Taylor Perkins can play the field -- any field. Doesn't matter if it's the infield, the outfield or a farm field.

The guitar-strumming 18-year-old is as comfortable sitting atop a tractor, on the family farm in south Dinwiddie, as he is standing tall on the pitching mound at Colonial Heights' Shepherd Stadium.

It'll be "country comes to city" when the Dinwiddie High and American Legion Post 284 baseball standout enrolls this fall at Virginia Commonwealth University.

As for his likely college position, the 6-1, 185-pounder says: "I have no preference. Whatever I can do to help. My goal is to help VCU win a CAA championship and go to Omaha (NCAA World Series).

SUMMER HEAT: Perkins is splitting time this summer playing a variety of positions for Post 284 and making sure that 300-acre Mineral Springs Farm is neat and tidy.

"There's a lot of grass to cut," he said.

The son of Bobby and Jennie Perkins grew up doing plenty of "grunt work" when the farm's cash crops were peanuts, cotton and tobacco. Since'01, it's been a cattle farm only.

"I worked in the fields from about [age] 7 to 11," he said. "It was a mental thing more than anything else. It's good to know what real work is, physical labor."

VERSATILITY: Perkins made all-Central Region as a utility player. He mostly pitched, played shortstop and center field for Dinwiddie. As a hurler, Perkins was 7-3 with a 1.38 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 56 innings. Offensively, he hit .480 with 20 RBI and walked 18 times. Perkins was the Central District player of year as a junior.

COACHES' COMMENTS: Dinwiddie's Shawn Wynn: "Taylor doesn't give a rip where he plays or where he bats in the order. He's the kind of kid a coach wants every season."

Post 284's Merrill Morgan: "He's one of the toughest kids I've ever coached -- a fierce competitor you want on your side."

BACKGROUND CHECK: Mom Jennie was an all-Central Region softball catcher for the Generals. Father Bobby never played much as a child because of farming chores. The Perkins' farm is in south Dinwiddie, between Courthouse and Stony Creek. Uncle Mike Perkins played national-level softball and was a Southside Speedway Late Model racer. Taylor played in the Dixie Youth League, and later with the touring Richmond National Braves. His Braves' roommate was Phil Melville, now with the Kansas City Royals.

COUNTRY LIVIN': Think you've got pitcher/farmer/acoustic guitarist Perkins figured out? On his voice mail, you're treated to Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix, about as far from country/western as you can get.

"I hate country music," Perkins said. "All sounds the same to me."