Porath, Sossamon share ’08 player of year honor

June 28, 2008 11:50 pm

— By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
We’re again copping out.
We’re naming Carl Junction’s Zak Porath and Webb City’s Chance Sossamon as co-winners of The Globe’s All-Area MVP.
Remember, Carl Junction’s Joseph Fauvergue and Webb City’s Landon Zerkel shared similar honors in boys basketball for the 2007-08 season.
“It’s OK,” Porath said Saturday of sharing. “We played on the same team for a long time growing up.
“Hopefully, we’re about even in baseball.”
For sure, though, Porath, a pitcher-outfielder, would like trading places with pitcher-shortstop Sossamon in one segment of the 2008 campaign.
Sossamon’s Cardinals, reaching the left-handed Porath for five runs in the first inning, defeated the Bulldogs 6-4 to win the Class 3 District 12 Tournament at Carthage. That was a reversal of the 2007 season.
“It came down to a rough first inning,” Porath said. “I wasn’t that sharp in the beginning.
“Obviously, it was disappointing,” Porath said. “Still, it was a good season (19-6 under Flave Darnell).”
Sossamon’s journey, meanwhile, didn’t end until St. Dominic prevailed 8-0 in the Class 3 final at Springfield.
“We fell short but overall it was a good season,” Sossamon said. “It was fun. We went out with a bang. I had a good finish.”
The Cardinals, 24-6 overall for Shawn Mayes, also won the Southwest Conference.
Mayes singled out Sossamon, relentless at the plate and on the bases in the closing games, for improved leadership.
“We had a lot of seniors who we could call leaders,” Sossamon said. “We’d been there before (winning state as sophomores). It wasn’t one leader. It was a senior effort.”
Sossamon has signed with NCAA Division I Wichita State of the Missouri Valley Conference. Porath has signed with Division II Missouri Southern of the MIAA.
Sossamon arrived in Webb City at 2 p.m. on Saturday after more than a week in Georgia with the Springfield-based Midwest Nationals (the Blue 18-year-old team).
“I believe we played 12 games,” Sossamon said. “I pitched two five-inning games and was at shortstop for six. I thought I did well.”
Porath has been shut down for the summer because of tendinitis after a handful of sharp outings for Carl Junction Post 781.
Sossamon had surgery on his left shoulder quickly after the finish of the prep season.
“We took it easy early (with the Nationals),” Sossamon said. “I still can irritate it when I put a bad swing on a ball.”
Porath’s offensive numbers for the Bulldogs include 36 runs scored, a .482 average, 12 doubles, four home runs, 27 RBI and 15-of-16 stolen bases. Sossamon, in five more games for the Cardinals, scored 40 runs, hit .459 and added 16 doubles, seven homers, 46 RBI and 32-of-36 stolen bases.
Pitching? Sossamon was 6-1 with three saves and a 1.64 ERA. He struck out 54 and walked 25 in 422/3 innings. Porath (7-3-1, 1.58) struck out 87 and walked 21 in 53 innings.
It’s understandable why Porath and Sossamon want to pitch and hit in college.
“I want to play in the outfield ... definitely,” Porath said. “I like hitting.”
“I love shortstop,” Sossamon said. “I like having the ball on the mound. It’s a toss-up. Hopefully, I can do both. I’m banking on it.”

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