By Georgia Williamson

For The Times

Standing around the home team dugout, 19 men reminisced as they watched hundreds of teenage boys run practice drills on the second night of play at the International Paper Baseball Classic.

To mark the tournament's 20th anniversary, the 1991 Georgetown High baseball team -- now young men with families -- were honored at Mike Johnson Park Friday evening.

Now one of South Carolina's premier high school tournaments, the 1991 team played in the inaugural tournament created by Coach Mike Johnson, who envisioned a pre-season contest between the state's top AAAA baseball teams.

"It's so rewarding to see the 1991 players and to see that they still enjoy baseball," said Alicia Johnson, who has been the tournament director since 2000. Johnson is also an assistant principal at Georgetown High School.

"We are so happy," she said.

Herb Bailey, a long-time Georgetown resident and community advocate, led the tournament ceremonies from the press booth.

"Since I've been around for a while, I'd like to share some memories," said Bailey, who recounted the tournament's early days.

Bailey told the crowd of locals and visiting teams how Coach Johnson pitched his tournament idea to AAAA baseball officials for four years. However, the idea didn't become reality until Johnson shared his vision with Coach Fred Johnson, the head baseball coach at Georgetown High School.

With Jordan's support, the tournament gained the financial backing of International Paper Company, and the first tournament was held under the direction of Dr. Jim Owens.

International Paper has been the tournament's primary sponsor since 1991. IP employees take great pride in the company's involvement with the tournament by volunteering their time year after year.

Georgetown Mill manager Jeannine Siembida thanked tournament officials and volunteers and encouraged visitors to enjoy some Georgetown hospitality during their weekend visit.

Bailey joked that while the IP Classic is a community event, the 1991 team didn't win the big trophy that first year. The first International Paper Baseball Classic started with only four teams, Georgetown, Irmo, Lancaster, and Stratford.

Since 2004, the tournament has been organized into a four team AAA bracket and a four team AAAA bracket.

Remembering #24

All but one of the 1991 Georgetown tournament players attended the Tournament ceremonies Friday evening.

Joseph Thomas Isaac, III was absent.

"He was one of the finest young men you could even hope to meet. He lost his life and we miss him," Bailey said before leading the crowd in a moment of silence to honor Isaac.

Isaac was killed in June 1994 when his car was struck head-on by a drunk driver in Cohocton, N.Y. Isaac, then a Citadel cadet, was playing for the Cohocton Red Wings, a collegiate summer league.

Isaac was only 19. He was the son of Joe and Cheryl Isaac of Pawleys Island.

At the time of his death, Jordan called Isaac a "real team player" and said Isaac would be truly missed by his teammates.

Isaac's Georgetown number, 24, hung over the left-hand field at Mike Johnson Park Friday as his fellow teammates were honored.

As a Georgetown Bulldog, Isaac served as a relief pitcher under Coach Fred Jordan, and is remembered as a great student athlete. In 1992, he played in the Lowcountry All-Star Game and boasted a 1-1 record his senior year. Isaac attended the Citadel with a full academic scholarship and earned a Gold Star.