Since no one seems to have commented on it yet. Any thoughts on this analysis?
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I think it will be a competitive year for ye ol' Concord District (5): there's really no one that jumps out as the clear leader. But whereas in many previous years the run to the state title goes through the Concord, I don't think that will be the case this year.
LB, West Springfield, Madison and Battlefield: those are the four that I'm watching.
Two sophs to watch: Zach Agnos (Battlefield) and Seth Richards (Oakton).
It's an ambitious task to try to list top players, especially since, unless you really know a kid, it's hard to say someone is going to have a breakout year. Or, maybe you have a kid who was on JV last year, or backed up behind a senior last year, who's ready to step up.
So, I don't blame anyone for missing a few key guys. But here are some fairly prominent guys that I couldn't find on any of the lists (though because I have trouble keeping track of who's 4A, 5A and 6A, I may have overlooked them by scanning the wrong list):
Aaron Robinson, 2017 C at Monacan, is the area's most feared HR threat, committed to Norfolk State.
Hunter Andrews, 2018 OF/RHP formerly at Monacan but now at St. Chris, is a premier hitter and will carry a fair share of innings as well.
Logan Amiss, 2018 C at Powhatan, is a good bet to hit .450 or better; committed to VCU.
Drew Camp, 2017 1B at Thomas Dale, figures to follow in Robinson's footsteps as a HR threat this year and next.
I don't see any Prince George guys on here (?) and that means they missed conference POY Tevin Tucker (2018 SS, committed to WVU), 2018 OF Michael Peterson (Longwood), and 2019 C/3B Justin Starke.
Preston Eacho, 2018 LHP at Atlee, missed a lot of last season and so is easy to overlook. Don't.
Scott McDonough, 2018 RHP/3B at Godwin.
The above comes with the disclaimer that I haven't tried to ID everyone, and I am also not including those already listed by PBR.
Good input thus far. My assessment is that it's more of the usual suspects.
Midlo, my son has played with and against Aaron so I have seen how well he swings the stick.
Just for giggles, here is the URL for a preseason thread from around this time last year ...
joemktg posted:I think it will be a competitive year for ye ol' Concord District (5): there's really no one that jumps out as the clear leader. But whereas in many previous years the run to the state title goes through the Concord, I don't think that will be the case this year.
LB, West Springfield, Madison and Battlefield: those are the four that I'm watching.
Two sophs to watch: Zach Agnos (Battlefield) and Seth Richards (Oakton).
I have personally made the "Concord" bet these last couple years and will double-down again this year for a few reasons I need not get into st the moment. With that said, I think Madison is the clear 6A North favorite in my humble opinion.
I really don't have a feel yet for which teams will rise to the top. It's always nice to have highly regarded individual players, and they correlate to which teams do well, but a lot more goes into who wins as a team.
For example, I've seen Cosby twice now. They seem to have some good young arms and some respectable older arms. Their sticks haven't really shown up just yet. But experience shows us we should count on them being around come playoff time.
Manchester has been hot throughout the lineup thus far. I'm not sure how their pitching will hold up, though.
Among private schools, I wonder if anyone has a lineup as loaded as Benedictine's. Cal Sigler is the premier leadoff guy in our area and, for my money, simply the fastest player in RVA. Will Simon, Eli Ottinger and Greg Ryan make for about as solid a set of 3-4-5 sticks as you could ask for. Eli is surely one of the leading pitchers around in this, his senior year. But again, there are so many teams I haven't seen yet, I really can't say how it'll all shake out.
Midlo Dad posted:I really don't have a feel yet for which teams will rise to the top. It's always nice to have highly regarded individual players, and they correlate to which teams do well, but a lot more goes into who wins as a team.
For example, I've seen Cosby twice now. They seem to have some good young arms and some respectable older arms. Their sticks haven't really shown up just yet. But experience shows us we should count on them being around come playoff time.
Manchester has been hot throughout the lineup thus far. I'm not sure how their pitching will hold up, though.
Among private schools, I wonder if anyone has a lineup as loaded as Benedictine's. Cal Sigler is the premier leadoff guy in our area and, for my money, simply the fastest player in RVA. Will Simon, Eli Ottinger and Greg Ryan make for about as solid a set of 3-4-5 sticks as you could ask for. Eli is surely one of the leading pitchers around in this, his senior year. But again, there are so many teams I haven't seen yet, I really can't say how it'll all shake out.
Indeed, Cal is one speedy hombre ... I believe Manchester has Dylan Gentry holding down their middle infield ... high quality kid, especially as a teammate ... his dad is a stand-up guy too so easy to make the connection.
Midlo Dad posted:Among private schools, I wonder if anyone has a lineup as loaded as Benedictine's.
PVI! With 6+ D1 commits (anyone have the right number?) and Coach Emerson back at the helm, they are formidable.
joemktg posted:Midlo Dad posted:Among private schools, I wonder if anyone has a lineup as loaded as Benedictine's.
PVI! With 6+ D1 commits (anyone have the right number?) and Coach Emerson back at the helm, they are formidable.
Speaking of PVI, they beat West Potomac 3-1 tonight.
1) Battlefield has the inside track I believe in the north....quality everywhere up the middle, depth, deep pitching, and playoff experience. They have had some tough playoff luck too-they are due.
2) Lake Braddock has a wealth of pitching, Darcy among others can play, and they have speed and depth.
3) Madison is always good, but appear to lack playoff quality pitching depth, are weak behind the dish, and SS, none of which helps in the playoffs. Jake Nielsen is somehow below most radars, but is capable of dominating on the bump and is a real deep threat at the plate, Novak is a hit machine when locked in, lots of depth away from pitching there.
4) Patriot has a nice right/lefty combo of starters, an experienced stud catcher, and good depth. Great lineup, might not have enough high quality pitching. Young Eikhoff can hit.
After that, I think it falls off to the "good" Concorde/5 district teams, but they are all flawed. Centreville has good pitching, but lacks pop and has a a ton of question marks defensively. Chantilly just can't do it again, I don't see a ton there, but clearly they have a coach! I just don't see it. Robinson, eh. Oakton is interesting.....they don't have a complete team, but with 3 D1 caliber pitchers they can be in any game. If Toma recovers and someone (anyone) other than those pitchers and Davis steps up they could surprise....or they could go 2-12. That could be a fun team to watch/coach as they could do great things or implode.
In Liberty/6: Madison is no doubt big favorite, but has some chinks in the armor. Hosley at Langley is a beast, and that team has parts, not sure if they can put it together consistently enough to make any run though. South Lakes has developed enough pitching and fields a tough 9-they can compete. After that most of the teams are 1 pitcher and not truly 9 deep. Check that, Mclean with Slade and Groppe is a nice combo. Projected: Madison, South Lakes, Langley, W&L, Mclean, Fairfax, Yorktown, Hayfield.
In 7: Lake Braddock, a Spartan team I don't really know, a likeable West Po team, and South County.....dropoff to Woodson, and another dropoff to TC, Annandale, and another drop to Mt. Vernon.
In Concorde/5: I dunno, not as clearly defined IMO as compared to prior years, low confidence as I think it is open.....Centreville on pitching, Chantilly on coaching, Robinson, Westfield, Oakton, Herndon.
Away from local 6A Kettle Run, Marshall, Briar Woods (though I don't know them). PVI is very good, but there are D1 commits and there are D1 commits if you know what I mean-they are off from last year-still better than publics though.
Combined Top 10: PVI, Battlefield, Lake Braddock, Madison, Kettle Run, Patriot, Chantilly, O'Connell, West Springfield, Marshall/Centreville.
***All uninformed opinion, no harm intended, best viewed March 2018***
Allinfun posted:Projected: Madison, South Lakes, Langley, W&L, Mclean, Fairfax, Yorktown, Hayfield.
***All uninformed opinion, no harm intended, best viewed March 2018***
Well, my son is the starting catcher at Hayfield so I'd love to prove your prediction wrong... First game tonight against Langley, if the field is playable, which is not a given at all.
I'd like to be proven wrong, love the folks at Hayfield! Langley was pretty sloppy against W&L defensively to let that game get away. (and that was excellent base running by W&L in the end) Make 'em throw strikes, give some OF depth and make the plays! Starting to get "game on!" texts for tonight, so hopefully you get yours in too-good luck!
Allinfun posted:I'd like to be proven wrong, love the folks at Hayfield! Langley was pretty sloppy against W&L defensively to let that game get away. (and that was excellent base running by W&L in the end) Make 'em throw strikes, give some OF depth and make the plays! Starting to get "game on!" texts for tonight, so hopefully you get yours in too-good luck!
Thanks. Game moved to Lee HS since their field is playable (ours is NOT, nor is Langley's). Weird to be the home team at a different diamond. Also, Hayfield will play there again tomorrow as the away team against Lee. Big kudos to HC at Lee for letting this happen on such short notice!
Interesting article recapping the Northern Virginia Baseball Magazine's Media Day ...
Since a couple have weighed in on the Concord (6A Conference 5) district, here are my thoughts ...
Centreville: Head Coach Scott Findley had a great run last year, punctuated by their upset victory over a talented Madison team in the playoffs. This season, Carter Egbers, John Farley, and Brandon Luke will hold down pitching duties with Egbers, Cameron Edwards, Gavin Collins, and Ethan Busenitz guiding their offense. I believe Centreville lost the live arm of Cristian Sanchez to PVI.
Chantilly: In the interest of full disclosure, I am a parent. That said, I believe I know the core of this team (8 Seniors) very well having watched most of them compete against many of the players I cite elsewhere in this post. All told, this is a very talented group of boys with starting pitching being their only considerable question mark compared to last season. Coach Kevin Ford deserves a lot of credit for building this program to the point where they have been to the Virginia 6A State Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016 and finally winning it all last year in dramatic fashion against Battlefield. This game gave me the same goosebumps I felt watching my NY Mets win it all in 1986. This season, I expect Seniors Jack Fitzhugh, Bret Caslavka, Hayden Dux, and Robert Sallberg to hold down the pitching. In addition, the pitching future looks very bright as Junior Kyle Pasquale and Sophomores Dylan Siesky, Connor Pennell, and Nicholas Zampiello having impressed me as I watched them develop over the years. In terms of bats, I think Chantilly has the most formidable line-up in the entire conference. Senior Chris Pitura was a 1st Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-Region at 2nd base last year and will be taking over duties at shortstop this season. Batting in front of Pitura will likely be Jon Alderman and Cameron Boddie, two speedy outfielders cover lots of ground and can wear out any pitcher on any given night.Behind these three will be Siesky, Senior Garrett Thomas, and two notable Junior bats, Christian Parana and Jonathan Braden. Junior speed-demon Eric Tsai will likely be taking on pinch-running duties. Finally, the unexpected gem of this group is Freshman catcher Shane Dux, this kid might be taking over catching duties at Chantilly sooner than anyone expected. In term of results thus far, Chantilly beat Marshall 12-6 in a scrimmage on 03/07. Their season home opener is tonight at 6:30pm against Riverside HS so we shall see what this season holds but I am liking what I have seen thus far.
Herndon: Injury to Menendez will present challenges to Herndon, which will need to rely on Austin “AJ” Boynton, Cameron Bane, and Joe Wright while he recovers. Herndon bats includes Boynton at leadoff, Menendez and a kid named Matt Knox that has always been a little guy that can flat out hit ... love watching that kid compete at the plate.
Oakton: An injury to Toma Shigaki-Than will weaken the pitching rotation. However, Oakton does have Owen Lamon, Seth Richards and Jared Kimbel left to hold down the staff while he recovers. Richards, catcher Ryan Davis and Eric Lingebach will provide notable bats for Oakton.
Robinson: I think Robinson is going to surprise some folks with the balance of their team. Pitching will be held down by Will Jewel, Jack Philbin, Bret Ronyecs, and Danny Checkosky. Flynn Hopkins, Jack Quinn, and PK Cocolis are solid bats in the middle of the order.
Westfield: Westfield beat Mount Vernon 8-1 last night on 12K's over 5IP from Antonio Buckley. They also have bats in catcher Devin Kakar and Seth Hockett.
Prediction: I think Chantilly takes the Concord conference once again this year. What happens beyond that, I can only guess but wouldn’t be surprised if they made another serious run to cement the legacy they have established these last several years.
Rough Diamond posted:joemktg posted:I think it will be a competitive year for ye ol' Concord District (5): there's really no one that jumps out as the clear leader. But whereas in many previous years the run to the state title goes through the Concord, I don't think that will be the case this year.
LB, West Springfield, Madison and Battlefield: those are the four that I'm watching.
Two sophs to watch: Zach Agnos (Battlefield) and Seth Richards (Oakton).
I have personally made the "Concord" bet these last couple years and will double-down again this year for a few reasons I need not get into st the moment. With that said, I think Madison is the clear 6A North favorite in my humble opinion.
Update: Looks like Madison lost to Fairfax 4-3 last night.
Hayfield beats Langley 6-0 with solid 6+ innings by senior Logan Dickinson. Lee HS tonight for a cold night for baseball. Fairfax at home on Friday.
I saw that, congrats. I have to say, I also forgot about A-Rod--if he can throw strikes he can be real, and he is speed on the bases. My Hayfield prediction off to a rocky start! Good luck with Fairfax Friday, they scored 4 in the 7th to beat Madison 4-3 last night-after having been 1 hit through 6 1/3.
Speaking of lake braddock's pitching, Miller-Green pitched 5 shutout innings against Woodson, struck out 13, 2 hits and 0 walks.
too.tall posted:Speaking of lake braddock's pitching, Miller-Green pitched 5 shoutout innings against Woodson, struck out 13, 2 hits and 0 walks.
Very impressive. Performance noted!
Chantilly over Riverside 2-0 on this cold, windy night. Combined shut-out by Seniors Jack Fitzhugh (5IP, 5K's) and Bret Caslavka (2IP, 1K). Offense included hits by both Caslavka and Senior SS Chris Pitura.
Hayfield 10-0 over Lee HS on a cold, windy night with plenty of sloppy play to go around. Next game, a true home game, vs. Fairfax.
WSHS topped Annandale in 5. I think demographic changes have finally caught up to Annandale. Next is South County on Friday and Robinson on Saturday. Lots of talent at WS (there was last year as well).
Oakton over South County 14-0.
joemktg posted:Oakton over South County 14-0.
Any info on the 10-run 6th inning for Oakton?
2forU posted:WSHS topped Annandale in 5. I think demographic changes have finally caught up to Annandale. Next is South County on Friday and Robinson on Saturday. Lots of talent at WS (there was last year as well).
Only position player I have personally seen on WS is Isaak Lyons ... that dude can play!
Liberty inverted from recent past right now. Madison alone in last. Langley alone in7th. Hayfield atop the conference and undefeated. Long way to go, but would not have predicted that!
Eikhoff 4/4 with 2B and 3B in Patriot 13-1 win tonight. Patriot 3-0 this week.
Allinfun posted:Liberty inverted from recent past right now. Madison alone in last. Langley alone in7th. Hayfield atop the conference and undefeated. Long way to go, but would not have predicted that!
Eikhoff 4/4 with 2B and 3B in Patriot 13-1 win tonight. Patriot 3-0 this week.
Coach Pudge at Madison is very well-respected so his teams are hard to count out pre-season and even this lone loss won't necessarily count them out ... with that said, I know lots of those boys at Fairfax and they should be solid this season ... plus, they added an awesome assistant coach in Keith Newcombe who is the real deal.
Rough Diamond posted:2forU posted:WSHS topped Annandale in 5. I think demographic changes have finally caught up to Annandale. Next is South County on Friday and Robinson on Saturday. Lots of talent at WS (there was last year as well).
Only position player I have personally seen on WS is Isaak Lyons ... that dude can play!
Isaak's brother Jared, a Junior SS/RHP can play too, he's an early GMU commit.
Rough Diamond posted:Allinfun posted:Liberty inverted from recent past right now. Madison alone in last. Langley alone in7th. Hayfield atop the conference and undefeated. Long way to go, but would not have predicted that!
Eikhoff 4/4 with 2B and 3B in Patriot 13-1 win tonight. Patriot 3-0 this week.
Coach Pudge at Madison is very well-respected so his teams are hard to count out pre-season and even this lone loss won't necessarily count them out ... with that said, I know lots of those boys at Fairfax and they should be solid this season ... plus, they added an awesome assistant coach in Keith Newcombe who is the real deal.
Oh, don't get me wrong, Madison is still the favorite....those standings are just notable for being inverse of the norm! Pudge will do his thing, and the sting of that meltdown with Fairfax will be used as fuel every time they let off the gas!
Isaak Lyons is a player. My son was on a team with him a few seasons ago in travel. I've heard his younger brother is outstanding too. Nice dad too.
Jerod Lyons (the younger brother) is out with a broken bone in his foot. No ETA on return and he is still in a cast. Pick up basketball injury. The coaching had a few surprised this season, this was one of them. they have some tough decisions and if them make the correct ones, they could be a contender.
Allinfun posted:1) Battlefield has the inside track I believe in the north....quality everywhere up the middle, depth, deep pitching, and playoff experience. They have had some tough playoff luck too-they are due.
2) Lake Braddock has a wealth of pitching, Darcy among others can play, and they have speed and depth.
3) Madison is always good, but appear to lack playoff quality pitching depth, are weak behind the dish, and SS, none of which helps in the playoffs. Jake Nielsen is somehow below most radars, but is capable of dominating on the bump and is a real deep threat at the plate, Novak is a hit machine when locked in, lots of depth away from pitching there.
4) Patriot has a nice right/lefty combo of starters, an experienced stud catcher, and good depth. Great lineup, might not have enough high quality pitching. Young Eikhoff can hit.
After that, I think it falls off to the "good" Concorde/5 district teams, but they are all flawed. Centreville has good pitching, but lacks pop and has a a ton of question marks defensively. Chantilly just can't do it again, I don't see a ton there, but clearly they have a coach! I just don't see it. Robinson, eh. Oakton is interesting.....they don't have a complete team, but with 3 D1 caliber pitchers they can be in any game. If Toma recovers and someone (anyone) other than those pitchers and Davis steps up they could surprise....or they could go 2-12. That could be a fun team to watch/coach as they could do great things or implode.
In Liberty/6: Madison is no doubt big favorite, but has some chinks in the armor. Hosley at Langley is a beast, and that team has parts, not sure if they can put it together consistently enough to make any run though. South Lakes has developed enough pitching and fields a tough 9-they can compete. After that most of the teams are 1 pitcher and not truly 9 deep. Check that, Mclean with Slade and Groppe is a nice combo. Projected: Madison, South Lakes, Langley, W&L, Mclean, Fairfax, Yorktown, Hayfield.
In 7: Lake Braddock, a Spartan team I don't really know, a likeable West Po team, and South County.....dropoff to Woodson, and another dropoff to TC, Annandale, and another drop to Mt. Vernon.
In Concorde/5: I dunno, not as clearly defined IMO as compared to prior years, low confidence as I think it is open.....Centreville on pitching, Chantilly on coaching, Robinson, Westfield, Oakton, Herndon.
Away from local 6A Kettle Run, Marshall, Briar Woods (though I don't know them). PVI is very good, but there are D1 commits and there are D1 commits if you know what I mean-they are off from last year-still better than publics though.
Combined Top 10: PVI, Battlefield, Lake Braddock, Madison, Kettle Run, Patriot, Chantilly, O'Connell, West Springfield, Marshall/Centreville.
***All uninformed opinion, no harm intended, best viewed March 2018***
Hard to argue with the Top Three of your Combined Top Ten, here. They all have very good pitching depth and are strong defensively.
Rough Diamond posted:joemktg posted:Oakton over South County 14-0.
Any info on the 10-run 6th inning for Oakton?
Lotsa walks, HBPs, errors, etc. It's early for everyone.
Loudoun Valley over Chantilly 6-3 ... great start for Sophomore Nicholas Zampiello 4.1IP 1 ER ... Chantilly put three on the board in the first inning but only 2 hits after that. Sophomore Dylan Siesky had an RBI double plus 1.2 IP 0 ERs. Back on the road tomorrow at take McLean at 11am!
WSHS pounded South County 15-3. Odd ending, head's up play by the SS to end the game with a throw to home from 2B (1-6-2). SC pitching not what everyone expected - maybe an off night.
Update - Jared Lyons fracture has healed. Cleared for light running. Will be available to play when he can run without pain.
Lots of talent on this team, some tough decision will make the team better.
Chantilly gets back in the "W" column with a 5-3 win over McLean today. Seniors Bret Caslavka & Robert Sallberg & Sophomore Conor Pennell held down the pitching while Chantilly bats woke up. Senior Garrett Thomas and Sophomore Dylan Siesky each collected three hits. Seniors Cam Boddie and Chris Pitura each collected two hits with Senior Jon Alderman leading off the game with a triple. Lots to like about today's effort coming off a loss to Loudoun Valley last night.
Robinson over WS 3-2, won in the bottom of the 7th. This is the first decent pitching WS faced and the hitting dried up. Without two walks, a few steals, and two passed balls, WS would have had no runs. The coaching has some tough decisions to make for the team to improve.
Liberty reverting to norm after odd first few days.....Madison hasn't been scored on in 2 games and is 2-1, tied with South Lakes and Fairfax at the top. This week we should find out who is real as Madison has Hayfield/South Lakes/Langley and Fairfax takes on Langley and Mclean. Going back to the original post by Rough Diamond, after taking in a number of games I would include 2 Langley players on the list. Hosley is a standout-best player on a good team. He isn't a SS, but when in doubt putting the best player in the middle is a good formula. Also, Jake Osburn at Langley has given up 6 hits, 3 walks, and 1 ER over 11 innings. Kantor at Mclean swinging it well-worth following. Chantilly looking like a good program (in every game, has bats, tight defense) but I'm sticking with my initial take that the pitching isn't quite enough for a run. Full disclosure, I didn't see last year coming either. Robinson looks good in 2 tough wins over good programs. Nice wins. I look forward to seeing how they do against #1 pitching. Pulling for Oakton, 2-0 and a relatively light week leading up to Saturday's game against Madison. Need some bats to step up. Lake Braddock going to extras without showing #1 against St. Johns is a good sign, even in an L. Kettle Run doing what they are supposed to do, going 3-0 in comfortable wins. PVI loses to Georgetown Prep....I'm saying PVI v good, not as dominant relative to NoVa publics as last year. Sticking with Battlefield and Patriot as top 4 teams, I like Patriot, need to see more though. Bloviating done for today!
Will say one thing about Chantilly this season ... based on what I have seen thus far, IMHO, there are least two "dudes" that very few people will see coming this year. Win or lose, should be fun to see how it all plays out.
Robinson over Lake Braddock 6-2 tonight.
Madison over Hayfield 6-1
Also last night ...
Westfield over Broad Run 3-1
Oakton over Osbourn Park 10-3
Robinson now ranked #6 and Westfield ranked #10 in NOVA Baseball Magazine Top 10.
Madison over South Lakes 3-0. Madison has given up only 1 run in it's last 4 games
Hayfield, 9-5 over W&L last night. Hayfield's offense explodes for 14 hits, with 3 players getting 3 each.
WS over MT. Vernon 6-1 in 7 innings. Not a good showing, but a victory. Jared Lyons back for a plate appearance.
Broad Run walks-off on Chantilly 3-2 tonight. Some pretty weird officiating at this one but Broad Run got the job done in the end. Chantilly had multi-hit games from Senior Garrett Thomas and Freshman Shane Dux.
Madison torched Langley tonight 22-0
Westfield come back after being down 3-0 to beat Chantilly 6-3 tonight.
Does anyone have a good place to find NOVA standings? The Post is partial and wrong, which is worse than not having them up at all. I have Westfield & Oakton on top in Concorde5, Woodson outta the gate well in 7, Battlefield in 8, and Liberty6 as:
| Madison | 5-1 | 5-1 | |
| South Lakes | 3-2 | 3-2 | |
| Langley | 3-3 | 3-4 | L 6-1 Herndon |
| Fairfax | 2-2 | 2-2 | |
| Hayfield | 2-2 | 3-2 | W 10-0 Lee |
| Mclean | 2-2 | 2-4 | L Chantilly 5-3, L Centreville 10-8 |
| W&L | 2-4 | 3-4 | W 6-4 Edison |
| Yorktown | 1-4 | 2-4 | W 10-5 Wakefield |
Hayfield and Fairfax better than expected, Langley a puzzle. Losing 22-0? In 5?. That is hard to do if you are trying, which they really didn't appear to be after going down 11-0 in the 2nd.
Other than Chantilly, I have only seen one other Conference 5 team so far and no surprises here to me as I knew Westfield would be better this year. Antonio Buckley's got a live lefty arm and Seth Hockett only had one hit last night but it was a huge double bases loaded double and he was hitting the ball deep into the outfield all night.
FYI: as usual, you can keep tabs on NoVA baseball by following http://www.novabaseballmagazine.com.
JMU_2016 posted:Madison torched Langley tonight 22-0
Were you there?
joemktg posted:JMU_2016 posted:Madison torched Langley tonight 22-0
Were you there?
I was until the top of the 4th when it was 15-0. Madison was hitting the cover off the ball the whole night. Joey Goldsmith hit a double off the right field wall in the first and hit a 3 run homer later on that was one of the hardest hit balls I've seen.
Big fan of www.novabaseballmagazine.com. He lost his standings in the transition to the new website though. I'm betting he gets them back up there, but until he does I'm enjoying their stories and trying to find standings elsewhere.
Madison over Oakton 6-3
Good game between these two rivals ... seemed like Madison was going to run away with it until Oakton mounted their comeback.
JMU_2016 posted:Madison over Oakton 6-3
Report I received: Madison, as usual, peppered to OF fence with line drives. Also told that the SP for Madison is a new player from JV. OHS rotated pitchers throughout the game.
Guessing that this out of conference game impacted pitching decisions. Of course, with the realignment next year, this will be resolved.
WestPo dominated WS 6-3. Good pitching from WestPo. WS has the wrong lineup to face good pitching.
joemktg posted:JMU_2016 posted:Madison over Oakton 6-3
Report I received: Madison, as usual, peppered to OF fence with line drives. Also told that the SP for Madison is a new player from JV. OHS rotated pitchers throughout the game.
Guessing that this out of conference game impacted pitching decisions. Of course, with the realignment next year, this will be resolved.
Howat was one of their better JV pitchers last year, and he has continued to develop--would love to see a Richards v. Howat game, and likely will see a few in the next couple of years. Should be great games. Howat on the bump in a rivalry game does make the point that the coaching staff at Madison deserves credit for developing players AND putting the best team on the field. You would think that the talented sophomore lefty on the bump would have been the son of the head coach--and if it had been he would have done just fine. But it wasn't--Howat is a bit better in the staff's eyes right now. And at catcher, Madison has a light hitting senior--it has to be tempting to put the assistant coach's son back there--but they haven't. Parent's often gripe about playing time and favoritism--but both of those coach's kids could play well at the varsity level and are not. The Madison coaches are quality men and quality coaches, and while I have heard unfounded complaints from parents in the past, I had no doubt that they would do right by their players. You have to know that the "dad" in them wants their sons out there, but they are doing what is best for their team anyway. I hope the parents and others involved with the program recognize and give credit to the Madison coaches for playing it the right way.
They do have one coach's kid playing--would love to hear someone complain about him!
Fairfax 4-3 over Centreville, Hayfield 12-0 5 inning no hitter for Dickinson on Annandale, Marshall 10-0 5 inning combined no hitter vs. Lee, South Lakes 10-0 5 inning over Herndon, Woodson scores 2 in the 6th to beat South County 2-1, LB 12-1 over TC in 5. Lots of uneven matchups last night.
Chantilly over Robinson 11-4 tonight.
Patriot scratched out 3 runs against Kyle Whitten and Osbourn Park to force extra innings, then scored 3 in the 10th for the 6-3 win. Chantilly whacked Robinson 12-4 with freshman catcher Shane Dux 3/3 with 2x2b and a 3B for 3rbi. Westfield escaped Herndon 1-0. Westfield only had 3 hits off AC Boynton, but 2 came in the decisive 3rd inning. Herndon had 6 hits, including 4 doubles, but ran out of some innings and could not score all night. South County showed up and Klioze/Buzbee shut Lake Braddock out 3-0. Madison kept rolling with Nielsen CG in 5-1 win over Mclean. Madison executed small ball to tack on 2 runs, and played a good deal of depth players. West Springfield beat Woodson 2-0. Hayfield 4-2 over South Lakes. Freshman pitcher Gleason for Hayfield had plus stuff in CG win, hopefully the rest of his game will mature. Dickinson dropped a bomb. Fairfax 6-2 over Yorktown with Fairfax's top 4 batters collecting 8 hits. Langley 5-4 over Yorktown, Timmy Conforti HR. Battlefield jumped to a 9-1 lead, but a game Osbourn team fought back to make it 11-10 after 5....Battlefield held on to win 13-10 with Agnos getting the save. Oakton snuffed out Centreville 7-1, with Lamon/Good combining for a 2 hitter.
Gleason won't last the season if the coach keeps throwing him like he does.
Chantilly at Oakton on Friday.
WS made a line up change and it paid off big time. We'll see if it is permanent or not. WS has more difficult decisions to become a better team. They need to hit.
Rough Diamond posted:Chantilly at Oakton on Friday.
Good game as Chantilly kept it 1-0 until Oakton broke out in the bottom 6th to win 5-1. Oakton has a very balanced team.
Eddie Hope tournament began yesterday at Hylton HS ... Chantilly over Hylton 5-4 in Game 1 and Faquier over Chantilly 3-2 in Game 2.
WS game vs LB cancelled. WS now at Mingo Bay - Myrtle Beach again. I'm stuck watching game changer.
Rough Diamond posted:Rough Diamond posted:Chantilly at Oakton on Friday.
Good game as Chantilly kept it 1-0 until Oakton broke out in the bottom 6th to win 5-1. Oakton has a very balanced team.
Really haven't found themselves yet. Lost today vs. Woodson, although they scored the tying run in the top of the 7th and had multiple opportunities to make hay thereafter. They'll be tested against WHS and Herndon.
This district is always something, and with Madison joining next year it may turn out to the most competitive in the Commonwealth.
joemktg posted:Rough Diamond posted:Rough Diamond posted:Chantilly at Oakton on Friday.
Good game as Chantilly kept it 1-0 until Oakton broke out in the bottom 6th to win 5-1. Oakton has a very balanced team.
Really haven't found themselves yet. Lost today vs. Woodson, although they scored the tying run in the top of the 7th and had multiple opportunities to make hay thereafter. They'll be tested against WHS and Herndon.
This district is always something, and with Madison joining next year it may turn out to the most competitive in the Commonwealth.
Indeed, Madison will shakeup the conference and force the others to pick up the pace to keep up with them. Right now, Oakton, Westfield and Robinson are in position to compete. Chantilly has the right personnel for pitching and defense but need the bats to catchup before we can make a run.
Speaking of Madison, they won their first 2 games today down in Charleston, SC. 20-1 over White Plains (NY) and 6-2 over Academic Magnet (SC)
Brentsville District over Chantilly 4-2 this afternoon.
Nick Karlinchak Throws Shutout as West Springfield Spartans Varsity Defeats Powdersville (SC) Patriots
WS wins 1-0 - Defending the title!
Madison beat Wando HS (SC) 6-1 to move to 3-0 at the Hanahan Invitational Tournament in Chareleston, SC
WS 6 - Landstown Eagles 0. WS on a missions to score as many points as they have players on their roster - 25 more runs to go to break even!
Chantilly over Colgan 7-1 tonight.
Madison moves to 4-0 at the HIT in Charleston with a 9-7 win over Ashley Ridge HS (SC).
They'll play Summerville High (SC) in the championship tonight (4/13)
Kettle Run over Osbourn Park 2-0 to win Eddie Hope Let's Play Two Tournament. Kettle Run pitching only surrendered 4 runs the entire tournament. Will Merriken named tournament MVP.
Buzzard05 posted:Kettle Run over Osbourn Park 2-0 to win Eddie Hope Let's Play Two Tournament. Kettle Run pitching only surrendered 4 runs the entire tournament. Will Merriken named tournament MVP.
I would like to add that Sam Ewald is an offensive beast!
WS 10 - Pendleton (SC) Bulldogs 2
15 runs to go
WS 5 - George Washington (WV) Patriots 6
defense had a rough day today (7 Errors by WS and 2 by GW)
10 runs to go
Madison won tonight, 3-2, against Summerville High School, the defending 4A state champs from South Carolina to take home the HIT championship in Charleston. Madison went 5-0 this week.
Kyle Novak got the win on the mound and Jack Kidd hit a two run homer in the 4th to give them the decisive lead for the game.
Madison is who we thought they were.
In past years, the 757 would be the subject of many posts. We're driving blind this season. Yo 757.
Mingo Bay falls short on providing a 5th game. 3 and 1 for the week
joemktg posted:Madison is who we thought they were.
I am a big fan of Madison, and they are very, very deep offensively, I am still not a buyer as far as a tournament run in June due to pitching depth and catcher play. They are very good, but beatable. Ha, even if only by Fairfax thus far.
Allinfun posted:joemktg posted:Madison is who we thought they were.
I am a big fan of Madison, and they are very, very deep offensively, I am still not a buyer as far as a tournament run in June due to pitching depth and catcher play. They are very good, but beatable. Ha, even if only by Fairfax thus far.
I'm not sure you can question their pitching depth after they just won 5 games in 4 days against very good competition. Their catcher seems perfectly capable although I have only caught a couple of their games thus far. Like you said on any given day any team can be beaten...
I'd be happy to be wrong, and I might be. (They have 4 shutouts and 3 games where they gave up just 1 run, so something is right on the hill) Nielsen (.52 ERA) holding Wando to 1 run on 4 hits is impressive, Kopka is good (.71 ERA) and very dependable, and having Novak available if needed is a bonus not many have. Freck can be good on the bump too, and he hasn't even thrown, and Howat and Hecht have done well in their roles....maybe that counts as depth?! Catchers went 2/10 for the tournament, and are adequate defensively, I just think they are a weak link on a very good team. They do get help from their pitching staff as they are excellent at holding runners. We will see in June.
***What is the deal with Madison and PBR? PBR doesn't even have them in "others receiving votes" category in their top 10. PBR loses some credibility there. ***
Madison always seems to be deep in talent and always seems to be very good. That's testament to the coaching and culture--long-term success breeds longer-term success. But I do I suspect their demographics help a LOT too (particularly fundraising)...
Batty67 posted:Madison always seems to be deep in talent and always seems to be very good. That's testament to the coaching and culture--long-term success breeds longer-term success. But I do I suspect their demographics help a LOT too (particularly fundraising)...
Same demos as Oakton.
joemktg posted:Batty67 posted:Madison always seems to be deep in talent and always seems to be very good. That's testament to the coaching and culture--long-term success breeds longer-term success. But I do I suspect their demographics help a LOT too (particularly fundraising)...
Same demos as Oakton.
Without really knowing the guy well I feel that Coach Pudge seems to know how to leverage every opportunity at his disposal ... it gives his teams an edge over most other programs, even those that share or even surpass the demographics at his school.
Madison over Yorktown 11-0
Chantilly over Herndon 13-3 tonight.
LB over WS 1-0
Miller-Green on his game.
Oakton over Robinson 13-2. Seth Richardson with a 7 inning, 85 pitch effort for the W.
So Oakton lost to St. Albans on Monday, won last night, plays Herndon tonight, then Westfield Friday. 4 games in 5 days.
Hayfield 5-0 over McLean.
joemktg posted:Batty67 posted:Madison always seems to be deep in talent and always seems to be very good. That's testament to the coaching and culture--long-term success breeds longer-term success. But I do I suspect their demographics help a LOT too (particularly fundraising)...
Same demos as Oakton.
Okay. Oakton usually has a good or better program too.
I'd love to be seeing more of Oakton....they seem like they are coming together. 3 quality pitchers (at least), Lingbach is hitting, others are stepping up, they all seem to be buying in. That team is one to watch.....I said at the beginning of the year they could implode or be special--they look like they are taking the special route.
Madison beats Hayfield 18-0
West Potomac over WS 9-0. WS a very poorly played game.
WS will be running today, no baseball skill work or hitting, no attitude adjustments, just running.
2forU posted:West Potomac over WS 9-0. WS a very poorly played game.
WS will be running today, no baseball skill work or hitting, no attitude adjustments, just running.
That'll learn 'em.
None of the coaches run
Well then, at least the players should find themselves well-conditioned should they inadvertently find themselves in a marathon or a lacrosse game.
JMU_2016 posted:Madison beats Hayfield 18-0
I posted it after the game then removed it, but decided to put it back up: Although Madison is a very good team, they had a few decidedly non-classy parents who openly insulted several of our players the entire game, even when thrashing Hayfield. Bush.
3.5 hr of running at WS last night to get ready for the Annandale game.
If you have ever dealt with a difficult to control mother-in-law then you might understand the difficulty in dealing with some of the Madison parents. And winning 18-0 a high school fan has to let anything but unsafe play go quietly-sorry you and your players had to deal with insults. Given that, I'll say in the relative privacy and anonymity of this forum that the Hayfield team can invite talk from some at times. Dugout chirps at the left side of the infield and 3b coach throughout the game, on field the normal friendly back and forth is more of a football pretend tough guy talk, and the players display a teen attempt at macho that shows they have yet to be taught to play the game the right way. For example, a player getting HBP on an 0-2 curveball and yapping at the pitcher and acting tough guy offended when he is a light hitter anyway should not be tolerated. Players talking AT opposing coaches should not be tolerated. At Hayfield it looks like those things are tolerated-even encouraged. Yes, they are teenagers trying to figure it out, and hopefully coaches corrected issues in private and I am completely wrong, but I've seen a few Hayfield games and got the feeling that isn't the case. If you want the pulse of a team get away from the bleachers. Go stand unobtrusively at the far end of the dugout and listen.
Of course, Hayfield is not perfect, no team is. And some of that starts at the top. I've spoken with many really experienced HS baseball parents from other power teams and I've heard time and again for years that they set the standard for offensive parents. In fact, one of those good friends texted me, and I quote "Oh. There are obnoxious parents and then there are Madison parents."
Let's take this offline and focus on positive baseball.
In my experience Madison fans are good, with the exception of a small few. Unfortunately those few are loud and tend to sit right close to the opposing fans, so their gaffes are what people remember, and that colors the whole program. Focus on the kids and you will see what the Madison program really teaches.
The Madison team has been playing extremely well-hitting the snot out of the ball up and down the lineup. Guys who waited their turn to play are showing up big, and the pitching has been super. Hayfield has a lot of ability, but as a team they seem to show up some nights and others not so much. Hopefully they play well consistently down the stretch!
I am going to refrain a bit because I have spoken on this latest side topic in the past but feel free to search my previous posts. Will only add that while I think dealing with the chatter and other distractions are part of the game, I still maintain that attempting to humiliate the other team and pass it off as being a "fan" is definitely bush. Teenagers are not exempt but at least it's understandable... parents and coaches get no pass on this from me, whatsoever. Just my 2 cents ... I can make change.
Madison walks off 4-3 over Fairfax. Jack Kidd hit the game winning homer in the bottom of the 7th
Centreville runs over Chantilly 10-2 ... lots of good baseball played tonight ... but most of it was demonstrated by Centreville ... remember the name Thomas Trinca ... this Centreville freshman can mash!
Westfield over Chantilly 5-0 last night. Westfield SO RHP Danny Leo with the complete game shut-out ... both teams only recorded three hits a piece but Westfield maximized their opportunities. Westfield and Oakton have both been playing very good baseball this whole season and Centreville & Herndon are surging as of late. Love this game!
Robinson over Chantilly last night 10-7 ... a barn-burner for sure as Chantilly jumped out to a 7-2 lead but scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 5th to seal the win. Over 20 hits racked up between both teams.
WS with a good win over SC and a Senior night win over Mt. Vernon. "If you can hit" doesn't mean you won't sit
Chantilly over Oakton 6-2 tonight.
WS at LB tonight - big game, playing for 1st.
Upset in Conference 5 as Herndon defeats Oakton 5-3 last night ... Chantilly at Centreville tonight at 630pm ... hope it's more competitive than the last time they played!
I will be at the LB/WS game even though my son goes to Hayfield. Should be a nice night for HS baseball.
WS 3 - LB 1 (LB still top seed in patriot conference 7, WS #2)
Does anyone have a link to the end of season tournament schedule?
Centreville over Chantilly 5-4 last night ... great game ... Centreville playing at Oakton right now.
West Potomac at WS tonight. West Potomac is 2-0 vs WS this year.
Madison v Mclean gets going here in about 30 minutes.....Mclean beat Madison 3-2 in the regular season finale, and played Madison tight in last year's tournament final ( a 1-0 Madison win), but I think Madison blows them away today. South Lakes v Langley in the late game at 7:00. Both games at Madison.
Looks like a Madison blowout. Top 5th and Madison is on top 18-0
LB loses in a shocker to South County. SC vs WS We'll see who shows up to hit.
Madison was downright destructive.....Mclean didn't play poorly (no errors), but their pitching was bp for Madison. Nielsen cruised through 5, 2 hits and 1 bb, 1 run on 58 pitches. Looked smooth and easy. Madison had 19 hits, 11 from 9 different players for extra bases, including Goldsmith grand slam. 19-4 final, and it could have been much worse. In the late game South Lakes blew a 7-1 3rd inning lead with walks and hit batters, letting Langley back in the game, and Langley took advantage, ultimately winning 11-7. Osburn shut South Lakes down with good junk.
Madison vs. Langley is on a 30 minute delay because of lightning in the top of the 6th. Madison was down 6-2 after 2 innings and has climbed back to take the lead at 7-6.
Madison holds on to win 7-6. Matt Howat went 6+ innings in relief and gave up only 1 run
WS 4 SC 0, onto regionals. Congrats WS!
Does it look like the left side of the bracket is a little tougher than the right side?
"left" does seem more difficult.
Looking forward to a Madison vs Patriot showdown.
Excellent preview of tonight's games:
http://www.novabaseballmagazin...?referrer_id=3252642
Cripes, this is one tough region!
Oakton over McLean 3-1. Any other scores?
Robinson over Langley 6-4
Madison over Centreville 4-1
Madison over Centreville 4-1. Patriot over West P 6-0. Robinson over Langley 6-4.
LB over Osbourne Park 5-1
WS over Osbourne 3-0
Battlefield over SC 9-6 (someone hit a grand slam for battlefield)
I believe Westfield vs South Lakes was cancelled
Westfield v South Lakes 5:45 at Waters tonight.
Madison beats Lake Braddock 6-0. Danie Gerke with a solo homer in the first and Sophomore Matt Howat threw a one hitter.
JMU_2016 posted:Madison beats Lake Braddock 6-0. Danie Gerke with a solo homer in the first and Sophomore Matt Howat threw a one hitter.
I was at the game from start to finish down the 3rd baseline. Madison played very well and their starting pitcher dropped in first-pitch strike after strike, and when LB hit it hard (not very often) it was right at a player. Madison hit well per usual. But as for Gerke's HR, and my son played travel ball with him, that was easily the biggest wind-assist HR I have ever witnessed in person!
WS 9 - Westfield 2
Can anyone explain why Oakton and West Springfield are hosting the semi's when Madison and Patriot have much stronger records and have clearly been the best two teams in the region? Just seems rather odd
I was told that it was due to Oakton and WS being in a larger conference
2forU posted:I was told that it was due to Oakton and WS being in a larger conference
Huh, that doesn't make much sense because Madison was in the largest conference in the region. Perhaps it was a coin toss?
You need some luck sometimes....and it sure looks like mother nature and the lighting delays helped Madison out last night. Nielsen can come back tonight to pitch, and after 23 pretty low stress pitches through 2.1 I'd expect he will. But Lamon is done AND Patriot/West Springfield is tied in the 7th with Price and Williams done, and a real possibility that they will both burn their #2s also tonight. If Madison wins tonight they could go into regional final against Patriot/WestSpringfield with Howat & Kopka vs. a #3. Gotta like the odds there.
Beating Oakton tonight is no gimme--Toma and Richards can both deal, but I don't think either is pitching as well as Lamon right now. Too bad about the rain-Lamon was throwing a no hitter through 3, and Nielsen had given up just 1 hit. It was shaping up to be a great duel, although Madison's grinding at the plate was likely to force Oakton to the bullpen early even without the weather. (already 64 pitches through 3 on Owen) Good luck to both today.
Allinfun posted:...although Madison's grinding at the plate was likely to force Oakton to the bullpen early even without the weather...
This can't be overstated! Well done by the Madison lineup.
I'm surprised given the clearly/consistently bad forecast that both games were not simply moved up an hour or two.
Madison as a team always seems to take a lot of pitches with a clear purpose to burn through the starting pitcher. I do not state this in a bad way; it's a very sound strategy and serves them well.
Per VHSL rules, No pitcher may throw more than 51 pitches over two consecutive days. If a pitcher throws 51 pitches over two consecutive days, one calendar day of rest must be observed. So Nielsen has 28 pitches to work with tonight. They may end up having to burn Howat.
I stand corrected on Nielsen's availabiltiy, thank you rollapairjr. That evens things up for Oakton and the Patriot/WS winner a good deal.
To be clear, I don't think Madison was taking to draw walks, except maybe Counts to lead off the game--but that is his job in that situation and he did it really well. Got on, turned a DP into 2 on-nobody out with a running back move on groundball to 2nd, and had a great dirtball read against a D1 bound catcher to make it 2nd and 3rd with nobody out instead of 2 outs nobody on. Madison battled at the plate, took 26 swings to Oakton's 9. Yes, Counts started the game with a 5 pitch walk, but the next batter got 4 strikes, next 4 strikes. In the 2nd, Freck had a 9 pitch K and Nielsen a 7 pitch walk. In the third Counts a 6 pitch K and Novak a 7 pitch 1-2 flyout. Those last 4 ABs alone are 6 more pitches than the entire Oakton team saw last night in their 7 plate apprearances-they made the pitcher WORK. Tough, quality ABs against a quality pitcher. Impressive to watch, and just as impressive to watch Lamon bow up and win each inning.
I believe that rule interpretation means the pitcher, if he goes over 51, would have to rest the required number of days where he ends up at the end of his outing. He can throw as many as he is able, but they may want to limit and throw him Friday. Since 51 is over two days, you only have to rest one day and not 2 (as if you threw that many in one game).
*If a pitcher throws 51-75 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
*If a pitcher throws 26-50 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
*If a pitcher throws 1-25 pitches in a day no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.
No pitcher may throw more than 51 pitches over two consecutive days. If a pitcher throws 51 pitches over two consecutive days, one calendar day of rest must be observed.
I'm no expert, but reading that, "No pitcher may throw more than 51 pitches over two consecutive days." Looks to me by that Nielsen will be limited to 28-hard stop or forfeit.
Late back and forth affair between Oakton and Madison, with OHS taking it 3-2 on a walk off. Nielsen was able to pitch most of the game, and Howat came into a tough situation that ultimately led to Rippey's walk off sac fly. Seth Richards was pinged by Novak and Goldsmith's back 2 back dingers in the top of the 6th, but held steady over 4 innings for the W.
With Madison joining next year, District 5 will be the most competitive district in the Commonwealth if not the DMV.
WS loses in 8 to Patriot. WS first three batters in the bottom of 7 were completely unprepared to attack the baseball, two batters strike out looking and watched other meatballs, the other a very weak swing ground out to 2b. WS flat and unprepared. Patriot lead off walk (controversy over non called strikes from the WS perspective). Bunt,3b fielding and throwing error, runners now on first and third. One run scored and that was all they needed. Patriot came out energized and it showed. Disappointed in WS - again - way too much talent not being used correctly. Watching pitches, clearly strikes, blaming the Umpires, and then complaining about the called balls and strikes. Coaches throwing baseballs at the umpire after the loss - good grief.
Oakton coaches should be recognized for their perfect handling of some serious gamesmanship by the Madison coaching staff. Presented with a situation where many coaches would have been up in arms, exhibiting the worst kind of example for the players, the Oakton head coach's response was measured, confident, and professional. His confidence undoubtedly played a role in how the Oakton players responded on the field to get the W. You can see how he gets everything out of his players. Leadership clinic.
2forU posted:Coaches throwing baseballs at the umpire after the loss - good grief.
Wait...WHAT????
Coach ejected after the game (not sure how the rules work on this), scream fest, baseballs, & umpire blaming. The baseballs were not thrown like you were trying to bean them, but a handful of baseballs somehow went from hand to and at the umpires walking off the field. Some of fans in the stands should also be ashamed of their behavior. They were still yelling at the umpires in the parking lot - some pride themselves on giving the umpire a hard time when calls do not go their way. 3 of the last 6 batters, game staring you in the face, someone throws you a mediocre belt high fastball in a 1-2 count, you swing (or you can watch the called strike and blame the umpire).
I haven't heard of a post-game ejection for HS baseball.
http://www.novabaseballmagazin...?referrer_id=3240250
Kind of an apologist (pro-Madison) take on the situation, but good summary nonetheless, regarding Madison-Oakton game and "controversy." Still amazed how written descriptions of pitch count limits, given their huge importance, can get so muddled over and over again!
How is a post game ejection handled on the last game of the season (if a post game ejection really exists)? Does it get enforced on the first game of the next season? If it doesn't exist, how are the infractions that preceded the ejection handled (fines / reprimand)?
2forU posted:WS loses in 8 to Patriot. WS first three batters in the bottom of 7 were completely unprepared to attack the baseball, two batters strike out looking and watched other meatballs, the other a very weak swing ground out to 2b. WS flat and unprepared. Patriot lead off walk (controversy over non called strikes from the WS perspective). Bunt,3b fielding and throwing error, runners now on first and third. One run scored and that was all they needed. Patriot came out energized and it showed. Disappointed in WS - again - way too much talent not being used correctly. Watching pitches, clearly strikes, blaming the Umpires, and then complaining about the called balls and strikes. Coaches throwing baseballs at the umpire after the loss - good grief.
As a Spartan parent who watched from behind the backstop last Wednesday (and after a few days to get over the disappointment) this post cries out for some perspective... IMO WS was no less "prepared to attack the baseball" (whatever that is supposed to mean) than Patriot was. The difference --clearly obvious to both Patriot and West Springfield fans near home plate-- was the blatant absence of a consistent strike zone-- The P pitcher ( who is very talented, and did NOT need any special treatment) was given strikes at the shoulders, at the shins, and on both edges.. . certainly no "meatballs" from my vantage point.
If that was the way the game was to be called I'd have no complaint, but the difference when WS took the field was staggering...P took the SAME approach at the plate that WS did--make the pitcher work, but they got the calls .--WS's Lyons threw no fewer than three table-drop curves right down the middle in that critical top of the 8th inning that were not called; one should have been strike 3, and would have changed the entire inning.
The bottom of the 8th was a complete joke--the plate ump made sure who was going to win, and I didn't see any balls thrown at him-- he was too busy beating a hasty retreat for the parking lot for the hot date or whatever he had planned for the evening.... between this incompetence, and the blown pickoff call the night before -- it's a criminal shame for both teams that the level of umpiring is so pathetically beneath the level of play at this time of the season.
I will agree though, that this WS coaching staff consistently accomplishes less with more...the 2016 and 2017 senior classes were loaded, but as teams, they did not approach what their potential indicated.
Congrats to the Pioneers.
WS was loaded? like the '09 and '10 teams loaded? yeah not even close. they were a good team that played above their potential. they won 10 straight, capturing a conference championship (in the toughest conference) along the way, before falling to a more talented Patriot team which WS had on the ropes with a 3-1 lead in the 6th inning. they finished with an 18-6 record but they didn't even approach their potential? was their potential 26-0 with a state title? give me a break, WS had a great year so just be proud of what they accomplished. If you had seen the rest of the teams play this season you would know that Of the 4 conference winners, Patriot, Oakton and Madison were all clearly more talented and WS still had a punchers chance in the end. credit to Coach Olms and the boys on a fine season. it didn't end the way they would have liked but hats off for a good run.
WS was loaded? like the '09 and '10 teams loaded? yeah not even close. they were a good team that played above their potential. they won 10 straight, capturing a conference championship (in the toughest conference) along the way, before falling to a more talented Patriot team which WS had on the ropes with a 3-1 lead in the 6th inning. they finished with an 18-6 record but they didn't even approach their potential? was their potential 26-0 with a state title? give me a break, WS had a great year so just be proud of what they accomplished. If you had seen the rest of the teams play this season you would know that Of the 4 conference winners, Patriot, Oakton and Madison were all clearly more talented and WS still had a punchers chance in the end. credit to Coach Olms and the boys on a fine season. it didn't end the way they would have liked but hats off for a good run.
REPLY:
I would totally agree, i thought you were spot on ROLLAPAIRJR
Let's go Oakton!
WB 3, Oakton 0.
I watched the Oakton game. Well attended. Solid defense and pitching. WB had an emergency hack bloop 2 RBI single that until a sole WB HR, looked like it would be the difference. Oakton hit several mile-high pop-ups and lots of grounders and flyballs.
C'est la vie.
Western Branch 6, Cox 4