Photo by LARRY HILLIARD Catcher Bryan Parsons will be playing in his third state tournament when Post 109 battles Georgetown at 4:30 p.m. at Duncan Park. Bryan Parsons is the type of player who can make a coach's job easier.

You hear that a lot, but usually it's when a coach is talking about a player with great skill or talent or someone with a natural instinct for the game.

And, yes, Parsons, a former Broome High product who is playing at USCSalkehatchie, has been all those things for Post 109. But Parsons also is a player Post 109 coach Jeff Osment can lean on for leadership.

"He leads by his example," said outfielder and teammate Lee Gerwick.

But it always hasn't been that way.

During his first season on the team, Parsons took his time in retrieving a ball that scooted to the backstop, allowing a run to score and changing the momentum in a game with rival Spartanburg Post 28.

That play drew the ire of Osment. It also taught the catcher a valuable lesson.

"It was a play at the plate and instead of short hopping the ball, I missed it and I didn't hustle after the ball," Parsons said. "It showed me that (American Legion baseball) wasn't like a regular little summer league team. You have to play hard all the time."

Parsons said friend Dusty Mabry, a former Post 109 player, encouraged him to give American Legion baseball a try.

"He told me that he thought it would help me a lot," Parsons said.

Parsons split time with Davie Smoak during the 2006 season. But he's settled in as the team's regular catcher ever since.

During that time, Post 109 has enjoyed unprecedented success, advancing to the state tournament in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

In 2007, Parsons was instrumental in leading the team to a second place finish and berth in the Southeast Regional. He hit an amazing .460 during the postseason run.

"It was huge going to the regional and playing teams like Puerto Rico," he said. "It was a once in a lifetime experience."

Last year, Post 109 fell a game short o advancing to another state tournament. But Parsons said this year's team seems destined for something special at Duncan Park, the site of this year's state tournament.

"We just feel confident," said Parsons, the only member of the team who has played in three state tournaments. "I feel like this team has more heart. With Gaffney winning the state championship, those players have a feel for it and they want to experience that feeling again."

Playing American Legion baseball not only enhanced his skills, but Parsons said it's been the exposure and the relationship with Osment that secured him a college scholarship.

"I feel that he's the real reason that I got into a college," he said. "He's not like a typical coach. He will sit you down and tell you what you are doing wrong. He'll be straight with you."

The admiration is mutual, according to Osment.

"He's caught almost every game for the past three years. He's had some aches and pains but he's a real gamer. He's been extremely solid for us. He does a good job of throwing out base runners. He's not one of those players that will stand out at a showcase, but you really admire what he does when you watch him during the game. He's been one of our leading hitters and hopefully he can do it for another week."

Parsons is also close to his Post 109 teammates.

"My best friends are from Gaffney now," he said. "I have played three years with them and they are like my brothers now."