<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3rZJsM_0t5tfiDQ00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3rZJsM_0t5tfiDQ00" width="477" height="356" ></figure>Laurens native, Randy Allen, remembers going with his father to pick up the tiller for the Laurens District High School 55 (LDHS) baseball field in the mid-1970’s.He was a sophomore in high school and had been playing baseball since little league.“I helped build that field in 1975. The entire team showed up that summer, raked up the grass and got the field ready. We started playing there during my junior year,” Allen said.He’s still a baseball fan and it’s safe to say, he’s passed on his passion to his family.His grandson Hunter Nabors, a senior a LDHS has also played baseball since childhood and this week, Nabors and the team are headed to their first state championship since 1990.For Allen, watching Nabors is like watching home movies from the past.“Hunter never saw me play. He knows nothing about how I played but he’s an image of me. He slides into bases, steals bases; I don’t think he’s made a fielding error all year,” Allen said. “He plays just like I played and you can tell if he had a good game because he comes home and his uniform is trashed.”Allen doesn’t miss a game. He and his wife film videos and take photos of all the action from behind home plate. In fact, Allen has videos of Hunter’s six-year-old games on the travel baseball team.He’s also behind the support LDHS has seen for the baseball program.“It was Hunter’s first year of high school and my wife and I went to the game and we noticed some things needed to be done on the field. We created the LDHS Baseball Alumni, a 501c3 to raise funds and we’ve been able to get a new scoreboard, pitching machines, uniforms… whatever is needed that year,” Allen said.Local businesses sponsor the team and receive a banner at the field, churches and other organizations donate meals for the team to eat before games and fans are showing up by the hundreds.“The community has really gotten involved. We average about 400 people at the games. They even had to bring in another set of bleachers and we have more fans showing up at the away games than the home team has,” Allen said.The state championship will be a special experience for the nine seniors on the team this year.The Friday, May 17 game between North Myrtle Beach High School and James Island High School will determine who LDHS will play next week.The state championship will officially begin on Monday evening, with a second game at LDHS on Wednesday evening and a possible final game on Friday.Allen will be at each one.“Hunter goes on to Coker University this fall and I’ve decided to retire in January so I can go to all of his college games. We’ll continue to support LDHS too so throughout the week, I’ll be at that ballfield and on the weekends, I’ll be at Coker,” Allen said. “We have a great group of kids playing and I like our chances this year. It’s been a joy to watch Hunter. Win, lose or draw, we’re going to be proud of him.”</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Family Tradition: Grandfather, grandson share in successful run for LDHS baseball

Laurens native, Randy Allen, remembers going with his father to pick up the tiller for the Laurens District High School 55 (LDHS) baseball field in the mid-1970’s. He was a sophomore in high school and had been playing baseball since little league. “I helped build that field in 1975....

Family Tradition: Grandfather, grandson share in successful run for LDHS baseball

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