Tuesday, February 11, 1997

Shanafelt building Dublin baseball program from the ground up

By BILL HART / Senior Sports Editor

When Doug Shanafelt took over the baseball program at Gorman High School in 1989, he had a nice facility and a veteran team that would make it to the Class A state tournament.

Next week, he makes his debut as the baseball coach at Dublin High School with no experienced players and a playing field minus an outfield fence which is in the process of being built.

There's a reason for the inexperienced players and the playing field. This is the first year that Dublin has fielded a high school baseball team and the playing area is in the city park that had been used for softball.

Shanafelt has had to build the Dublin program literally from the ground up. He shoveled in the dirt for the infield and has planted rye grass in the outfield, getting ready for the season opener, hopefully Feb. 17 against Whitney. That's if the fence is finished. Otherwise, the first home game will be Feb. 21 against Bangs.

"It wouldn't be a problem not having a fence, but there's stakes and string out there and I don't want to take a chance of anyone getting hurt running into them," Shanafelt said. "We're just hoping the fence will be up by then."

Shanafelt led Gorman to the state quarterfinals his second and third years, losing to Baird and to Eula. He moved to Ralls for a year, then went to Class 4A Burkburnett for the past three years, working for his former Ranger High School coach, Jerry Watson.

"Dudley McCarty (a coach at De Leon) lives close to my in-laws and he told them about Dublin starting baseball," he said. "So I called coach (David) Blakley about the opening and they hired me.

"I wanted back in this area because I grew up at Ranger and my wife is from Gorman. I knew Early was also starting up the program, too, and I applied there, but I felt Dublin was the place for me.

The Dublin players aren't completely inexperienced because six have played in teen-age summer leagues. But others haven't played since their Little League or Pony League days.

"One thing I really like about our situation here is there's a fresh new excitement about starting up a new sport," Shanafelt said. "I have 21 boys on the team and I'll have all of them back next year because there are no seniors. I hope to have a junior varsity program, too, if I can keep at least 20 boys on the team."

He picked up nine players out of basketball Monday, and he's hoping to get a couple others when grades come out in two weeks.

If Shanafelt had his druthers, he'd rather be in another district besides 11-2A because Ranger, Cisco, De Leon and Hamilton have programs that have reached the playoffs numerous times in the past. Hico will field a team next year, giving the district six members.

Gorman started its baseball program three years before Shanafelt arrived on the scene and the Panthers qualified for the state tournament right off the bat. Shanafelt has no visions of that happening this time.

The Lions probably will take their lumps this year, but judging from their coach's past success, they won't be down long.