Deason makes splash in first two victories

Manager Jess Bolen pretty well hand-picks the players he wants for his Plaza Tire Capahas baseball team.

Every now and then somebody catches Bolen's eye during the open tryout he holds before each season, but that happens infrequently.

Kendal Deason is the latest exception to the rule. And he already has made his presence felt during the first two games of the 2008 campaign.

Deason, who started at shortstop in the two contests, is among just three Plaza Tire players to have four hits.

After going 2-for-4 with a double during Friday's 14-12 win over Valmeyer, Ill., Deason came back Saturday to go 2-for-3 with a walk as the Capahas routed Valmeyer 14-1.

"I'm satisfied with what he's doing for us," Bolen said.

Deason, a 2005 Kelly High School graduate, last played organized baseball during the summer of 2005 when he participated in American Legion.

Deason had a productive two years of basketball at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, then saw virtually no action during the 2007-08 season as a walk-on for the Southeast Missouri State basketball team.

He said he got the urge to give baseball another chance, so he attended the Capahas' open tryout May 18.

"I'm hoping to try and get back into it [baseball]," Deason said. "I thought it would be a good opportunity."

Deason made the most of it by impressing Bolen.

"He looked good in the field, he threw good," Bolen said. "He just came out and made the team.

"You like to see something like that. We usually don't have many guys who didn't play college baseball."

Said Deason: "I had a decent tryout. I'm grateful he took me. I'm trying to make the best of it."

So far Deason is making the best of his opportunity. In addition to getting a pair of hits in each of the first two games, he made a diving stop Saturday that did not result in an out, but saved a run.

"Kendal is playing well," teammate Zach Johnson said.

Deason said he is happy with his performance so far, but is not about to get carried away.

"So far so good. I'm pleased," he said. "But we'll start to face better pitching."

Bolen plans to use Zach Borowiak — who played the past five years in the Boston Red Sox organization — as the Capahas' regular shortstop.

But Borowiak has not yet joined the squad, and there will be times during the season when he won't be able to make games.

Enter Deason.

"When Zach can't be here, we need somebody to play shortstop," Bolen said. "And he [Deason] is a good athlete, so he can play other positions."

Deason, who played just eight minutes in six games for the Southeast basketball team during the 2007-08 season — he did not score a point — said he is done with college basketball and wants to see if he can earn a spot on next year's Southeast baseball squad.

He figures the playing time he receives with the Capahas this summer can help him achieve that goal.

"I'm going to give it a shot," he said.