ADMIRALS SET THE BAR HIGH

UT SIGNEE A.J. SIMCOX TAKES THE THROW ON A STOLEN BASE ATTEMPT.



FARRAGUT - The Diamond Domination Nation
looks to continue its winning ways.

The Admirals, winners of four straight Class AAA
state championships, expect to play at a high
level again in 2012.

"I am excited headed into the spring, I really like
the makeup and the talent of this team," said
third-year coach Matt Buckner. "If we play the
right way and all come together at the right time,
hopefully we will be able to compete at a high
level."

Farragut's bar for success includes winning the
state championship or finishing as runners-up in
12 of the past 29 years.

Buckner always seems calm and collected and
lets the pressure roll off him, whether its his initial
year as Farragut's coach (in 2010, when he took
over for Tommy Pharr after the Admirals had won
consecutive state championships) or for 2012,
after Buckner won two of his own.

"There are so many things that have to go right to
win a state title, I believe we prepare the right
way, work hard, and compete hard, and as long
as we do those things, I am not really worried
about the pressure of winning," Buckner said.

Senior University of Tennessee signee A.J. Simcox
will power the Admirals' offense.

"He also plays a great shortstop (defensively),"
Buckner said.

Lefty Xander Taylor became Farragut's staff ace in
2011 after star pitcher Phillip Pfeifer was injured,
Buckner said.

Taylor, a Volunteer State Community College
commitment who will miss the 2012 season with a torn labrum, took over for Pfeifer with one-out
in the second inning in the 2011 title bout
against Columbia Central.

Taylor tossed 5.2 innings of no-hit ball (after
Pfeifer hadn't given up a hit in getting his four
outs) and the Admirals won their fourth straight
title with a 2-0 win, finishing at 37-8.

"That's a lot of games (45) to play in a season,"
said Pat Dorwin, the leading hitter on Farragut's
initial championship team in 1982 that finished
26-5 overall.

The Ads will play in a number of tournaments in
2012.

"I believe our offseason conditioning program is
very key to maintaining performance during the
year, our kids are very dedicated to our
program," Buckner said. "We put tons of time into
this aspect of our athletes."

Late in the season, Farragut will hold its annual
Throwback Game, in which players wear old-time
jerseys, donations are accepted in lieu of
admission and food and drink is priced cheaply.

The event is a fund-raiser for Project 20/20,
started by Dorwin with the goal of getting 20
Knoxville-area high school club or varsity sports
to help raise money for Young-onset Parkinson's
disease by the year 2020.

The event is set for Thursday, April 26 as Farragut
meets Karns at 5 p.m. and Oak Ridge and Gibbs
tangle at 7:30 p.m.

"I was diagnosed in 2003 when I was 38 years
old," Dorwin said. "My youngest brother, Pete,
was the centerfielder on the the 1988 team, the
first of four state runner-up squads. He was
diagnosed at age 39."

See the http://www.pdproject2020.blogspot.com/ Web
site for more information. See http://www.fhs1982statechamps.blogspot.com/ for
info on in Admiral state records and a game-by-game look.

Diamond Domination Nation will look to 2012 to
be another successful year for Farragut baseball.

"Our community loves baseball and it continues
to grow. I have really got a first hand look at that
this last year since my son is now playing in the
youth leagues," Buckner said. "These factors
alone definitely continue to contribute to our
success at the high school level."