Elizabethton Twins stop Bristol White Sox

BRISTOL, Va. – The Elizabethton Twins have compiled one of the top records in minor league baseball the past two decades through consistent coaching, solid fundamentals and timely hitting.
The Elizabethton formula paid dividends again Thursday.

With a two-run rally in the ninth inning, the Twins stopped the Bristol White Sox, 5-4.

According to longtime manager Ray Smith, the key to success at Elizabethton is all about the basics.

“There’s no big mystery,” Smith said. “The scouts get us pretty good players, and we really stress the fundamentals all the way up and down our organization.”

The Minnesota Twins, the parent club for Elizabethton, have long relied on savvy and smarts to defeat teams with much higher budgets. Smith stresses the Baseball 101 approach with his team, which is often seasoned with players from the collegiate ranks.

“That’s an organization approach that we’re kind of mandated to follow, but I think it’s the only way to play the game,” Smith said. “We’ve been able to develop a tradition of success here, and it’s primarily because the scouts get us those good players that are able to follow the blueprint.”

Smith has been the manager of Elizabethton since 1987. Both Smith and his hitting coach Jeff Reed were catchers in the Major Leagues. In a situation unique to the minor leagues, Smith also lives in Elizabethton and serves as the athletic director at Milligan College.

The latest heroes for Elizabethton were shortstop Jamal Hawkins and first baseman Brian Burke. Hawkins gave the Twins a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning with an opposite-field single and made a key putout at home in the ninth inning. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Burke (Lancaster, Cal.) delivered the decisive two-run single up the middle in the ninth inning.

Hawkins, a 5-foot-9 speedster, developed his skills in the tradition-rich East Cobb baseball league in Marietta, Ga.. He was selected in the 28th round of the draft after playing three years at Jacksonville University in the Atlantic Sun Conference where he was second-team all-conference pick this past season.

“We played against East Tennessee State in the A-Sun, so I’m familiar with the Johnson City area,” Hawkins said. “I wasn’t expecting coaching of this caliber, but Coach Smith is just a great coach.”

Behind the masterful pitching of 6-foot-2 left-hander Spencer Arroyo, Bristol took a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning. Mixing his pitches well, Arroyo struck out seven while allowing just four hits.

After the Twins scored two runs in the seventh off relief pitcher Josh Billeaud, Bristol answered with a three-run rally in the eight inning capped by an opposite field run-scoring power from 230-pound slugger Dan Black. Elizabethton responded once more, as Burke supplied his eventual game-winning single.

“This was a tough one, but we put together a lot of good at-bats at the end,” Hawkins said

The Twins collected 11 hits against four Bristol pitchers.
After so many years of success, Smith is still getting a read on his latest team,” Smith said.

“Who knows what kind of club we’re going to have this year,” Smith said. “These last two games haven’t been Van Gogh’s in regard to our game, but it’s been a lot of fun, especially on opening night where we had a tight well-contested game.”

Jose Martinez and J.D. Ashbrook each collected two hits for Bristol.

The White Sox play at DeVault Field again tonight, with the Mayberry Deputy providing the entertainment.

agregory@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Greg_BHCSports | (276) 645-2544