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The biggest local baseball stories in 2007 were created by the boys of summer.  Rowan County’s American Legion team returned to the top of the Southern Division of Area III standings for the first time since the 2002 state-championship run and filled the bleachers at Newman Park.  Rowan’s most thrilling games were a road loss at Randolph County and a setback to Cherryville in the state tournament, but coach Jim Gantt’s crew owned June and July. While Rowan finished 40-8, it was 37-2 at one point and earning comparisons to the 2002 squad.  Veteran pitchers Keegan Linza, Cy Young and Lee Dupre combined for 23 wins. Trey Holmes’ majestic walk-off grand slam that ended a home game with South Rowan by the 10-run rule was a highlight, as was Young’s opening-night shutout of Mooresville.

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Four thousand amateur baseball coaches are in Philadelphia, getting coaching on how to coach.  Members of the American Baseball Coaches Association have come from across the country to share advice and strategy through Sunday.  Jack Hacker is the longtime head coach at California’s Reedley College. He says he never misses a session, and learns something every year at the convention.  He says he wrote down everything he could when he first started attending. Now, 28 years later, he finds that the conference is reinforcing and adding to what he’s doing. <br> <br> Hacker says, “For a younger coach, you just can’t beat it.”  Hacker was the college coach of knuckleballer Dennis Springer, who pitched for the Phillies in 1995.

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Join pitching coaches and instructors Joe Sperle and Gil Patterson for the Holiday Break Baseball Camp on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oakland A’s Spring Training Stadium, 5999 E. Van Buren, Phoenix. The camp is for boys ages 8-18. Cost is $99and includes instruction and practice on pitching, hitting, defensive drills and defensive strategies. Lunch will be provided.