Carl Deuker's Official Website

In his senior year of high school, late-bloomer Ryan Ward has just begun to feel the magic of baseball: the magic of catching a wicked slider, of throwing a runner out, of training hard and pushing his limits. But when one of his teammates clearly pushes the limits too far, Ryan is faced with a heartbreaking dilemma: He must choose between his love for the game and his integrity.

"Who did it Ryan?"
"I told you. I don't know."
"No idea at all."
"None," I said.
He ran his fingertips over his lips. "You did a good thing, Ryan, saving that grl. A very good thing. Don't undo it by lying. The police have been called. A detective will be talking to you. Think about what you're going to say. This wasn't somebody's homework that got copied. This was a criminal assault."