Maitland 12U All-Stars pumped for pool play

Now is the time that little leaguers in Maitland wait for all year.

After playing their hardest throughout the short — but productive — 14-game season, the wait was on to see who will make the team.

On June 1, after all the votes had been cast, that question was answered by the announcement of the 2017 Maitland 12U All-Star team.

Having only two weeks to prepare for District 23 pool play, which begins on June 24 at the Apopka Little League Field of Fame, the team is already in full practice mode as they prepare for what they hope will be the first tournament of many to come. 

And no one is happier for the start of postseason play than coach David Johnson. 

“I’m kind of glad that the season is over,” Johnson said. “We were short this year in 12-year-olds. We only have six, so it’s nice to see all those 12-year-olds playing on one team.” 

The regular season, which began in February, was tough because of the lack of players. The 11U and 12U teams each had to be split evenly, which meant there were only two teams each that played against one another once a week. Teams also would scrimmage other district teams in the area.

With the season in the rearview mirror and the chance to play with a full lineup looming, Johnson is optimistic as his team begins pool play against squads from Apopka, Lake Mary, Oviedo and Forest City. 

“We are set up really nice because we end up with three full catchers, and we probably have a pitching staff of six solid pitchers,” Johnson said. “I’m pretty excited to finally have that many pitchers at one time at our disposal.”

Strong, efficient pitching has become a major aspect of the game Johnson and his crew have been working on for almost two years with their players. Johnson noticed Maitland’s biggest rival, Oviedo, started incorporating a pitching program that seemed to be really doing a number on opposing teams – including his own.

The kids on this year’s 12U team have played against Oviedo in the last two district-championship games at both the 10U and 11U level.

Because base-stealing is not a part of the Little League game, the game tends to come down to a hitting or pitching duel, Johnson said.

Influenced by the effectiveness of Oviedo’s program and wanting to focus on pitching, Johnson implemented a new pitching system.

“For the last several years, they have really focused on pitching and teaching all their kids proper mechanics and technique,” Johnson said. “That is something we have brought in in the last year-and-a-half — a focus on a stronger pitch management. Controlling what the kids are throwing, watching their arms, keeping them healthy and building strength.”

However, that doesn’t mean Johnson is ignoring the offensive side of the game. With the possibility of facing Oviedo again likely, Johnson knows it will take some solid offensive output to keep up with Oviedo’s solid pitching staff.

“We are working on our hitting,” Johnson said. “I think we have three players on our team this year who have hit quite a few home runs, so working with those three and getting some players to get on base behind them — I think we’ll do well.”

With a lineup featuring more effective pitching, a couple of extra kids able to play and a generally improved team, Maitland could find themselves in the district finals.

Although Johnson likes to approach each game as a singular obstacle, the chance of playing Oviedo in the finals is too good an opportunity to exact a little revenge.

“Our goal right now is to make the finals in this round and try to have a showdown with Oviedo again, (because) we have done it every year since these kids were 10,” Johnson said. “We have to get ourselves in a position to do that first, and then hopefully, we save enough pitching to do something a little different this year to throw them off and get out ahead.”

Contact Troy Herring at 

[email protected].