Curtis plays 3 spots for Warriors

Grace Warriors Baseball News > Gabe Curtis gives Warriors another catcher

4/12/2008

Curtis has given Grace Christian big boost
By Bret H. McCormick
bmccormick@thetowntalk.com
(318) 487-6352

Josh Brown knew Grace Christian had a good team coming back this season.

After all, the Warriors finished as runners-up in Class C last year and returned all but one player off that team.

Then, Brown was blessed even more with the addition of Gabe Curtis as a transfer. Curtis was an all-district performer last season as a sophomore at Grant, then transferred to Cenla Christian Academy for his junior year before moving to Grace Christian.

Naturally, having a player like Curtis, who has played baseball on a high level, was a bonus for Brown, who said Curtis' versatility allows him to fill many roles for the Warriors, who are off to a 20-2 start.

Ask Brown in what ways Curtis has helped, and you might not get him to stop talking.

His primary role is at shortstop, where he has allowed last year's shortstop, sophomore Chaston Lacaze, to move over to his natural position at second base. Together the tandem has turned 16 double plays.

"Lacaze is so much better at second base. We've been the best up the middle that we've ever been," Brown said.

"He does a great job at shortstop," said fellow junior James Slater. "That's a position we were really weak at last year."

But he's not just a shortstop. When Slater, who is 8-1 on the season, takes the mound, Curtis can move behind the plate, where he played at Grant.

"If Slater pitches, we've got a catcher now," Brown said. He was reluctant to put Slater on the mound last season because it weakened the Warriors behind the plate.

Curtis also can toe the rubber as a reliever, where he's posted a 2-0 record with two saves.

But he's no slouch at the plate, either, where he's hitting better than .550 with two homers, nine doubles and 45 RBI on the season. Brown said Curtis is the Warriors' first true power hitter.

"He's been a big boost for us," Brown said.

"He's brought a big stick to the lineup," Slater said.

Even with all of Curtis' production, Brown said his leadership can't be measured simply by numbers. It's Curtis' competitive fire that has really driven Grace Christian since his arrival.

"He's laid-back, but at the same time he's been a really good captain for our team," Brown said. "He's somebody we need. He doesn't like to lose. He's competitive. That's the thing that really stands out to me is his competitiveness. He makes everybody else better."

"He picks up our team. He's always up," Slater said. "He's a good baseball player. He does stuff to get us going. He makes plays. He's a good role model."

Curtis, who said he doesn't want to stand apart from his teammates, did acknowledge how happy he is to be at Grace, as opposed to Cenla Christian, where he played football before Matt Middleton was fired in September. He said he's glad everything happened before baseball season because it allows him to "forget everything once I step on the field."

While he's standing out with his production, Curtis said he doesn't "want attention" and is "not trying to be better than anyone."

"I just do my part," Curtis said. "I carry my load, and I try to get everybody else to carry their load. You have to have all the engines running. You can't do it with just one. ... I'm not trying to put myself out there. I want everybody to be a team (and) equal."