Email   Print   Share By Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Sports Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious August 16, 2012 | Sports

Staff Sgt. Rodrigo Contreras fields a ground ball playing short stop during a practice Aug. 9 on post at the Rodney Evans Softball Complex before the upcoming Military World Tournament in Panama City, Fla. Contreras and the Fort Hood team are entered in the Varisty B category, where they have second-place and fourth-place finishes the past two years. Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Sports Editor

Sgt. Jose Nunez, playing third base during batting practice, loads up to the throw the ball to his short stop Aug. 9 at Rodney Evans Softball Complex. The Fort Hood Tankers being play Friday in the Military World Tournament in Panama City, Fla. Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Sports Editor

The Fort Hood Tankers softball team began the United States Specialty Sports Association Military World Tournament in Panama City, Fla., today with the competition’s opening ceremony.

Games begin tomorrow morning and run through the finals Saturday.

Fort Hood’s team will be entered in the Varsity B category of the tournament.

Over the past two years, the post team had a second-place finish in 2010 and a fourth-place finish last year.

1st Sgt. Miles Grant, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who serves as the team’s coach, pointed out that the 2011 team only had four returning players from the year before. That’s not the case this year, he said.

“It was basically a whole new team that took fourth, and this year we have everybody back,” Grant said.

Not only does the 2012 team have more returning players, the players themselves have had an increased amount of time leading up to the tournament to gel.

“They put the team together in three weeks – they’d come out and take batting practice and some ground balls for defense and that was it,” Grant said of the 2011 team. “This year, we’ve already played in

about six tournaments together as a team.”

Grant also entered the team into a league in Killeen, where the team played twice a week for a total of 16 games.

“It builds that confidence and trust in the guy next to you,” he said of the time playing together.

In one example, Grant explained how this helps build chemistry between his second baseman, Staff Sgt. Rodrigo Contreras, who is part of 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, and his short stop, Sgt. Jose Nunez, who is part of 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team.

“They already have a feel for each other,” he said. “(Nunez) knows where Rod wants the ball to turn a double play and vice versa.”

Grant said the tournaments also give the offense a chance to develop trust.

“The guy in the three, four or five spot, he can say, ‘I know that I have a guy on or two guys on (base), but I know that even if I don’t hit it out, I can get a base hit, drive the run in, and the guy behind me is still capable of hitting it out,’” Grant said.

With each hitter not putting any added pressure on himself, trying to do too much, Grant said the offense will perform much better.

During the weekend, members of the team participated in one final tune-up in a midnight madness tournament in Killeen, organized by Grant to help raise money for the upcoming trip.

“We’re putting a lot of work in. We’ve played in way more tournaments,” he said. “We have a lot better chance this year.”