Garner baseball team sees benefit of 'Idol' connection

Scotty McCreery, 17, is a member of the team, which is known as the "Blue Crew" because of the team's colors. 

McCreery's teammate Kyle Wiggins said the group is becoming  "minor celebrities, almost." 

Wiggins and other members of the Blue Crew were autographing photos of themselves with McCreery at the Garner Business Expo on Thursday. 

"It's really surreal," teammate Brett Bailey said of being asked for his autograph. 

Some members of the Blue Crew even traveled to Los Angeles to see their friend perform on the popular Fox show. The camera panned to them during the performance. 

"It seemed like the camera was really, really close to our face," Wiggins said. 

The attention has also translated to jersey sales. There has been an increased demand for the team's jersey in female sizes, Garner baseball Coach Bobby Hoffman said. 

Hoffman said the team is handling the attention very well. 

"It has been a good experience," he said. 

McCreery advanced Thursday night to the top 8 in this season's singing contest with a performance of  "That's Alright Mama" by Elvis Presley. 

McCreery's "Idol" journey began last year when he auditioned in Milwaukee singing Josh Turner's "Your Man" and Travis Tritt's "Put Some Drive in Your Country."