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Citrus Park Aiming For World Series

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 2, 2008

GULFPORT - Two years ago, Citrus Park Little League won the Little League under-10 Tournament of State Champions in West Virginia. That was when they set themselves on a path to being at Gulfport this year, playing in the Southeast Regional tournament.

With a third consecutive title and that goal accomplished, Manager Joe McGuire said his team has a new goal.

"Our next goal is to play next Friday night," McGuire said.

Friday would be the regional championship game for the opportunity to go to the Little League World Series. This year, however, it would also be the opportunity to play in the last game at Arnold S. White Stadium.

The stadium is at the complex that is home to the Southern Region headquarters. In March it was sold to Boca Ciega High School as part of the school's expansion plans. Both the Southern Regional under-12 softball and baseball tournaments, which have been held there for the past 44 years, will move on to a new location.

For Southern Regional director Jennifer Colvin and those who work at the complex, it is the end of an era. Colvin came to Gulfport nine years ago and became the director in 2004, and while that is far less time than some of the volunteers who have been part of the tournament since 1964, it has been long enough for Colvin to appreciate what the stadium and complex have meant to teams one step away from the LLWS.

"People are aware of the history, and the allure of getting to a regional tournament," Colvin said. "They know that this is the last stop before they get to a World Series, and that's special to a lot of 12-year-olds."
Citrus Park is aware of the history. The players are aware that the last Hillsborough County team to advance to the LLWS was Northside Little League in 1989. Northside's team included current Boston Red Sox catcher Kevin Cash. It beat Taylors Northwood (S.C.) 8-4 in the title game.

One person who was at that game was Bob Branch. Branch has been a volunteer at the stadium since 1966, and he said the tournament will be missed by the local Little League community.

"It'll be very disappointing," Branch said. "We've been here a lot of years, seen a lot of children come and go, seen a lot of volunteers come and go. It'll really be missed."

Branch has acted as security guard, groundskeeper, scoreboard operator, and even as an umpire twice.

"This is definitely a place you want to come every year, you look forward to it," he said. "There's been a lot of hard work done here by a lot of people."

For Citrus Park, hard work and hard hitting have built an undefeated run that began in the district tournament. Michael McGuire, Wyatt Reid, Kevin Merrell and Levi Gilcrease all homered in a 12-1 win against Fort Myers in the state championship last Monday.

Now, Citrus Park enters a 4 p.m. game this afternoon against Hurricane (W.Va.) Little League looking to continue its run. McGuire thinks his team is ready for the tournament.

"Without a doubt," McGuire said. "We haven't played up to our capabilities yet. I think our best is yet to come."

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243 or nmurray@tampatrib.com.

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