“I don’t care who’s hitting I just attack them the same way,” Hancock said. “I throw as hard as I can every time I go out there.”
Hancock, a five-foot-11 lefty, is the closer on the deep pitching staff of the Corner Brook Barons AAA peewee baseball team vying for gold at the 2017 Sportscraft Provincial Peewee AAA baseball championship being staged this weekend in Grand Falls-Windsor.
Hancock has been an active participant in the Corner Brook minor baseball system for six years. He decided to try his hand at pitching in his second year of baseball and has really enjoyed taking on a role that brings pressure and high expectations.
“It came pretty naturally,” Hancock said. “I always knew I threw hard so I just needed to put it in the strike zone.”
The tournament, a single round-robin affair that will see the top two teams square off in the championship final Sunday, also features host Grand Falls-Windsor Braves, Mount Pearl and the St. John’s Capitals.
Barons coach Jonathan Snow knows the Mount Pearl entry will be tough and Grand Falls-Windsor and the Caps will be competitive so he expects his team will have to be on top of their game to win it all.
A smile came across coach Snow’s face when asked what the key would be for his team.
“Pitching always beats good hitting, and we’re fortunate that we found a few diamonds in the rough this year,” Snow said. “If we can keep the pitch count down and make the plays in the field then we should be good.”
dkearsey@thewesternstar.com
Twitter: WS_SportsDesk
