Central graduate heads to Caribbean for baseball camp

Josh Ford just finished a summer baseball season that saw him help Cape Girardeau's American Legion team qualify for the state tournament.

But Ford isn't getting much of a rest before he departs soon for his freshman year at Southern Union State Community College in Alabama, where he received a baseball scholarship.

Ford will leave today for a week-long trip to Aruba that will feature plenty of baseball and no doubt lots of cultural experiences. Ford is on a United States youth team that will play games against several American and Caribbean teams.

"It should be a great trip, and I'm looking forward to it," said Ford, a 2003 Central High School graduate.

Ford was invited to participate with the team by baseball coach Dick Birmingham, who runs camps across the country and has been involved with U.S. youth baseball for several years. He takes a team to Aruba each summer. Ford attended Birmingham camps in Florida the past two years.

"Pretty much through going to his camps, this opportunity came up," Ford said. "The team has players from all over the country who are entering college."

Aruba lies in the heart of the southern Caribbean, 15 miles north of Venezuela and about 2 1/2 hours by air from Miami. Aruba is known for some of the world's most beautiful beaches, so even though getting there will require quite a bit of air travel, Ford figures the long trip will be worth it.

"We'll be on airplanes quite a bit, but I'm real excited," he said. "I've never been anywhere down there, and I think it will be a lot of fun."

mmishow@semissourian.com

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