Brothers share in winning
By: Justin Feil – Assistant Sports Editor
It was a summer of winning for a pair of West Windsor brothers.
Drew Panson and Kevin Murphy were a part of the 12-year-old all-star baseball team that won the District 12 Little League championship. Their younger brothers – Jared Panson and Brian Murphy – also won the District 12 title, in the 10-year-old baseball division.
"His championship game was really exciting," said Kevin, who got to see the 10-year-old final. "For us to win also, it was great to know we could both do it and we’re both champions."
Kevin, the regular shortstop for the 12-year-olds, had been a part of the previous two all-star teams that had finished second in the district as 10s and 11s. Drew Panson was a new to the team, and his big bat and steady glove in the outfield helped the 12s take the next step.
"Last year, I just wasn’t good enough," Drew said. "I even watched the kids sub in this year, and I don’t know if I could do that – just get one at bat and get a hit. I would have been the 11th or 12th guy on the team last year and I wanted to get better so hopefully I would be a six-inning player."
Said Jared: "From last year to this year, he’s progressed so much."
Jared, who also plays outfield as well as some second base, also was new to his 10-year-old team. Only 9 when the season began, he still has three years of Little League eligibility.
"We were happy," Drew said. "We’re the only two new kids on those teams. It was a great experience for us.
"Wins are hard to get here. This is more like real baseball. You start to realize that every at bat means more."
The Murphys and the Pansons made the most of their playing time. Kevin and Drew batted 1-2 in the 12s lineup. To start the 5-4 win over Nottingham for the championship, Murphy walked and Panson followed with a home run. Murphy also pitched the final two outs of the title game.
Their brothers batted farther down in a loaded 10s lineup, but were able to contribute. Brian Murphy walked to start the final inning and scored the tying run in the 7-6 win over Robbinsville. His two-run double in the championship game gave West Windsor a big lift, and Jared Panson also doubled in the game.
"It felt really good," Brian said, "especially in the championship when it really helped our team."
The brothers were able to share in each other’s joy as they progressed through the district tournament. The older brothers tried to give advice, while the younger ones tried to live up to the standards already set by the 12-year-old team’s successes.
Said Kevin of his advice to Brian: "I just told him to not be nervous and don’t get down on himself when he doesn’t make every play."
Playing on the same rec team afforded the brothers the chance to see each other on a daily basis in games, something that didn’t happen once the all-star season rolled around. Then, their parents had to balance between shuttling their sons to different practices and games.
"We were on the same team for the regular season," Brian said. "Whenever I played, he would give me advice. I would listen and follow directions."
Said Kevin: "On weekends, we go to our community park and give each other batting practice and have a catch."
The older brothers admire how their younger brothers have developed into standout players.
"He’s got a totally different swing," Drew said of Jared. "He’s a totally different player than me. Anything you ask him to do, he’ll do a good job of it. He’s fast, and he has that competitive instinct that not a lot of other kids have."
The competitive side has come out early for the younger brothers. Their district crown was the first for West Windsor at the 10-year-old level, and pegs them as the favorite for coming years.
"I do feel pretty confident if our team stays the same," Brian said, "I’m pretty sure we can win some more."
They will have this summer’s experience to lean on for the coming seasons. That’s a big advantage over this year.
"I didn’t know all about the tournament and about how many games we had to win," Jared said. "I didn’t know about the other teams."
It’s also a big difference from what their brothers went through. They started out looking up at the champion for two summers before finally winning this year.
"I think we proved to ourselves and the rest of the teams in the district we weren’t only a second-place team, we could win," Kevin said.
"It’s hard district," added Drew. "It seems that everyone is telling us that it was one of the hardest in the section, and even the state. It was a huge accomplishment to win all of our games. We played four or five one-run games. I was very proud of what we did."
The brothers were equally happy with how their brothers’ 10s team did. They weren’t always able to make each other’s games, and even their parents had to split time between seeing both teams. But in the end, they were able to celebrate together.
"I felt great for Drew since I knew it was his last year in Little League," Jared said. "I wanted him to win too. I didn’t want one of us to get left out."
It was the best thing for the brothers. Nobody was left out when West Windsor earned district championships at the 12-year-old level and the 10-year-old level.
"I was happy for both teams," Brian said. "It made my summer a lot better for both of us to win."

