NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — The baseball diamond is exactly where Maury's Landon Carraway and Landen Hall belong.
"It's a special bond. These guys are my family," said Hall, who is a second baseman and pitcher. "It's the best thing you can have."
"I've always wanted to play baseball," Carraway said. The junior is the team's catcher. "Play at Maury and be good like my dad was.
Both players are inspired to help the Commodores find redemption after losing in heartbreaking fashion to Nanesmond River in last season's Region 5B Tournament.
They're also driven to live up to legacies. Carraway's father, Logan, was a standout shortstop for the Commodores during the 1990s. Hall's older brother Paul was a accomplished pitcher for Maury before moving on to play college baseball at Virginia Tech and Lenoir-Rhyne.
"I hear so many stories about how good he was," Carraway said. "Home run after home run apparently. I'm not sure how true that was."
"He was dominant. Not many people that can throw 90 in high school," Hall said. "It was special to watch."
Rather than shrinking from the spotlight their family members have left, Hall and Carraway have embraced those expectations.
"It makes me want to be better," the junior catcher said. "All the friends I grew up with, all of these guys, I want them to say the same things a little bit down the road."
No one from their family has held them to a standard, asking instead for them to carve out their own careers rather than try to relive another one.
"Big shoes to fill. You want to fill those shoes but at the same time you have to make a name for yourself," Hall said.
Both players know they're in a special situation, following a blueprint set for them. With Maury off to a 9-1 start, the duo prepared to handle whatever success comes the team's way just as they've handled the spotlight they stepped into.
"Hopefully I'm throwing as hard as (Paul) did," Hall said. "One day want to get as far as he got."
"Try and create my own name while carrying on my legacy and my family's," Carraway said.
