Winning a state championship in any sport, at any level, is a special accomplishment. The 2000 Fannin Summer League baseball team did exactly that and, in recognition of that auspicious feat, has been selected as the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame team to be honored as part of the 2020 induction class.
The 2000 Fannin Summer League baseball team consisted of a group of 15 and 16-year-old youngsters who competed in the Dizzy Dean Baseball League. The Fannin team was short on numbers with only eleven players, but long on determination and talent. The members of the team had competed with or against each other since T ball age and would continue to compete together as members of the Fannin County High School baseball team. But the summer of 2000 saw them unified in their quest for the Georgia State Dizzy Dean Championship.
Leading the Fannin boys were coaches David Lunsford, Gerald Williamson and Greg Nazerian. During the academic year Lunsford was the head coach of the Fannin County High School Rebels baseball team. Williamson and Nazerian were old pros at the baseball coaching trade having guided youngsters in various competitive baseball leagues for a number of years. The triumvirate established a special chemistry early in the season. Lunsford says “Williamson masterminds the operations. He gets it done. Nazerian coaches first base and is an easy-going guy whom I depend on for support on and off the field”.
The Fannin boys kicked off the 2000 season on May 27, in an early season tournament in Boynton, Georgia. They finished the tourney as runners-up with a 3-1 record. During the remainder of the regular season, which essentially extended through the month of June, the team posted a record of 5 wins and 4 losses, giving Fannin a so-so record of 8-5 entering tournament play. With only 11 players, every member of the team was called upon to contribute to the cause. Regular season team highlights included two victories over Gilmer County, two wins over Dalton and a 16-1 pasting of Lafayette. Individual players with stellar performances included pitcher Daniel Lunsford who twirled a complete game 2-hitter against Lafayette and outfielder Chris Sosebee who clouted a grand slam home run in the June 20th game with Gilmer County and had 4 RBIs in a game against Dalton.
The District Dizzy Dean Tournament began at the Fannin County High School field on Friday, June 30, and was scheduled to run through Saturday, July 8. The Fannin boys entered the tourney as something of a dark horse team. The starting pitching rotation of Brandon Bradburn, Anthony Cheatham and Daniel Lunsford would be severely challenged if Fannin managed to advance very far in the tournament. The challenge increased dramatically when Rome knocked off Fannin, 4-1, to send the locals to the losers’ bracket. Outfielder John Michael Croft scored the only Fannin run and the pitching duties were shared by Daniel Lunsford and Brandon Bradburn.
After the loss to Rome, the Fannin boys regrouped and won three consecutive games over Rockmart, West Cobb and Woodland to set up a return match with Rome on Friday, July 7. The winner would advance to the finals on the following day against Adairsville. With Bradburn on the mound and catcher Brandon Williamson making two great throws to nab runners trying to steal, Fannin shut out their nemesis from Rome, 3-0, and climbed their way out of the losers’ bracket to face Adairsville for the tournament championship. Fannin would need to defeat Adairsville twice to win the title since Adairsville had not yet lost a game. Fannin won the opener but dropped the nightcap to finish as runners-up in the District Tournament. Both teams, however advanced to the State Dizzy Dean Tournament in Boynton, Georgia beginning on July 15.
Entering the State Tournament, Fannin would boast a starting lineup of Hutson Vann at first base, reliable glove-man Michael Cornelius at second, Bradburn at shortstop when not pitching and Stephen Nazerian at third base. Outfielders would be Kurk Conklin, Matt Henson, Daniel Lunsford (when not pitching) and Anthony Cheatham, again when not pitching. Backup help in the outfield would come from Chris Sosebee and John Michael Croft. Brandon Williamson handled the catching. Nazerian and Vann were both big hitters each producing a lot of doubles and RBIs. Coach Lunsford had this to say about Nazerian: “He is a slick fielding player. He makes a lot of highlight plays. He has a good glove and will help produce a lot of key runs for us in the tournament”.
Although all 11 players made significant contributions, Matt Henson was undoubtedly the key to the team’s success. Lunsford made these comments about Henson: “Henson is the best all-around player on the team. He plays wherever you need him.” After his high school days Henson was awarded baseball scholarships to Young Harris and then to UNC-Asheville and has been inducted into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame for his individual accomplishments.
In the State Tournament, Fannin again fell into the losers’ bracket by dropping a 9-4 decision to Adairsville in their second outing. Undaunted, the Fannin boys reeled off four consecutive victories and found themselves facing Rome on Saturday, July 22 with an opportunity to win the State Championship. Rome had not yet lost a game in the tourney so Fannin would need to sweep two games to capture the title. Leading up to the championship series, several members of the team made memorable contributions. In the game with the Sequoyah Pirates on Tuesday, July 18 Henson had 4 hits and 3 RBIs and Stephen Nazerian blasted a bases loaded double to drive in three big runs. Brandon Bradford pitched a complete game in a 5-2 revenge victory over Adairsville on Wednesday, July 19. On Friday, July 21, Cheatham, Lunsford and Henson combined to limit the Sequoyah Indians to one run in an 11-1 Fannin victory.
In the first game against Rome on Saturday, July 22, young Anthony Cheatham pitched what his coaches called “probably the best 7 inning game he has ever had” as Fannin moved one step closer to the State Championship in a tension-filled 4-3 victory. Kurk Conklin was the offensive hero with two huge RBIs. Fannin had just enough left to win a wild nightcap 9-7 and win the Georgia Dizzy Dean State Championship. The winning run was scored on a double steal that brought Manager Lunsford to say “we are not known for our speed. We very seldom win games by stealing bases. We hit a lot of singles”.
Winning the Georgia State Championship entitled the Fannin boys to play in the National Dizzy Dean Tournament at the recently completed, world-class Snowden Grove Baseball Complex in Southaven, Mississippi beginning on July 29, 2000. The immediate challenge was raising enough money to make the trip and the coaches and player parents immediately ‘hit the streets’ to solicit financial help from local merchants and citizens. The community support was strong and the Fannin team soon found themselves in rooms at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Memphis awaiting their opener in the World Series in Mississippi just south of the Tennessee border.
The Fannin County Summer League Baseball team won two games and lost two games at the World Series to finish 5th in the Nation. They defeated the Southaven host team in the opener to the tune of 12-0 and also topped Summerton, Alabama, 4-2 in a brilliant complete game 4-hitter by Brandon Bradburn.
A small group of eleven young men and three coaches brought glory to Fannin County during a short two-month span in the summer of 2000. In case you missed it, it was quite a ride.
