What came next was a false sense of security - followed by great disappointment - and then a transfer to Tyler Junior College.

But even at TJC, the 5-9, 210-pound freshman had to begin at the bottom and work his way up.

Salmon went from being the Apaches' fourth catcher and a pinch-hitter to starting in left field, batting cleanup and leading the team in seven offensive categories.

Salmon, whose scholarship covered tuition and books, says he may have taken some things for granted at Panola.

"I went over there as a catcher and didn't catch that well. I had some arm problems," said Salmon, who caught about half of Panola's games during the fall season, holding his own at the plate but not hitting for much power.

After fall ball, Salmon was summoned to the coach's office for a meeting he will never forget.

"(The coach) told me that I was a good hitter but that was it ... you're gone, pretty much," Salmon said. "I was very shocked. I didn't expect it and actually a lot of the players on the team were shocked themselves. When I told everybody that I got cut, a lot of them didn't believe me at first."

Salmon enrolled at TJC last spring and e-mailed head coach Doug Wren about playing for the Apaches. Salmon already had an ally on the team in pitcher and former Panola roommate Derek Bowen, who encouraged Wren to sign his friend.

Salmon's impact on the TJC program wasn't immediate.

Stuck in a logjam at catcher, Salmon was moved to left field in the fifth game of the season - even though Wren prefers to have more speed in the outfield. Salmon went 2 for 4 in both ends of a doubleheader and has been a mainstay in the middle of the lineup ever since. He's batting .455 with seven home runs, 60 RBIs and a .721 slugging percentage this season.

"I think one thing that got me cut at Panola is I had the scholarship, I felt that I was safe," he said. "I can't say I didn't give it my all, but looking back on it, I could have done a lot of things better. I felt like that scholarship was like a safety harness, but I guess not.

"Here at TJC nobody's got a scholarship; nobody's getting paid to play. There's no politics at all involved. I like it a lot. The best nine players are going to be on the field."

The Apaches begin their quest Saturday for a second national championship in four years, but to stay in the winner's bracket they have to get past No. 1 Gloucester County College (N.J.) at noon at Mike Carter Field.

The stakes for Salmon haven't been this high since his freshman year of high school, when he helped Harleton reach the Class 1A state baseball tournament in 2005.

It still pains Salmon to remember the eight-inning loss to Thorndale in the state final. That was Salmon's only trip to state. Harleton came close the next year, but was beaten by district rival Union Hill in the regional final.

The loss in 2005 meant no dog-pile celebration for Salmon and his teammates. Now, he has a second chance, but seven other teams have the same opportunity.

"I lay down every night and just think about dog-piling on our home field, under the lights, in front of a big crowd," Salmon said of trying to win a national title. "I really think we have a lot to prove. I feel like the target is on our back."

Eastfield wore the target at the District C Tournament in McKinney two weeks ago. The Harvesters were ranked No. 1 in the nation through March and represented the Metro Athletic Conference as the top seed for the playoffs.

Salmon, for one, rose to the challenge by going 6 for 6 with two home runs and five RBIs as TJC beat Eastfield 12-8 in the first round of the district tournament.

Salmon entered the ninth inning of the championship game in a 1-for-7 stretch before coming through with a two-out, two-strike, game-tying single. He didn't hit the ball hard, but it dropped into shallow left field.

"One thing that Coach Wren has pointed out is that I've got a good ability to hit the sweet spot," Salmon said. "I might not hit it hard every time, but a lot of times I'm going to hit the sweet spot of the bat."

Article by:

Joe Buie

Tyler Morning Telegraph