By Mike London
Salisbury Post
Keith Ijames remembers the backyard basketball games between his athletic sons, David and Robbie, because they always ended with scars and scuffles.
“Fighting over the score, fighting over who won, fighting over who was better,” Keith remembers. “My wife wanted me to get out there and break ’em up, but I was just glad to see the boys were so competitive.”
The competitive family feud fuels Salisbury baseball.
The Ijames brothers rank 1-2 in the county in several categories, and the Hornets (16-8) will count on their bats when they head to East Lincoln (15-8) for a 2A first-round playoff game Friday.
David is batting .457 with four homers, 23 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
While David’s been great, Robbie’s been better. He leads Rowan County in batting (.558), hits (44), runs (32) and homers (eight). He’s tied for first in steals with 20 and second in RBIs with 26.
“Those two aren’t scared of nothing,” Salisbury coach Scott Maddox said. “I don’t care if we run into someone throwing 100 miles an hour, they’ll be digging in. They might strike out, but they won’t be backing down.”
The Ijames boys rarely strike out, and Ijames (it’s pronounced Imes) has become a surname dreaded around the CCC.
Maddox always scribbles “Ijames” four times on his lineup card.
Robbie, a junior, is a natural outfielder but has been asked to play shortstop.
David, also a junior, is at home in center or right field. He throws left-handed and may have a serious future on the mound. He’s tossed one no-hitter this year.
Anthony, the innocent bystander who got his nose bloodied when his older siblings brawled, handles left or right field. A freshman, he’s a shorter, skinnier spitting image of his brothers. He’s had ups and downs, but the genes are good and he could develop into a force down the road.
Ben, a first cousin to the three brothers, plays second base and is the No. 2 pitcher. The senior isn’t blessed with as many natural tools as Robbie and David, but he’s a a steady .300-hitter and the team jokester.
The three brothers have never hit consecutively. David and Robbie normally swing in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the order, while Anthony bats ninth.
Maddox has used an all-Ijames outfield occasionally. The first time was at Statesville, and that may have been the inspiration for Anthony’s only homer so far.
“That home run was a real shocker,” Anthony said. “I still don’t know what happened. I can’t explain it.”
His brothers can explain it. He’s an Ijames.
With slugging seniors Alex Britt and Doug Seaman, fast leadoff man Russell Michalec and first baseman Forrest Buchanan also enjoying productive offensive seasons, the Hornets won a share of their first league title since 1984.
“That meant a lot,” Robbie said. “We’ve been real close since my freshman year, a family on the field, and to do something that hasn’t been done since 1984 is a great feeling. To do it with two brothers and a cousin ó that makes it that much greater.”
Robbie hit .253 as a varsity freshman. He batted .400, but with just one homer as a sophomore. Now he’s sending screaming liners over fences in a breakout season.
“I’ve worked a lot on my swing, but I really don’t know where all the power is coming from,” Robbie said. “I’m not thinking about hitting .500. I’m not thinking about homers. I’m not thinking about anything except trying to get a base hit every time I go up there.”
Robbie does his talking with his bat, but Maddox heard him yell for a a relief assignment after an opponent ticked him off early this season. Everyone in the dugout was startled to hear him speak up, but he finished a win with eight pitches.
“Robbie is so quiet, and Anthony is exactly the same way,” Maddox said.
David’s easy grin and outgoing personality are the perfect counterpoint to Robbie’s introverted intensity.
David hit a growth spurt his sophomore year. Now he’s convinced he’s the biggest, the strongest and the funniest in the family, but even David admits Robbie owns superior wheels.
At a recent Impact Baseball I.D. Camp, David was paired with Robbie for the 60-yard dash. Robbie slipped, and David thought he had a chance, but Robbie still blew by him easily. Even with a stagger and a stumble, Robbie ran 6.7. David ran a respectable 7.0.
Robbie often struggles with his starts. When he was matched up with a prospect from Georgia who had the other top time at the Impact camp, Robbie trailed immediately by several yards, but he closed the gap and pulled away.
David emerged from the camp ranked as the Impact’s No. 4 prospect in the state for the Class of 2009.
“They rated David very high in bat speed and arm strength and they loved his swing,” Maddox said. “I think with Robbie, he does things so easily people don’t realize how good he is until they’ve seen him several times. We moved him to shortstop, and he’s made three errors all year. That’s the kind of athlete he is.”
CCC coaches have seen enough of all the Ijames gang, especially Robbie, who reached base 70 percent of the time in league games this season. But as awesome as Robbie’s been, David, who opened the season with a 13-game hitting streak, has been right there to push him.
“Since we were maybe 8 we’ve been on the same team,” David said. “We talk a lot of crap to each other about bragging rights. If I’m having a really good game, I’ll make sure to mention it.”
David and Robbie smile when asked about their last serious altercation ó “about a month ago” ó but things go smoothly on the field. David protects Robbie in the lineup, and all four family members pick each other up.
“The Ijames family has meant a lot to Salisbury baseball, and the older ones have set a great example as far as working all the time and always wanting to do extra hitting,” Maddox said. “It’s been fun to watch them evolve the last three years. The best thing is, as competitive as they are, they never have arguments on the field. If something bad happens, they realize it’s not lack of effort. They know the other three are playing just as hard as they are.”
East Carolina watched the Hornets play against West Davidson, and interest in David and Robbie should increase this summer.
For now, the Ijames family is concentrating on helping the Hornets win their playoff opener behind Britt.
“Last year was fun and this year has been even more fun because all four of us are out there,” Ben said. “I’m really gonna miss this. I want us to keep on going.”

Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com.