Playoffs determine 2 and 3 seed. For example.. If EV wins on monday, who ever wins Culpeper and Caroline game are the 2 seed, regardless if they win or lose District finals. The consolation game would determine the three seed.
If EV loses on Monday, then.. The Culpeper and Caroline game is for all the marbles. Because the loser can NOT advance because the consolation game would be against EV who is already moving on. The district finals would determine the 2 and 3 seed.
Yes, moneyball, Finkle was excellent and so was the EV coaching. I admired your turn of phrase ‘past ball.’ Let’s be honest, the lack of hustle in the outfield allowed a runner to score from first base. Yes, Culpeper was out coached. The true coach watched the lack of hustle and sent his runners home. Many people have brought the lack of knowledgeable coaching up. Let’s put it from a spiritual point of view. The smiling blue devil coaches tempted many a parent to cross their palm with coins and what do they have to show for it. A bright uniform and helmet was what they received. Yes, the player’s whose parents paid the coins received optimum playing time. It will not make Culpeper win. To win you must have talent and true educated coaching. Perhaps the parents, who gave in to temptation and paid the coins, should have put the money in private lessons with competent coaches. They would have more to show for it. The kids who have been selected to play college ball did not receive those opportunities from crossing the palms of the devil coaches and certainly, not from their recommendations. It came from true and righteous parents. True parents coach their kids, drive them for lessons, and discourage evil behavior, such as, the example of the familial outfielder who flips off the devil coach and still gets to play. True parents look to the future and not the moment. A true leader can delegate. If the devil really wanted to win, perhaps he would have delegated and utilized the paid coach sitting the bench and assigned a conditioning/workout regimen and a pitching regimen for all the players & pitchers on the team. Then they might be in shape for district. A true coach does not harm kids with 120 pitches at the start of the season which is against all sports medicine research. An educated coach understands how to utilize the left or right handed pitcher against the batter and not just pitch them until they are exhausted. A true coach listens to the players when they are hurt and implements immediate medical management. An educated and knowledgeable coach takes time to know the opposing team and utilize their weakness against them. If the devil really wanted to win, he would not have the top strike out leaders, in the heart of the batting order, or the leader in the district with past balls behind the plate. For your strength comes of your team is up the middle, not the corners, or for paying the coach. The true coach would look at what the college coaches were seeing, learn from them, and utilize the tools of the players selected. A true coach would not spend money on uniforms and hoard the remaining monies. A true coach brings in qualified pitching coaches and instructors as in the days of the old Culpeper teams before the great split. I pray for these sinners, the devils, and those who lost their money to them. They have only themselves to blame for giving into incompetence and temptation. I promise you, moneyball. Their ‘kids’ were not accepted to play ball at the college level. Please join me in prayer…
I don't know where to even begin. Devils as coaches? Abusing pitchers, lack of medical management, money mismanagement, etc., etc., etc.,.... I'm not sure what is more alarming, the posting or the message.
Back to baseball, Courtland beat spotsy 4-3 on a sac fly in btm 7th, can someone say PLAYOFFS
Host field Spotsylvania High
#1 EV vs #4 Courtland 4:30
#2 Caroline vs #3 Culpeper 7:30
Should be a fun playoff
DirtDog is correct in how 2 and 3 seeds are determined for regional. Good luck to all teams
VaBaseballDad- I hope these are not your last post, i have watched both your sons play baseball over the years and both are very good and i wish them both the best of luck in the future at college and beyond I hope to see you around at some games and be safe in your travels..
A question as the season is winding down. Did the season turn out as you thought it would for the battlefield district teams, looking back at the older thread, there was many pre-season predictions, was it what we thought?
My early season predictions.......
1. Caroline, Eastern View or Chancellor
4. Courtland
5. Culpeper
6. King George
7. Spotsylvania
8. James Monroe
FoxDad predictions......
1) Eastern View
2) Chancellor
3) Courtland
4) Caroline
5) Culpeper
6) King George
7) Spotsylvania
8) James Monroe
Zeus's predictions......
1) EV
2) KG
3) Culpeper
4) Chancellor
5) Spotsy
6) Caroline
7) Courtland
8) Jayem
Moneyball predictions......
I was reading the Battlefield blogs mid-season last year and decided to join in for 2013. Interesting predictions, Caroline will be tough as several of their strong JV players moved up to solidify their losses. EV has a strong top 9 and a very good coach but the team drops off from there, they definitely will be competitive and always find a way to win. Chancellor will have a little improvement not much JV growth coming us this year. Culpeper lost 6 seniors and inherited 7 strong juniors, they are deep on arms. King George will be tough without the pitching staff. Courtland is always good but like Chancellor we shouldn't see a large difference. I don't think Spotsy or JM will provide any upsets, pretty much the same team.
I think it will be a battle between Caroline, EV, and Culpeper for the title.
Should be an interesting last season of the traditional Battlefield District.
Religous rants and comparisons are the best, or as some statisticians would call them, allegories. We clearly need more of these, But not before somebody defines a past ball to me. I have seen it in multiple posts. How much time must pass for a ball to be considered a "past" ball?
Originally Posted by The Doctor of Baseball:
Religous rants and comparisons are the best, or as some statisticians would call them, allegories. We clearly need more of these, But not before somebody defines a past ball to me. I have seen it in multiple posts. How much time must pass for a ball to be considered a "past" ball?
Statistically, a "passed ball" refers to a pitch the catcher failed to keep in front of him (vs a wild pitch). Referring to the scenario described earlier it is either an "error" on the outfielder or simply a well hit ball that got "past" the outfielder. Based on the earlier description, it sounds like a "hit" that simply got past the outfielder.
As to early predictions vs how it turned out, I was a little surprised Chancellor didn't make it. They seemed to have this Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde issue -they seemed unstoppable at times, but then also reverted to "rookie" ball. EV finished right where I expected them to.
As to the tournament, I think Caroline has a slight edge in pitching and coaching over Culpeper. Would not surprise me to see Caroline in the finals. Courtland is going to have to play error free ball to beat EV. Otherwise my bet's on EV winning the tournament, Caroline second and Culpeper third.
Gonna try to get up to Spotsy for the championship game Wednesday - assuming the weather holds.
Good luck to all teams!
I have come late to this forum, but really have enjoyed reading everyones posts. I have read other forums on other subjects, and some are not so nice...So I appreciate well put together thoughts on high school baseball. Everyone's early predications were about 50/50. I look forward to the games tonight, and can only pray that this awful spring weather we have been handed does not put a damper on the district playoffs. I wish everyone luck...and hope for great umpiring and good sportsmanship.
BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL SEMIFINALS: Slawson delivers for Devils
BY JIM SWING / THE FREE LANCE-STAR
Frustration had set in for Culpeper third baseman Corey Slawson after striking out twice in three empty trips to the plate.
But with one swing of the bat, he turned it around.
Slawson hit a go-ahead two-RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to lead the Blue Devils to a 3–1 win over Caroline in the Battlefield District semifinals Monday night.
“I was mad that I had struck out,” Slawson said. “But I had runners on and I had to hit them in somehow.”
Culpeper (13–4) faces Eastern View in the district championship Wednesday. Caroline (13–5) will play Courtland in the consolation game.
Ramey Ferrell pitched seven innings, giving up just one run on six hits and striking out four. Ferrell retired 10 of the last 12 batters he faced and worked his way out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on.
“I can’t overstate how good Ramey’s been for us this year,” Blue Devils coach Wes Wimmer said. “He pitched an amazing game.”
Caroline’s Joe Shiflett pitched 6 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and recording 11 strikeouts.
Justin Pitts went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles to lead the Cavaliers on offense.
Culpeper’s J.P. Gorby went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk and Jared Elliot had an RBI single in the fifth inning.
“We’ve been slumping a little bit,” Ferrell said, “so I think we had a little more effort.”
eastern view 4,
courtland 0
A.J. Stead pitched seven shutout innings and recorded a single, triple and two RBIs to lead the Cyclones to a win over Courtland in the first game of the Battlefield semifinals.
“It’s good to be a pitcher and have run support,” said Stead, who picked up his sixth win of the season.
Austin Huff had a single and scored two runs and Justin Gardiner added a run in the fifth inning.
Eastern View’s 17 wins ties a single-season school record set in 2009.
R H E
Culpeper 0000 102 3 3 4
Caroline 0030 000 1 6 0
FERRELL and John Anderson. SHIFLETT, Adam Desjarlais and Ryan Hickman.
R H E
Courtland 0000 000 0 4 0
Eastern View 0200 200 4 6 3
JACOB NEAL and Austin Ricketts. STEAD and Ben Pittman.
The Battlefield District baseball has been unpredictable all season and the playoffs (ie. Caroline vs. Culpeper) seemed to fit that mold. Caroline's Joe Shiflett pitched 6 1/3 innings striking out 11 but he still came out with the loss. Culpeper played good ball with a tight infield that did not let much get through. Congrats to Culpeper second baseman Jared Elliot for excellent play! He was one of the main reasons that Caroline was not able to break that game open!
We have seen some good baseball these last couple of weeks in the district, with strong pitching and defensive performances all around. We should see another day of good baseball before the Battlefield sends three teams off to the region. Good luck tomorrow everyone.
Originally Posted by wscottr:
The Battlefield District baseball has been unpredictable all season and the playoffs (ie. Caroline vs. Culpeper) seemed to fit that mold. Caroline's Joe Shiflett pitched 6 1/3 innings striking out 11 but he still came out with the loss. Culpeper played good ball with a tight infield that did not let much get through. Congrats to Culpeper second baseman Jared Elliot for excellent play! He was one of the main reasons that Caroline was not able to break that game open!
Jared Elliot has been a stud all season at second base! Tough loss for a pitcher with 11Ks and only giving up 3 hits.
Good Luck to the teams today at spotsylvania high
Courtland vs Caroline- 4:30pm - for 3rd seed
Culpeper vs Eastern View 7:30pm-for district championship
As for what i heard last night here are the seedings for regionals
EV will play southside #2 (possibly greenville)
Culpeper will play Bay River #2(New Kent or Warhill)
Battlefield #3 (Caroline or Courtland) will play bay river #1 (Warhill or New Kent)
Bay river #3 (Lafayette) will play (southside #1)south hampton
BATTLEFIELD DISTRICT BASEBALL: Cavaliers earn regional berth
Caroline’s baseball team punched its ticket Wednesday to the Region I tournament, pounding Courtland 17–0 in the Battlefield District tournament consolation game.
Eastern View edged Culpeper 5–4 in 11th innings in the championship game.
The Cavaliers scored 13 runs in the second to decide the contest early. Leadoff hitter Alex Jeter and left fielder Collin Hess both went 3-for-3 and scored three runs to set the pace.
Justin Pitts contributed two hits and drove in four runs.
“This was unexpected,” Caroline coach Frank Dow said. “Our guys made some adjustments from Monday, we’re excited to be going back to the region tournament.”
Caroline (14–5) will visit either New Kent or War Hill on Monday in the Region I first round. Courtland closes its season at 10–12.
R H E
Courtland 000 00 0 3 2
Caroline 3131 0x 17 18 0
ZACH SMITH, Conner Forster (2), Jacob Harris (2) and Tommy Haught. ADAM DESJARLAIS and Ryan Hickman.
Wow! What a long night...what a great game! Since the split of Culpeper schools the cross town rivals have been going at it each other. I may show my age but I felt that Culp was like that old Mr. Schultz cartoon where Lucy kept pulling the football away each time Charlie Brown tried to kick it. Bottom of an extra innings, 2 outs, Culp up by one run, runner on 2cnd, a slow chop ground ball towards first. Culp picks up the grounder throws to first, Game over, Culp wins - Culp wins....but wait...Lucy (the umpire) pulls the ball away and Charlie Brown falls on his back. As Culp is celebrating their win the umpires are in conference and states "foul ball". Wow...next pitch...you guess it, base hit and the game is tied again. You would think the game would correct itself but not tonight. 11 innings - on a bunt - EV wins 5-4. Culp played great, Gorby & Lafin pitched an excellent game, Culp played smart, bunts, steals and appeared victorious until Lucy pulled the ball away.
EPIC- that is the only word to describe last nights game, it what was one of the most emotionally draining game, and a game that a non baseball fan would come to appreciate baseball. Gorby and Lafin pitched great for Culpeper and Finkle and Martinez pitched great for EV. This game had everything if you missed it, hard hits, baserunning, bleeders, diving plays, errors, controversial calls (at 1b and at plate for both sides), clutch hits and strike outs. In a up and down battle all night, probably the play of the game in the top of the 7th culpeper up 3-2, blaine lafin hits a ball in leftcenter gap with a runner at 1b, jordan orndorff full layout dives makes the catch then doubles off the runner at 1b to end the inning, then orndorff leads inning off with a single, steals second then scores on a single from a pinch hit from Stuart Paz to tie the game. Go all the way to the bottom of the 11th score tied 4-4, AJ stead came up singled up the middle, then nate yates was up to sac bunt Stead over when the thirdbaseman (who is one of the best in the area), threw a little high and the ball got away and Stead scored on the play to end it. Best of luck for both teams in regionals.
Below is the Region I baseball tournament schedule for Monday. The regional tournament semifinals are Wednesday and the final Friday, with all games at the higher seed.
Monday quarterfinals
Caroline at Bay Rivers #1 (Saturday's Warhill-New Kent winner), 1 p.m. if game is at New Kent, time TBA if game is at Warhill.
Lafayette at Southampton, 1 p.m.
Greensville at Eastern View, 2 p.m.
Culpeper at Bay Rivers #2 (Warhill-New Kent loser), 1 p.m. if game is at New Kent, time TBA if game is at Warhill.
Wednesday semifinals
Caroline-Bay Rivers #1 winner vs. Lafayette-Southampton winner, time and site TBA
Greensville-Eastern View winner vs. Culpeper-Bay Rivers #2 winner, time and site TBA
Friday final
Wednesday's semifinal winners, time and site TBA
REGION I BASEBALL: Greensville rallies past Cyclones
It was hard for Eastern View pitcher AJ Stead to hold back his emotions after Monday’s stunning 4–3 loss to Greensville in the Region I quarterfinals.
“I really don’t know what happened at the end,” the Cyclones sophomore said. “I was feeling good and throwing strikes. They just started timing me out.”
Stead threw a complete game and struck out 15 batters, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Eagles from rallying with four runs in the final two innings and ending one of Eastern View’s most successful seasons.
The loss also prevented the Cyclones (18–5) from advancing to a fourth meeting with Culpeper in the semifinals on Wednesday. The Blue Devils earned a berth with a 5–3 victory over New Kent.
“When you get to the regionals and the states, everybody is pretty good,” Eastern View coach Daniel Nobbs said. “Greensville did what they had to do and we didn’t. But this one is a hard to take.”
The Battlefield District champions carried a 3–0 lead into the sixth, thanks to a masterful job by Stead and some early run production in the first and fourth innings.
Jacob Jackson and Ben Pittman both drove in runs in the first. Jackson brought Battlefield District Player of the Year Justin Gardiner home with a drive to center. Pittman followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2–0.
In the fourth, Jordan Orndorff doubled to left and scored on Gardiner’s second hit to make it 3–0.
But the Cyclones failed to score in the fifth after loading the bases with no outs. It turned out to be a major shift in momentum.
“Leaving the bases loaded didn’t help us much,” said Stead. “We needed to stay up against them.”
After mustering just one hit off Stead in the first five innings, Greensville (15–6) tied the score in the sixth. Wesley Gilliam delivered the big hit, a two-run double that plated Shyhiem Anderson and Austin Wyatt.
Wyatt, who went the distance like Stead, kept the Eagles within striking distance with his pitching. Then, after Anderson put Greensville ahead with another hit in the seventh, he shut the door on Eastern View’s season by striking out the side.
“Our guys never quit,” Greensville coach Mario Walton said. “We hung around and were lucky enough to get a couple of hits against a very good baseball team.”
R H E
Greensville 0000 031 4 6 1
Eastern View 2001 000 3 7 1
AUSTIN WYATT and Wesley Gilliam. AJ STEAD and Ben Pittman.
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Peavley lifts Devils to win
Charlie Peavley had two hits, including a double, to help Culpeper claim a 4–3 Region I baseball quarterfinal victory at New Kent Monday.
The Blue Devils (16–5) led 1–0 after five innings before scoring four times in the sixth inning to take a 5–0 lead.
New Kent (17–6) scored three times in the bottom of the seventh and brought the potential tying run to the plate before grounding into a game-ending double play.
Ramey Ferrell earned the pitching victory for Culpeper, which will entertain Greensville County in the semifinals Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., with a trip to the Group AA state tournament at stake.
R H E
Culpeper 0100 040 5 7 1
New Kent 0000 003 3 12 2
WARHILL 7, CAROLINE 0
Michael Brumfield struck out 11 Caroline batters and Luke Patterson drove in four runs for Warhill in Monday’s Region I quarterfinal in Williamsburg.
The Lions will visit top-seeded Smithfield in Wednesday’s semifinals.
Caroline’s only real scoring threat came in the sixth inning. Pitcher Joe Shiflett doubled after shortstop Alex Jeter reached on a fielding error to put runners on second and third with one out.
But a double play ended Caroline’s scoring chance.
Shiflett finished the game with 10 strikeouts for the Cavaliers (14–6).
REGION I BASEBALL: Devils reach goal
Through the batting slumps and disappointing district losses of what has been a turbulent season for the Culpeper baseball team, one goal has remained the same: make it to the state tournament.
No matter how far away or far-fetched it seemed, it was always stashed somewhere in the back of the Blue Devils’ minds.
On Thursday night, that goal was achieved.
With a 14–1 pummeling of Greensville in the Region I semifinals, the Blue Devils clinched their first state tournament appearance since 1991.
“We didn’t know or care how realistic it was,” Culpeper coach Billy Mitchell said. “But aim high, right?”
The Blue Devils (15–5) visit Warhill Friday in Williamsburg in the regional title game. The Lions beat Southampton 6–4 in the region’s other semifinal game Thursday night.
Greensville had come off a win two days earlier over Eastern View—the same team that took down Culpeper three times this season.
But from start to finish Wednesday, the Eagles didn’t stand a chance against the Blue Devils. Eagles pitcher Sean Anderson struggled to throw strikes in the first inning and walked four of the first eight batters he faced.
Culpeper catcher John Anderson hit a single to right field that drove in two runs to spark what would be a big inning. Charlie Peavely followed with a double and Zach Crim brought in two more runs with a double to right field.
“Everyone out there is swinging as hard as they can,” Crim said. “Now we’re making contact and the ball is going where it needs to go.”
Four batters later, J.P. Gorby hit the Blue Devils’ third double of the first to cap off a seven-run inning.
Gorby pitched four scoreless innings, recording five strikeouts and three walks. He went 3-for-5 at the plate with two singles, a double, a walk and an sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless second, the Blue Devils ripped off another big inning in the third.
Following a single and a walk, Anderson threw a wild pitch that got past catcher Wesley Gillam. Gorby, who had stolen two bases, scored on the pitch.
While the Eagles struggled to get anything going on offense, their defense was no help either. Two batters later, Peavely sent a booming fly ball into left field that was misplayed and dropped in to score two more runs.
On the next at-bat, Crim hit his second double into left field to score Peavely and give the Blue Devils a comfortable 11-run lead.
After another scoreless inning at the plate on the Greensville front, Culpeper continued the onslaught.
With one runner on, center fielder Blaine Lafin crushed a fastball deep over the center field fence for his third home run of the season. Lafin went 1-for-4 with three walks, two RBIs and a stolen base.
“Putting the ball over the fence is a huge weight off my shoulders,” Lafin said. “What a way to get out of a slump.”
Said Mitchell: “That’s big-time stuff from a big-time player.”
Jermaine Butler relieved Gorby in the fifth and pitched two scoreless innings while recording four strikeouts.
In the bottom of the sixth, Culpeper threatened to pile on to its already massive lead, but left the bases loaded.
When Greensville finally got something going at the plate, it was too late.
Culpeper’s Tyler Wilson walked his first two batters, but came back with a pair of strikeouts for two quick outs.
Another walk followed by a single by Gillam gave the Eagles their first and only run of the afternoon.
Greensville committed eight errors and left nine runners on base, while the Blue Devils had just two errors and stranded nine.
After the win, Culpeper’s Sean Lyte–Risher emerged from the dugout and greeted his manager with a bucket of icy water.
For Mitchell, it was worth it.
“It’s hard for me to describe,” Mitchell said. “It just feels amazing.”
R H E
Greensville 0000 001 1 1 8
Culpeper 7043 000 14 10 2
SEAN ANDERSON, Chris Phelps (4) and Wesley Gillam. J.P. GORBY, Jermaine Butler (5), Tyler Wilson (7) and John Anderson
Congrats to Culpeper..best of luck in states.
STATES tuesday:
Culpeper at Sherando
Woodgrove at Warhill
Bassett at Amherst
Alleghany at Tunstall
Good luck