Kilgore connection paying off
Shepherd, Chitwood are helping highly-ranked Bulldogs to a record season
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog, and Kilgore's Jaron Shepherd and Logan Chitwood, which once were a part of the successful Kilgore High School baseball program are helping another Bulldogs' team to glory.

Chitwood and Shepherd, both 2007 KHS graduates, are playing for the Navarro College Bulldogs, the best team in the Region XIV Conference. This season, Navarro has been especially good, going 46-8 overall, setting a new school record for wins in a single season (the previous record was 44), including a blistering 25-3 record in conference play. Navarro is ranked fourth, up one spot, in the current NJCAA Division I baseball poll - Pensacola (Fla.), Walters State (Morristown, Tenn.), and Howard College (Big Spring) are the only teams ranked in front of the Bulldogs. The only other Region XIV team in the top 10 is San Jacinto (sixth).

The Bulldogs will finish the regular season Saturday at 2 p.m. at Tyler Junior College, then play in the RXIV Conference tournament in Mount Pleasant at Northeast Texas Community College next weekend.

Navarro's ultimate goal, of course, is to get back to the NJCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament, to be played at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo., beginning May 24.

Chitwood, a pitcher, has done very, very well in his role as a closer. He has his own My Space page, as well. He is the son of Albert and Scarlett Chitwood.

As of April 30, according to the NJNavarro's CAA statistic web site, Shepherd is batting .343 in 140 atbats this season, including 12 doubles, three triples, and four home runs, and has 29 RBI.

"We're playing real well right now," Navarro coach Whoa Dill said, "and Jaron and Logan are a big part of that. ...Logan's our closer, officially. He's 2-0, with five saves. He's thrown 24 innings and has 25 strikeouts, and walked just four. That's pretty good right there. ...He throws strikes. He's a good athlete. He's a tough, good kid.

"(Jaron) hit .361 in conference play. And he can run. I think he wound up 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts."

Jaron, an outfielder, is the son of Ron and Janda Shepherd of Kilgore.

Navarro has won nine of its last 10 games with a 5-1 win Wednesday over Hill College. Shepherd had an RBI single in the game.

After Saturday's game at TJC, the Bulldogs will begin the tournament by facing Blinn in the first round, an 8 p.m. firstpitch next Saturday, May 10.

The Kilgore News Herald is always looking for updates on Kilgore-area athletes. Anyone who can help is encouraged to call sports editor Mitch Lucas at (903) 984-2593, or e-mail sports@kilgorenewsherald.com