Daniel Island 11-12 team wins Cal Ripken state championship

You know you are born to play baseball when your first name is Cy.

Just ask Cy Goforth.

Goforth grew up in the Upstate and played baseball at all different levels.

About the name: Cy is his given name, and not a nickname. And, yes, it goes back to Cy Young, one of the greatest pitchers in Major League history.

Cy Goforth gave up playing baseball, but baseball never left his system. Today, he’s a successful businessman who coaches tomorrow’s stars on Daniel Island. He’s quite good at his avocation. He coaches the 11-12 year-old Daniel Island all-star baseball team that won the Cal Ripken state championship. The team’s nickname is the Dogs, and they beat teams from West Ashley and James Island, two traditional hotbeds of youth baseball in the Lowcountry.

Now, it’s time to move on to Glenn Allen, Virginia for the Cal Ripken Southeast Regional. The tournament begins July 12 and will feature squads from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.

“It’s quite an amazing feeling,” Goforth said of the state championship. “It’s amazing. I get to meet kids and learn who they are on a much more personal level. And, I got to know their families and can say hi to them when I see them on the island.”

Daniel Island never had a state champion in baseball. Now, it has two. The Daniel Island 9-10 year-old team also won a state title this summer.

Goforth wants his players to have fun. He also wants them to win. He tries to instill a good work ethic and discipline, two qualities kids need when they become adults.

“We’re going to work harder and longer,” Goforth said. “We’re also going to learn. Baseball is fun, but I have more fun when I win.”

The rec league on Daniel Island is relatively young compared to other programs in the Lowcountry. Baseball received a big boost when two diamonds were added to Governors Park four years ago. Goforth knows he and the other rec league coaches have their work cut out to grow baseball in popularity so it rivals soccer, tennis, lacrosse, and golf on the island.

“Daniel Island baseball is relatively new,” Goforth said. “But it’s growing stronger and stronger. Daniel Island has a lot to offer and a lot of youngsters don’t make it to the diamonds. But, we’re hoping to change that.”

The Dogs don’t want their success to change. They allowed only one run in the state tournament and one of the players actually hit an out-of-the-park grand slam. The big hit was provided by Cy Goforth, Jr. Yes, he does have a nickname: CJ.

The team is seeking to raise funds for its big trip to Virginia. Different levels of sponsorships are available. Some sponsorship levels even include having a company logo on the team’s practice jerseys or bat bags. For more information on sponsorship, visit http://danielislandbaseba.wix.com/dibaseballallstars.

MEET THE TEAM

CJ Goforth

Jackson Freeman

Tristan Skipper

Ben Dryer

Max Selby

Colin Clifford

Nolan Keifer

Grayson Mitchell

Ben Jacobs

Ryan Elsey

Drew Gregory

Head coach: Cy Goforth

Assistant coaches: Darryl Mitchell, Tony Skipper, Gary Freeman