JF’s Huffman plays key role in West’s victory

By Ted Allen

Published: July 3, 2008

NEWPORT NEWS — It wasn’t exactly an American Classic, with seven errors between the two teams, but Jefferson Forest catcher Josh Huffman ranks Thursday’s Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star baseball game at Christopher Newport University as one of the highlights of his career.

“It’s awesome down here,” Huffman said after his West squad edged the East 7-6 in a back-and-forth contest. “That’s something I’ll never forget, going out there and taking the field with the best around. It’s an excellent experience.”

After entering the game in the fifth, Huffman, the Seminole District first-team catcher destined for King College in Bristol, impressed more with his glove and his arm than his bat.

He went 0-for-2 at the plate, just missing a 3-2 fastball down the middle but up in the strike zone for a pop-up in the seventh before lining out to shortstop in the ninth.

But he contributed a couple big plays behind the plate to get the West team out of a jam in the sixth. With one out and runners on first and third, he tagged Liberty University signee Christopher McDougal of Denbigh out at home on a double steal attempt and later threw Lancaster’s Luke Saunders out trying to steal third to end the threat.

“It was pretty cool,” Huffman said.

On the double steal, which the East had executed successfully in a four-run fourth, “We were just going to throw the guy out at second, but they saw the guy break from third and the shortstop cut it and made a perfect throw,” said Huffman, who applied a perfect tag.

He was relaxed behind the plate, and helped keep his pitchers calm and his teammates loose in the dugout.

“I didn’t really try to be nervous because it’s all about coming out here and having fun, showcasing your talent,” said Huffman, who familiarized with the pitchers while warming them up in the bullpen. “I got to know what their pitches do.”

He was most in awe of Richlands closer Jordan Barnett, who struck out seven in three-plus innings of work.

“The last guy, he threw from so many different arm angles to get guys out, he was just nasty,” Huffman said. “He definitely was hitting his spots.”

He said fatigue from pitching in mid-90-degree temperatures may have set in for Barnett in the ninth, when the East rallied for a run and left the bases loaded on a fly out to left center after Hampton’s Sean Fields was doubled off second.

“He got in a little trouble there at the end because he was leaving the ball up, probably getting a little tired,” Huffman said. “But he fought through it. He’s a competitor.”

Halifax’s Justin Bagbey, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs, three in a four-run fifth that put the West back on top 6-4, was his team’s MVP while starting pitcher Ben Tomchick of Princess Anne, who retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, received the honor for the East.