LaGrange’s Norris getting his shot
Published 10:59 pm Sunday, May 14, 2017
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By Kevin Eckleberry
kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com
LAGRANGE – He’s getting a shot.
Trevor John Norris, a member of LaGrange High’s team that will play in the final four next week, is heading to Carrollton to join the University of West Georgia baseball team.
While Norris won’t be going on scholarship, he will be a member of the team, and he’ll have every opportunity to get on the field and make a contribution.
Norris, a second baseman, celebrated the accomplishment during a ceremony on Friday afternoon in the LaGrange High media center, and his teammates along with coaches and family members were there to enjoy the moment with him.
Shannon Snyder of Game On Training helped Norris make the connection with West Georgia.
“Coach Shannon told me I had a shot, and that’s all I was looking for was a chance to play at the next level,” Norris said. “(West Georgia coach Skip Fite) is talking about red-shirting me my first year, letting me get a year under my belt. I can gain some weight, be able to play.”
LaGrange head coach David Smart introduced Norris, and he said “you do these things, and they never get old. You’re helping somebody realize their dream. And Trevor’s going to get an opportunity.”
Smart said Norris has made major strides on and off the field.
“The two years I’ve been with him, I’ve seen all the improvement that he’s made,” Smart said. “He’s always been a really good athlete. He’s worked on his game, and he’s gotten a lot better. And more important than that, he’s grown up a lot as a person. He’s a fine young man.”
Smart added that “anytime you get a chance to play the game you love, it’s always a great thing.”
Ross Norris, Trevor John’s father, said his son will be given an opportunity to compete for playing time.
“Work hard, make sure you’re doing everything you can possibly do, and you just get that door cracked,” he said. “The coach at West Georgia is giving Trevor a cracked door, and it’s up to him to walk through it.”
Before Norris heads to West Georgia, he’s got some work left to do at LaGrange High.
On Wednesday, LaGrange will play Marist in the final four with a berth in the championship series on the line.
Norris is glad to be a part of it, especially considering what he went through more than a month ago when he injured his right hand during a game.
Norris missed a couple of weeks, but he’s back now and has been an active part of the team during the playoffs.
“They didn’t think it was broken until I got back that next Monday and they put a cast on it,” Norris said. “But I’ve got full range of motion. Coach Smart is trying to ease me back into it, not trying to rush anything.”
Norris has been used primarily as a pinch-runner during the playoffs, but he did get the start in Game 2 of a second-round playoff series against Northside, and he had a hit and a run scored in the 5-2 victory.
Norris said a strength of this team is the ability to overcome the loss of a player.
“We’ve got great guys, top to bottom in our lineup,” Norris said. “If we lose one, we’ve got somebody right there.”
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