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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/6/2018

Weiner gem propels 643 Jaguars

Nate Schweers     
Photo: Eli Weiner (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga. – Eli Weiner tossed a complete game, and the 643 DP Jaguars Hightower used small ball to down the Dulin’s Dodgers Henson 5-1 on Wednesday. The win clinched a Pool G victory for the Jaguars at the 17u Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational.

Weiner used a mid-80s fastball to keep hitters off balance all afternoon. He threw just 88 pitches in the complete game effort, minimizing seven Dodgers hits while also striking out three. On a day where Weiner wasn't feeling his best, he knew his intensity level needed to rise if his team was going to have a chance.



“Usually I’m more of an upper-80s guy, and today I was a little rushed in the beginning, so I knew that I needed to work the outside corner and the inside corner, and I think it also helped a lot that I let my defense work.”

Fitting to the team’s name, the Jaguars and defensive leader Trey Yunger (Wofford) turned a pair of inning-ending double plays on Wednesday, and were lights out behind Weiner for all seven innings.

“Go straight to my pitch count today, and the only reason I was able to go that whole game was because of my defense,” continued Weiner. “I think if I would have had a few errors behind me I definitely wouldn't have been able to finish it, so without those guys this wouldn't have happened.”

Weiner is also a member of Tulane’s 2019 recruiting class, and noted their strong academics and game day atmosphere as major selling points in the recruiting process. He is part of a Tulane class that ranks as Perfect Game’s 40th best in the country.

“I was looking for a great academic fit combined with great athletics, and I think Tulane was kind of like the perfect match for me. I’m a warmer weather type of guy and New Orleans is pretty awesome, and the facilities are amazing too. I think its one of the best fields in the country, and coach Jewett is awesome.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Jaguars executed their small ball game perfectly for six innings, highlighted by a suicide squeeze from Jamel Rookard (Gordon CC), and a first and third steal of home that got them on the board in the third inning. Head coach Taylor Hightower was pleased with his team’s effort, and noted that they executed the day’s game plan to perfection.

“The way we try to profile our offensive system is that we want as many bullets in our offensive gun as we can. We knew coming in that their guy was going to be an upper-80s guy, and with two strikes you’re going to put yourself in a bind. So, when you do get guys on base as rare as that may seem, you have to push across runs.”

After striking for the two runs in the third inning, 643 went right back to work in the fourth inning, adding another pair of runs. After a leadoff walk from Luke Hughes, Jameson Rice was able to drop a single just beyond the reach of the shortstop, giving the Jaguars another great scoring chance.

Following a strikeout, Nick Block (2019) was able to execute a perfectly timed hit-and-run to score. Heads up baserunning from Block would force an error during the next play, stretching the Jaguar lead to three. Block, who also scored on the suicide squeeze, said that team baseball was the key in today’s win.

“Everyone is in the game, and everyone is doing their best to keep everyone else up. Whenever someone gets down, everyone else gets on their back to keep them up and in the game,” said Block. Block played right field today, and said that defensively it is easy to play well behind a pitcher like Weiner.

“When your pitcher is throwing strikes you always need to be on your toes because you never know when the ball is going to be hit to you. You have to back him up too because if he is filling up the zone, you don't want to let him down and not be ready whenever a ball is hit to you.”

After coming out of Pool G unscathed, the 643 DP Jaguars Hightower now have their sights set on winning the 17u PG/EC Invitational for the second year in a row. Coach Hightower thinks they have the pieces to do it, and is excited to see how the next two days plays out.

“We've just played clean. With the depth of this age group in our whole organization, if we just show up and throw strikes and play clean defense we give ourselves a shot.”
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