Local gunning for second World Championship win

SANDPOINT — One of the beauties of playing sports is rekindling that youthful feeling of joy and fun.

Sandpoint baseball standout John Walkington has been having that feeling a lot lately, including playing a key role in leading his team to the title at the World Championships qualifier recently in Olympia, Wash.

Walkington hit leadoff and played left-center field and capped a wild comeback with a walk off triple to end the tournament and qualify for the upcoming Worlds in Las Vegas.

“It was unbelievable, we were like a bunch of kids after the final run scored,” recalled Walkington. “We were so jacked. We’ve shown some resiliency in the last two championships.”

Walkington’s team, Champion Concrete Pumping, trailed 17-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, staging a rally to win 18-17 in dramatic fashion. The team, which also won a title in dramatic fashion recently in Tri-Cities, now turns its sights to Las Vegas at the end of September, where they’ll compete for a World Championship.

Walkington, who still possesses elite speed on the basepaths and hits a scalding-hot .800 at the plate, is hoping to claim his second world title, having won the first in 2008.

“We know that anything can happen at Worlds,” said Walkington. “But our last two tournaments have proven that we can play with the best.”

Joining Walkington on the Spokane-based team is Sandpoint’s Gary Miller, who has missed time recently with a hand injury. However, like Walkington he possesses high-end speed, and as the baseball saying goes, speed doesn’t slump.

“He’ll be running, we need him badly,” said Walkington of Miller, who by rule can pinch run in every inning. “He said ‘I’m going to sell my ticket,’ and I said ‘no, we need you legs.’ He’s going to be an important part of the team.”