Southwest Shockers shortstop Josh Bumgarner — from the Shockers Black squad — applies the tag to Burkburnett Blacksox baserunner Alex Young (14) of Lawton Eisenhower during a semifinal of the Jim Walton Tournament on Sunday.
The high school baseball season might be over, but for some area players, the action has yet to cease.
The Southwest Shockers have a lot to do with that. The organization, which features three teams — Red, Black and Gray — allows select players to continue the baseball season well after high schools close their doors for the summer.
Shockers president Perry Warren came up with the idea of creating a summer baseball program nearly a decade ago, and that idea has helped many athletes reach their goals over the past decade.
The Shockers’ mission is to provide players opportunities to improve their skills, opening doors for them to play at the college level. As of this past spring, the Shockers had more than 50 alumni in the college ranks.
Some of those players include Blake Clanton, who plays for Washington State, Taylor Varnell of Oral Roberts and College of Charleston’s Riley Knudsen.
Those three are only a sample of the talent the Shockers have produced over the years.
“I lost track of the number that went on to college, but my guess is over 100 by several,” Warren said.
Clanton led the Cougars in hits this season, tallying 56, including 13 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs. He also scored 29 runs.
Varnell experienced similar success, using his left hand to torment opposing batters. In 16 appearances on the mound for the Golden Eagles, Varnell struck out 62, giving up 58 hits to go along with a 5.95 ERA.
Although these players have enjoyed different paths to the college level, there is one thing they all have in common — a mentor in Warren.
“I am very grateful to have met Perry,” Varnell told Brayden Carpenter, who writes ‘Where are they now?’ articles for the Shockers organization. “He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and really pushed me to be my best. The love and support he gives to all members of the Shocker family is just amazing, and I know that everyone that’s been a part of the organization is very thankful for him.”
When players are assigned to their respective teams after tryouts, Warren sends them a text consisting of four questions.
1. Why do you play baseball?
2. What do you want to accomplish through playing the game of baseball?
3. How do your teammates say you play?
4. How do you want to be remembered as a player by those who watched you play?
Every answer varies, but Warren said they are crucial in helping the athletes’ development.
“These questions assist us in knowing what they play, what the player is desiring to accomplish, how they believe they are seen by others and what they want others to see them as,” Warren said. “These questions are universal to life and should aid them all their life.”
Whether by aiding players in life or on the diamond, Warren has certainly made a lasting impression on the players who pass through the Shockers program.
Intentionality — a philosophical term that describes the elements of mental states that are directed at things or ideas — is a cornerstone of Warren’s teachings, and if his players’ success rates are any indication, those ideals can reap into life-changing accomplishments.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Clanton said of playing for Washington State in an interview with Carpenter. “But I also know that you reap what you sow, as Perry says, and the hard work has paid off.”