Justin Boler,(7) from left, John Rohrer and Matt Middleton work on pickoff drills as Joel Cheslek pitches during practice. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[03/07/02]Luckily for Vicksburg High, there is no speed limit posted on the base paths or the Gators would be knee-deep in traffic tickets.

The fleet-footed Gators are on a pace to shatter their own goal and, in the process, they are giving opposing coaches fits.

“Once we get on base, we have a lot of things we can do with the people hitting behind us,” Matt Middleton said. “We get a lot of good jumps and that allows us to steal a lot of bases.”

As coach Jamie Creel sees it, his team is going to have to use that speed to generate offense and compete for a state championship.

With only one home run on the young season, the Gators are circling the bases in other ways.

Using a reckless-abandon style of running even 300-pound Paul Gorney is getting in on the action Vicksburg has swiped 63 bases and only been thrown out five times.

“I don’t discriminate about who runs,” Creel said. “I’ll steal Paul Gorney just as soon as I’ll steal Justin Henry.”

Creel set the goal for this season at 150, or about five per game. But through the first seven games, the Gators are on pace to top 200.

Corinth set the state record in 1986 with 286, which is second nationally.

“The kids love it, and I enjoy doing it,” said Creel, who said eight of his nine starters and three on the bench have a green light every time they reach base. “It puts a lot of pressure on a lot of teams, but you can’t steal first.”

Once at first, though, it’s tough to keep the Gators there.

Vicksburg averages 7.3 stolen bases per game. The Gators stole 11 against Provine, nine against Petal, eight against Pearl and seven each against Hattiesburg and Madison Central.

Of the five times VHS has been caught stealing, one tripped and four got bad jumps, Creel said.

“We have a lot of freedom,” Middleton said. “We’ve got a good opportunity to go when we want instead of just when he tells us to.”

Henry leads the team with 13 stolen bases, followed by David Stagg’s nine. Matt Middleton and J.J. Brown have six each. In all, 13 Vicksburg players have stolen at least one base.

“You have to learn to read the pitcher,” Stagg said. “When he picks that foot up, you gotta go. … If you have the stolen base, you’ve got it. There’s nothing the pitcher can do.”

Creel said he has been accused of taking the bats out of his hitters hands by having them protect the base stealers.

“If you have zero or one strike against you, you are going to take that pitch to give them an opportunity to move up a base,” Creel said. “We’ll take a base for a strike any day of the week.”

As it appears, the Gators are showing no signs of letting up.

“We’ve spent a lot of time on this the last couple years,” Creel said. “… You can pitch out or do whatever, but you never know when he’s going unless you’re inside the runner’s head.

“And I don’t even know when he’s going.”