IN THE ZONE: JACKSON TO PLAY IN ZONE TOURNEY FOR FIRST TIME

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Jackson Junior American Legion baseball team has already had its best season in the relatively short history of the program.

Beginning today, Jackson will try to build on that success as it hosts the Zone 4 Tournament that will run through Saturday. Joining Jackson in the field will be fellow district champions Ballwin, Festus and Anheuser-Busch.

"We're excited," said Jackson manager Gerald Adams. "This is the first time for Jackson to be in the zone and everybody is looking forward to it."

Jackson, which has fielded a Junior Legion team (which primarily consists of players ages 15 and 16) for six years, captured its first district title earlier this week. The squad bounced back from a 2-18 district record last season.

"It was quite a turnaround from going 2-18 last year," said Adams, whose team has a 20-16 overall mark.

The double-elimination zone tourney begins today with two games as Ballwin plays Festus at 5:30 p.m. and Jackson faces Anheuser-Busch at 8 p.m. Today's losers square off at 1 p.m. Friday while today's winners meet at 5 p.m. Friday. There will also be a third game Friday, at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday's finals will begin at 1 p.m., with another game to follow if no team emerges undefeated. The zone winner earns a berth in the state tournament.

"I think it should be a real good tournament," Adams said. "Ballwin must be very tough. We've played a couple of teams out of their district and they were good, so I think Ballwin would have to be really tough. The same goes for Festus, because their district had some good teams.

"I don't know anything about Anheuser-Busch, but I expect all the teams here to be good. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it this far."

Adams said Jackson has been powered by a potent offense and that attack features seven starters who are batting better than .300. In all, nine Jackson players are hitting above .300.

A familiar name to area high school sports fans leads the attack. Center fielder Mario Whitney, a standout football running back and track sprinter as a Jackson sophomore last school year, is batting .400 with team highs of eight home runs and 37 runs batted in. He's also scored 39 runs and has stolen 18 bases without being caught.

"He's just got so much raw talent," said Adams of Whitney. "He can really go get the ball."

Third baseman Dusty Roberts is batting .392 with two homers and 32 RBIs while leadoff batter Michael Birk, who has played the outfield and third base, is hitting .320 and has team highs of 20 stolen bases, 46 runs and 48 hits.

Among the starters, other top hitters are left fielder Pat Kohm (.356), shortstop Bryan Austin (.355), catcher Brad Berry (.344) and first baseman Luke Johnson (.318).

The only regulars not batting above .300 are right fielder Josh Parham (.271) and second baseman Matt Gordon (.233), but Adams said that Parham really came on late in the season and Gordon is a clutch hitter who also helps solidify the infield defense along with Austin.

"Bryan and Matt were kind of the glue for our infield up the middle," Adams said. "They made all the plays."

Two players off the bench actually carry the team's highest batting averages: outfielder/first baseman Kyle Long (.442) and outfielder/catcher Kyle Dively (.440). Tyler Bender and Austin McDowell have also contributed in reserve roles, said Adams.

Top pitchers have been Austin (5-4), Roberts (4-2, two saves), Josh Statler (3-2) and Long (2-0), while Parham and McDowell are other capable hurlers. Adams said that Austin will likely start the tourney opener.

Coaching the squad along with Adams are Mike Austin and Bob Berry.