| PLAYER | SCHOOL |
| Will Bishop | Sumter County High |
| Hamp Butler | Southland Academy |
| Jonathan Crumbliss | Americus High |
| Greg Dominy | Southland Academy |
| Brad Hagerson | Southland Academy |
| Michael Horne | Southland Academy |
| Joe Lamb | Americus High |
| Michael Marshall | Southland Academy |
| Ernest Polk | Americus High |
| Scott Renew | Americus High |
| William Rooks | Tri County High |
| Todd Sellars | Southland Academy |
| Edgar Smith | Tri County High |
| Ted Turner | Americus High |
| Nick Williams | Tri County High |
| COACHES ROSTER |
| Head Coach: Billy Nicholson |
| Assistant Coach: Dane Shepard |
| Assistant Coach: Chris Castleberry |
| Manager: Chip Reese |
| Manager: Chad Standridge |
| Director of Baseball Operations: Tim Estes |
| 1997 Team Selected & Schedule Announced |
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The 1997 Americus Travelers was selected after try outs in early May. Players named were (in order of numbers on uniform) Will Bishop, Nick Williams, Michael Marshall, Michael Horne, Edgar Smith, Greg Dominy, Joe Lamb, William Rooks, Scott Renew, Jonathan Crumbliss, Hamp Butler, Todd Sellars, Brad Hagerson, Ted Turner and Ernest Polk. Of these 15, Crumbliss, Smith, Lamb, Hagerson, Williams, Dominy, Turner and Rooks were named to the Americus Times-Recorder's All Area Team. Among the highlights for the 1997 season were a matchup against the Silver Bullets Women's Baseball Team at Paul Eames Complex in Albany on June 11; the Bay City Tournament in Panama City, Florida, June 27-29; and the GRPA State Championship Tournament, which was held in Americus July 16-19. |
| June 3 - Americus Day Of Baseball |
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The Travelers defeated Americus' very own 16-and-under Blue team 14-4 to open their 1997 season, scoring six runs in the first inning alone. Brad Hagerson smashed a triple to the wall. The team maintained a four run lead throughout the game. The Orange and Navy squad had 14 hits and eight walks and then scored five more runs in the fifth to seal the win. Joe Lamb and Ted Turner both went 3-for-4. Scott Renew hit an inside-the-park homerun and Michael Horne crossed home plate three times. Nick Williams gave up three unearned runs on the mound, allowed a single hit and walked one. Hamp Butler struck out three and walked two. In the nightcap, the Travelers defeated the Americus Orange 16-and-under team 2-1. Hagerson allowed one hit and struck out seven. Jonathan Crumbliss and Hagerson were the key hitters in this game. |
| Peach County |
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The Travelers split a double header with Peach County's Trojans to open the 1997 campaign. In game #1, the Orange and Navy crew had 17 hits in a game that went 12-2. Pitcher Michael Marshall struck out seven and allowed no hits. Joe Lamb had three hits and two RBIs. Ted Turner posted a double, an RBI and scored three runs. Brad Hagerson and Michael Horne each had two hits, both triples. In the nightcap, Peach took the win 8-4. Hagerson went 3-for-4, Edgar Smith was 2-for-4, and Greg Dominy posted two hits. |
| Colorado Silver Bullets |
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In this game, the Travelers wound up trailing 6-2, then came back in the final two winnings to post eight more runs. The game was played at Paul Eames Complex in Albany with a crowd of 400+ in attendance. The Silver Bullets managed five hits initially, three in inning #1 alone. They would then add two more runs in the second and fourth innings to have a 6-0 lead. In inning #5, Michael Horne started the Travelers comeback by singling in Greg Dominy. The score remained 6-1 until inning #7, when Dominy doubled, then scored after the Bullets overthrew 1st base on a grounder. Nick Williams and Dominy combined on the mound in relief, allowing two hits and walking six. In inning #8, the Travelers posted four hits, three runs. Brad Hagerson and Will Bishop each scored due to errors to give the Travelers the victory. EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're expecting a recap of the bench clearing brawl that took place with this game on this web site, the answer is NO. Enough has been said of this already. This game - and the brawl - are history. Let's put it to rest....... |
| Dodge County |
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The Travelers defeated Dodge County 12-1 in six innings. Nick Williams struck out five, and allowed one run on eight hits and allowed only one walk. Greg Dominy singled in Todd Sellars in the second to start the scoring, then Brad Hagerson's hit to center scored Joe Lamb. Dominy tripled in the bottom of the 4th to score Michael Horne, then Dominy himself scored due to a wild pitch. In the bottom of the fifth, outstanding hitting from Hagerson, Scott Renew, Sellars, Will Bishop, Jonathan Crumbliss, and Joe Lamb resulted in more runs. Dominy's double to left to score two runs finished the contest. |
| Warner Robins |
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The Orange and Navy crew defeated the Mariners 12-1 in six innings. Outstanding hitter Scott Renew went 3-for-3 for the night. Michael Marshall was the winning pitcher, giving up only a single run, walking one, striking out four, and stranding three. In the bottom of the first, Renew singled in Edgar Smith, then Renew scored thanks to Todd Sellars pop fly to right. Renew then singled in William Rooks in the second after he had advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Will Bishop. Brad Hagerson doubled in Greg Dominy and Renew scored due to a throw error. Hagerson himself scored due to a throw error. In inning #5, Jonathan Crumbliss tripled in Hagerson. In inning #6, Smith reached home thanks to a single by Renew. Ted Turner singled in Joe Lamb and Renew. Rooks then singled to bring in Turner and Sellars. |
| Albany Indians |
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The Travelers defeated the Indians 7-3 and 2-1 in a double header. Todd Sellars was the winning pitcher, allowing five hits, three earned runs, and striking out four batters. Outstanding hitters in game #1 were Jonathan Crumbliss, Scott Renew, Michael Horne, Joe Lamb, and Hamp Butler. In the nightcap, Greg Dominy was the winning pitcher; he struck out five, allowed three hits and one earned run, and walked one. Outstanding hitters were Edgar Smith, Brad Hagerson and Dominy. |
| Peach County |
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The Travelers defeated Peach County in a twin bill 9-2 and 9-4. Michael Marshall, pitcher, allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out two. Brad Hagerson walked one, struck out two, and gave up two unearned runs. Leading hitters: Edgar Smith, Hagerson, Todd Sellars and Greg Dominy. In the nightcap, Nick Williams allowed only three hits, three earned runs, one unearned run, and struck out two. Sellars as relief struck out two and walked two; he allowed no hits or runs. Leading hitters: Joe Lamb, Dominy, Scott Renew, Hamp Butler. |
| June 27-29 - Bay City Tournament @ Panama City, Florida |
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Game #1: The team lost to the Largo, Florida Dream Team, 8-4. Game #2: The Travelers defeated Valdosta 6-5. Brad Hagerson hit a homerun with two outs posted in the bottom of the seventh inning. Game #3: The Orange and Navy crew defeated Shaw High from Columbus, 8-4. Ted Turner posted a two-run homerun. Game #4: The Travelers lost to the East Cobb All Stars, 13-8. Hamp Butler styled and profiled as outstanding hitter, though; he hit a grand slam homerun! |
| July 16-19 - GRPA State Tournament |
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Laurens County All Stars: The Travelers defeated the Laurens County All Stars in first round action, 4-3. Michael Marshall retired eight straight and struck out two, then allowed three hits. Todd Sellars allowed four hits, no runs, one walk. Greg Dominy allowed three hits, no runs, and struck out two. In inning #2, Jonathan Crumbliss scored from third thanks to a wild throw from Laurens. Laurens County then posted three runs to take the lead, but in the fourth the score tied when Crumbliss doubled in Edgar Smith, then Ted Turner's double brought in Crumbliss. Baldwin: The Travelers defeated Baldwin County 3-0 to reach the next step on the ladder in a game that was delayed with a near two-hour rain delay in the bottom of the sixth innings. Nick Williams allowed one walk and gave up five hits. Brad Hagerson came in as relief and struck out three batters back-to-back. There was no score until inning #5, when Ted Turner singled in both Greg Dominy and Joe Lamb. Scott Renew then hit a ground ball to bring in Hagerson. Wayne County: Wayne County had the Travelers facing a 5-0 deficit, but in the bottom half of inning #3, the Travelers charged back and posted seven runs. By inning #5, another Orange and Navy run resulted in an 8-5 victory. The win for Americus clinched their spot in the championship game. Their opponent would be the winner of the Wayne County-Baldwin matchup. Wayne County: The Travelers reclaimed the GRPA State Championship trophy in a grueling 12 inning, 5-4 victory over Wayne County that saw the score continously go neck and neck. The win resulted in the bottom of the 12th when Jonathan Crumbliss walked, stole second, then took third due to a throw error from the plate. Another wild throw to third resulted in Crumbliss scoring the winning run. Brad Hagerson was the winning pitcher; he struck out five, walked four, and allowed four runs and 11 hits. Nick Williams struck out four batters. In inning #3, Edgar Smith drove in Todd Sellars, then Greg Dominy's grounder hit brought in Smith. In inning #12, Michael Horne was able to score from first base due to wild throws. Wayne County took the lead in the ninth 4-3, then Dominy's hit to center field drove in Joe Lamb to tie the score again. Crumbliss scored the game winning run in the twelfth without another Americus hit. |
| July 28-31 - Americus Travelers Baseball Camp |
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The Travelers held a youth baseball camp for boys from eight to 14 years of age. The boys received a t-shirt and lunch as part of the camp costs. Assistant Coaches Dane Shepard and Chris Castleberry along with several of the Travelers players taught the youngsters fielding, throwing, hitting, and pitching fundamentals. |
| August 5 - End Of Season Banquet |
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An end-of-season banquet for the Americus Travelers players, coaches, families and friends took place on Tuesday, August 5, at the Golden Corral restaurant in Americus to close out the very successful 1997 season. |