Darin Shirk embodies the definition of the five-tool player.

He can field.

He has an accurate cannon for a throwing arm.

Not only is he fast, but he’s a good base-runner.

He can hit for average.

And he can also hit for power.

In other words, Shirk is one of the most talented players in the Lebanon County American Legion baseball league. What he also is is a catalyst for Fredericksburg.

Scuffling early on, Fredericksburg got off to a slow 1-5 start. But since then, Shirk, the club’s three-hole hitter and centerfielder, has picked up his play, and so has Fredericksburg.

Currently, Fredericksburg is locked in a vicious battle with three other teams for the county league’s final two final playoff berths.

Win lose or draw, Fredericksburg will host the eight-team, double-elimination Region Four tournament at Earl Wenger Memorial Field during the middle of next month. It will provide Shirk with a new, different and bigger stage to showcase his talents.

– Jeff Falk