More than five years later, it is still the most famous
swing of a baseball bat in Houston County history.
With Dalton Carriker’s walk-off extra-inning home run
against a team from Japan, Warner Robins American Little League had the 2007
World Series championship in its first appearance in Williamsport, Pa.
Afterwards, it was weeks and months of fame and celebrity, national television
appearances and awards for this 12-year-old slugger.
Fifteen minutes proverbial later, Carriker returned to Earth
and the unglamorous world of middle school baseball, travel ball and Houston
County High School.
Carriker’s heroics on ABC, however, weren’t a
flash-in-the-pan moment when it came to his baseball career. As a sophomore, he
was named the Region 1-AAAA Player of the Year. Prior to the start of his
senior season for Jason Brett’s Bears, Carriker made his choice for the next
level by signing a letter-of-intent with Wallace State Community College in
Hanceville, Ala.
Certainly, though, any talk of Dalton Carriker and baseball
cannot begin without bringing up the home run. Carriker recognizes several
things about this moment in his life, how fortunate he felt to have that
opportunity, but also how by no means did it make him the perfect baseball
player who didn’t have to learn anything else.
“I think back on it a lot,” said Carriker. “It takes you
back to some good times. It teaches me things I need to know in my game today.
“It’s hard to believe that one pitch, one swing, one play
can really change a life forever.”
In baseball, no one player is guaranteed to have his spot in
the order be due when a game is on the line. Carriker said anyone on that 2007
WRALL roster could have delivered the game-winning hit.
“I don’t doubt that at all,” he said. “It’s something I’ll
never forget. It’s an experience not many people get to achieve. Being on the
Dave Letterman show, going to the ESPYs were some of the highlights of my life
I’ll get to tell my grandkids.”
When Carriker did enter the Houston County program with all
of this in his background, Brett said he met a “grounded” youngster.
“I think I got a very hard-working, very grounded young
man,” said Brett. “A middle school kid coming in with that kind of celebrity,
notoriety, or whatever you might call it, you don’t really know what you are
going to get. Dalton has been nothing but mature, hard working. You can’t ask
for a better student-athlete or representative of Houston County High School.”
But he’s not the only Carriker representative – past and
present – of Houston County High or Warner Robins American Little League.
Dalton is the middle child of Trent and Patti Carriker; his older sister
Kaitlyn and younger sister Carson both played in the softball World Series in
Oregon, Carson’s team winning the first of two straight for the program in
2009.
It’s Dalton’s opinion that Carson, a sophomore, is the
better of the three when it comes to playing on the diamond.
“She’s an athlete, man,” he said. “She gets after it every
day, and it’s a good time watching her play. She’s definitely the best athlete
in the family.”
Carriker said it was a tough adjustment at first going from
the World Series hype to just being a local ball player again. No news crews or
cameras or massive crowds at middle school games …
“It was fun to get out there and play without the
distractions and people all over the stands,” he said. “It was fun to just go
out there and play my game and not have to worry about an interview afterwards.
“The thing about baseball is you can never be perfect. You
can never have a perfect swing or be perfect in the infield. Every day as a
player you try to perfect your skills, your mental aspect.”
For all of his development, Carriker recognized Brett, the
Bears staff and travel ball coaches like Andy Burress. It’s his hope to pass
that knowledge along himself as a coach.
“Without their help, there’s no telling where I’d be today,”
he said.
In the 2011 season for Houston County, Carriker had 32 hits
for a .427 average. Six of those hits were home runs. He drove in 21 runs and
scored 23.
“Which is pretty impressive,” said Brett. “Last year wasn’t
up to Dalton’s standards, but it still wasn’t a bad year. I think people
pitched him a little different. It was tougher, but I think it made him a
better player. Wallace State is getting a great young man, and I look for him
to continue his career after that.”
Though Carriker’s numbers may have been down, Houston County
as a team achieved more by making the GHSA playoffs for the first time in six
years and advancing to the Sweet 16.
“High school ball’s been great,” he said. “I’ve played with
people I’ll never forget. They made an impact on me, and I hope I made an
impact on them.”
Some of those fellow Bears were also World Series champions
in 2007, like Clint Wynn and David Umphreyville.
“Our expectations every year are to take the next step,”
said Carriker looking towards the 2013 Houston campaign. “Win region this year,
go to the Elite 8 or deeper. We don’t want to take a step back.”
Carriker’s college coach will be an NJCAA Hall of Famer,
Randy Putman, who is 23 seasons at Wallace State won 861 games.
“A lot of notable athletes came from there,” said Carriker,
referring to, among others, Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.
“I’m glad to play for such a well-respected coach. Me, my
family, coach Brett and my other travel ball coaches thought it would be a good
idea to go JUCO for a year or two and see how I like college ball.”
“I think he’ll be able to play immediately,” said Brett. “He
is going to get into a highly competitive program. He’ll be working every day.
He’s a well-rounded ball player right now, and I know he’ll get stronger and
faster over there.”
“As an athlete, an ACC or SEC school is always in the back
of your mind,” said Carriker about where he’d like to eventually transfer.
“Sometimes that doesn’t work out. We’ll see.
“I’ve always hit the books pretty hard. From a young age,
I’ve wanted to be a doctor, and I still want to pursue that dream. Lately I’ve
been looking into orthopedics, but I’m looking at anesthesiology as well.”
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