By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
At 6:05 p.m. EDT, the Texarkana-Festus game was in the top of the seventh inning with Texarkana leading 10-5. Festus is the home team in the seven-inning game, and a break will precede Rowan County’s contest.
Here’s a look at the defending champion Southern Nevada Titans, who will play Rowan County. Nick Smith will start on the mound for Rowan.
The Titans edged Berlin (Conn.) on Day 1 and lost 11-8 against Midland (Mich.) earlier today.
Southern Nevada is looking to become the first team to repeat as champions since Rio Piedras (Puerto Rico) in 1973 and 1974.
Southern Nevada is now without star Jeff Malm, a fifth-round draft choice who agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays just three days ago.
Malm is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound first baseman/closer who was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Year in the high school ranks. He hit .421 in 39 games with Southern Nevada this season. He had committed to Southern Cal.
The Titans are basically an extension of the Bishop Gorman High School team in Las Vegas. Bishop Gorman went 40-4 and won its fourth straight 4A state title in the spring, finishing the season at No. 1 in Baseball America’s final national poll.
The Titans are 63-13, meaning the team has played 120 games since March 12.
Southern Nevada went 5-0 in its regional and averaged almost 12 runs per game.
Johnny Field entered Sunday with 26 home runs, 132 RBIs, a .525 batting average and 28 steals in 75 games. He hit .409 at the regional.
Joey Rickard hit .478 with 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored in the regional, and T.J. White hit .476.