Stevenson keys victory for Westmoore

By Michael Kinney
The Moore American

MOORE June 18, 2008 11:05 am

— Westmoore Black got off to a strong start to its own tournament Thursday. The Jaguars rolled through Mustang 10-1 in five innings in the opening game of the tourney at Westmoore High.
The Jaguars’ Nick Pinkerton picked up the win as he pitched a complete game and allow one run on two hits.
The big bat for Westmoore was catcher Chris Stevenson. He clubbed a 3-run double in the top of the fifth inning to seal the game.
“We played good,” Stevenson said. “We hit the ball better than we have been. It’s a pretty good win. This is going to set us off for the rest of the tournament.”
Because of his play during his junior campaign, Stevenson was selected to play for the Oklahoma Junior team during the 32nd annual Sunbelt Classic.
But the catcher still sees several holes in his game. Stevenson carried a .252 batting average last year. He wants to raise it to around .400.
"I just need to try and stay behind the ball,” Stevenson said. “I am out in front of it a lot.”
Stevenson also wants his team to improve upon what they did last year. He wants to use this summer as a springboard to a solid spring in 2009.
“Come out with an attitude and just play tough,” Stevenson said. “We had talent, but this year it is all about confidence and attitude. Just come out with a swagger and play hard. We can work on that. The summer is going to be good for next year.”
While Stevenson is playing in the Sunbelt this week, his Westmoore teammates will compete in the Carl Albert Tournament Thursday through Sunday. It’s their final tournament of the summer before the Red Dirt League Playoffs June 26-29.