hitter, said the pitching was slower on the legion level than in college, but he adjusted.

“At first it was a lot different,” he said. “It was a lot slower. We see 88-90 (miles per hour) in college and then to come back down and seeing 78-80, it’s hard getting your timing back. After that, it’s not a big deal.”

Caldwell snaps streak
Caldwell beat Moundsville, WVa. 16-11 Monday night at M.S. Deal Stadium after taking an 12-1 lead. Cody Prestwood hit a grand slam in the first inning to give Post 29 a 6-0 lead after a bases-loaded walk to Dunnigan scored a run.