Varsity baseball players continue early love of sport

LAKE CITY — Four Lake City High School varsity baseball players who started playing baseball at the ages of 4 and 5 said they’ve never lost interest in the sport.

Senior Shane Miles said signing to play baseball with Charleston Southern University is his proudest accomplishment. Miles plans to be a chemistry major and said he’s glad he has the opportunity to play baseball on the college level.

Miles, who plays centerfield and pitches, said his parents allowed him to begin playing baseball when he was 4 years old and always found the sport to be fun.

He said his “will to get better and better” is his greatest strength. In his spare time, Miles said, he likes sleeping and playing basketball.

Senior Reggie Weatherford said he’s been Lake City’s top hitter for the past two years. He plays second base and shortstop and is a pitcher. He also has signed with Spartanburg Methodist College, where he plans to study criminal justice.

Weatherford said he has been playing baseball since age 5 and that he’s followed in the footsteps of his father. He said his father played with Milwaukee Brewers and that he too would like to play professional baseball in the future.

When he’s not on the field, he said, he enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with friends.

Junior Sheldon Robinson, who describes himself as determined and focused, said his strength in last year’s baseball season was batting over .300.

Robinson, equipped with lean legs and broad shoulders, said speed and base running are his greatest strengths on the field. Although coaches said Robinson excels at baseball and football, Robinson, who plays left field, said he likes the rough-and-tumble contact sport of football the most. Robinson’s hobbies include working out at the gym and occasionally participating in track and field when his involvement in other sports allows him to do so.

Sophomore Shon Carson, who plays shortstop and centerfield and pitches, said he started playing baseball at age 5. Carson said he always wanted to play baseball and always liked playing the sport. Carson, with an athletic frame and described by a coach as a “homegrown product,” said his greatest strength on the field is his ability to help the team win.

“Sometimes I fall asleep at night with a baseball and football next to me,” Carson jokingly said, explaining his love for both sports.

In his spare time, he enjoys going to the movies and spending time with friends, he said.

“All of these players are competitive and coachable,” said Jason Cook, Lake City’s head varsity baseball coach. He said all of them make fairly good grades and are all-around good baseball players.

Assistant varsity coach Matt Apicella said the four players are hard workers who have played for several seasons and provide a solid “nucleus” for the team.

“Baseball is the only sport that doesn’t have the clock running,” he said.

Cook said baseball games are slower than many other sports and that players must remain focused for longer periods of time.

Cook said potential baseball players have to embody good hand and eye coordination and be able to throw, catch and run extremely well. Cook said he looks for players who truly love the game and want to be out on the field every day, no matter what the circumstances.