Weekend could be do or die for Griffons

Sunday, July 2, 2006

Herald-Tribune

NEVADA, Mo. -- The NBC World Series qualifying tournament being held at Champion Diamonds this weekend could be the only chance the Nevada Griffons have of making it to the annual event in Wichita held each August.

Why is that? Because despite three consecutive ninth-place finishes in the Series, the Griffons won't be a lock for an at-large bid this season thanks to a rough patch that has seen them off to the worst start in club history at 8-16.

Unless things change drastically in July, the Griffons will post only their second sub-.500 overall record in the team's existance (21 years).

In fact, only the inaugural Griffons in 1985 (24-27) finished the season without a winning mark.

"I haven't told them basically what it is, but it is do or die," Nevada head coach John Hill III said. "I haven't addressed it to them as a team, but if they've thought that deeply into it, they understand it."

Hill knows that if the Griffons don't qualify for the Series via this tournament, the at-large route is a long shot.

"We would have to reverse what we've done to this point and hope they need to fill a spot," he said.

The last time the Griffons didn't qualify for the World Series was in 1992, meaning this year's club would be the first in 14 years not to go to Wichita.

Hill said he hasn't stressed the tournament too hard to his players since they have had trouble as a team during tense situations this season.

"They haven't responded well so far to placing a lot of pressure on them," he said. "I'm trying to keep a happy medium."

The pressure record speaks for itself. The Griffons are 3-8 in one-run games, and that's after winning two in a row against the Joplin Slashers Wednesday and Thursday. Both games were won more as a result of Joplin miscues than Griffon heroics.

Hill is hoping to lean on some veteran players on the team like Tony Lewis, John Christian and the recently graduated Caleb Barton.

"The older guys understand that this could be it," Hill said. "That's what they're here for, is to get seen. There is no better way to get seen (by scouts) than to go to the World Series in Wichita."

Winning the qualifying tournament won't be easy. The Griffons finished second last season and this year's field should be stronger.

The Griffons opened the tournament Saturday with the Topeka Golden Knights of the MINK League. They join the defending tournament champion Parkville Sluggers and the Ozark Generals as three MINK League entrants in the field.

The Joplin Slashers give the Jayhawk League a second team in the tournament.

The Lee's Summit Blues, who finished third in last-year's tournament, add a sixth tough team to the field.

A pair of 18-and-under squads round out the eight-team tournament.

"I think it's deeper than last year, definitely," Hill said.

The tournament is double elimination and will take place mostly at Champion Diamonds through Monday. There were some games held at Lyons Stadium Saturday as the field was narrowed to six.

There are four games today beginning at 10:45 a.m.

The third-place game and the title game will be Monday. The championship game starts at 1:30 p.m., with an if necessary game to follow.

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