5a Playoffs Round 2: Colleyville Heritage vs Arlington Martin

Good luck! You don't always hear a lot about Arlington Martin but they have a great program and play really solid baseball. You'll have to beat them, they won't beat themselves.

Colleyville needs to come to with gloves on both hands b/c we all know that if the pressure is on they can kick it around.
Watch out for Kearns and Cox on the mound, and Law in the outfield and at the plate. He can really go!

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger:
Colleyville needs to come to with gloves on both hands b/c we all know that if the pressure is on they can kick it around.
Watch out for Kearns and Cox on the mound, and Law in the outfield and at the plate. He can really go!

Law is a great kid and a very good player but he doesn't start or play very much.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger:
Colleyville needs to come to with gloves on both hands b/c we all know that if the pressure is on they can kick it around.
Watch out for Kearns and Cox on the mound, and Law in the outfield and at the plate. He can really go!

First off, Cox is not even in the rotation. Karns is #1, Turner Thornton is #2. Law is a part time player that gets DH'd for. If there is a game 3, Cox would probably start it...if there is a game three.

This should be a very good series and I agree with vanlandingham, Colleyville could well be the most dangerous 3rd place team in the tournament.

Now, I am not into making predictions. I have only seen Colleyville once this year, but I do know alot about their team.

Martin, well, I have seen them up close several times this year, including beating them once. Karns gets all the pub, but Thornton is the better "pitcher" of the two. Karns will bring it in the 92-96 mph range, but will throw as many balls as strikes. He had 9 K's against us, but had 7 walks.

Player to watch for Martin...2B, Will Keiser. Will is a Junior and bats in the 9 hole. But, he hit .486 in district...which by the way was the highest district average of any player in our district. Plus he led their team in doubles and hit a HR or two. He is like having another leadoff hitter at the bottom of the line-up. When they get to him, they have basically turned their line-up over because CF Shaun Garcia hits lead-off and he is a good one. Keiser was their toughest out in the 2 games that we played them. They had 10 hits total as a team in 2 games, and he had 3, maybe 4 of them.

I will see you all there on Thursday night!

quote:

I will see you all there on Thursday night!

Funnel,

Have you checked with the wife and kids yet?!

Wife is an administrator and is working. I am divorced so kids are with their mom. Wife will go with me on Friday, she loves baseball. She works the radar gun when she accompanies me on scouting trips!!!

FD - You are exactly right - Will K. is a tough out. I know him and the family well - Its good to see him getting some attention for his abilities. By the way he runs a 6.6 60 - so yes he is another lead off hitter. I expect to see him lead off quite a bit in the near future.

Funneldrill,
Easy on the "92-96" range for Kearns maybe a little too generous. Yeah it's heat, but there are sometimes that he's not even in the area code.
Who do you have taking this series???
I think that it will come down to the third and final game. Deleo (I think thats how you spell it) and Lane will def. go out there and battle for Colley. One of them will be stellar this week. But I would almost garauntee NO sweep. So if Cox can give a good game 3 performance for MHS,this series is Martin's for the taking. I don't think the young Kyle Duncan can bail Colley out again. Defense and Pitching are going to win this game.

Keller faced both teams this year, and while the game at Martin was a scrimmage, they still looked great.

There is a reason that Martin is ranked as high as they are, they are a stellar team.

Colleyville can come up and bite you in the you know what. Those kids play hard.

The key to the series is Colleyville's defense. If they can play cleanly, they can beat them. If they boot the ball around like they have in the past, Martin will run over them.

I think Keller played Martin for 10 inning on a blistering cold night on the first night scrimmages were allowed and can't remember one error they gave up. Very solid team.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger:
Funneldrill,
Easy on the "92-96" range for Kearns maybe a little too generous. Yeah it's heat, but there are sometimes that he's not even in the area code.
Who do you have taking this series???
I think that it will come down to the third and final game. Deleo (I think thats how you spell it) and Lane will def. go out there and battle for Colley. One of them will be stellar this week. But I would almost garauntee NO sweep. So if Cox can give a good game 3 performance for MHS,this series is Martin's for the taking. I don't think the young Kyle Duncan can bail Colley out again. Defense and Pitching are going to win this game.

Gunslinger, I hear you on the 92-96. When my people were coming over in between innnings telling me that, I did not believe them. I asked two scouts that were there and they confirmed it! Now, I have seen 92-96 before, and I did not think he was throwing
THAT hard. The games we scouted him earlier in the year, he was 88-91, and topped at 91. Maybe he was throwing that hard, maybe not.

The key to beating Karns is not swing at all the pitches he throws out of the strike zone. Don't get me wrong, he has tremendous ability, but he is still more of a thrower than a pitcher(Karns walked 7 against us compared to Jared Rogers at Duncanville who walked 5 in 54 IP in district...now that's pitching!).

Additionally, the 2 times we scouted him, his curveball was ineffective. That night against us, he threw it for strikes more than I have ever seen him do it before.

As for who is going to win the series, I will keep my opinion to myself and just go out there tomorrow and enjoy what I am sure will be a good game.

It's a long hike but I may have to go to this game.

It is not a long hike for you, it is at Martin at 7pm.

quote:

Originally posted by funneldrill:
It is not a long hike for you, it is at Martin at 7pm.

At my age that 3 blocks is a long hike.

Martin does not get much "play" around here. I guess the DMNews doesn't like Arlington for stealing the Cowboys and keeping the Rangers.

Martin knows play-off baseball, though. Expect them to overachieve.

Don't take this the wrong way, but how does a team that is 24-3, ranked in the top 10 in the state all year, win their district title and gets a 1st round bye, over achieve in the playoffs?

Based on all this, Martin SHOULD win this series. They have a fine ball club and Coach Culbertson does a fine job.

Remember though, Martin has not won a playoff series since 2002. This varsity group lost their only playoff series last year against Coppell. The only player that was on varsity in 2004 was Karns and that team did not make the playoffs.

Key to this series is defense. The team that loses this series will beat themselves.

5sdad you talking about a hike, how would you like to travel to Seminole about 360 miles from Weatherford to play a El Paso team. Thats after playing in San Angleo and getting home around 2:30 a.m. last Sunday.

quote:

Originally posted by funneldrill:
Don't take this the wrong way, but how does a team that is 24-3, ranked in the top 10 in the state all year, win their district title and gets a 1st round bye, over achieve in the playoffs?
.

Good point. Did not mean to implicate Martin was the underdog, just that they play solid baseball and are capable of knocking of teams with highly talented players, like they did last year. It is true that people on the east side of the Metroplex underrate them.

Martin hits the ball really well, but so does Colleyville. Thornton impresses me more than Karns as far as a quality "pitcher." Lane and DeLeo both thro really well and will be fun to watch.

I'm scared to give the nod to either team because they both have such potential to score runs and pitch well.

I think Colleyville is really well coached, but Culbertson knows what the heck he's doing as well.

This is going to be one of the best playoff series to watch this post season.

Turner Thornton gets the start tonight for Martin from what im hearing, who is on the hump for Colleyville?

Martin - 13
Colleyville - 3

In 6 innings.

Heard Colleyville has some major injury problems right now. Tough spot to be in.

quote:

Originally posted by KellerDad:
Heard Colleyville has some major injury problems right now. Tough spot to be in.

Yes I think their #1 & #2 pitchers are out and they will start Kyle Duncan the Soph. tomorrow against Karns.

Colleyville is in a tough spot...
Matt Lane is out right now with Mono
Steven DeLeo had a collision with center fielder Randall Thorpe in practice wensday and DeLeo broke his nose in three different places and a grade two concussion. We will see if Deleo will play tomorrow, not sure yet.

C-Ville Dad,
Really HATE to hear that about Lane and Deleo. You always want to compete with your best squad on the field but times like these open up opporutunities for others to come through. Duncan sure answered the bell last time out. That experience should serve him well going into tonight.

Good luck to you guys - go get 'em.

First off Lane needs to suck it up!
The only way that Duncan can beat Martin is by throwing knuckle balls. Last night proved to most of the area that if you don't bring total smoke, Martin is going to rip the **** out of the fastball.

Gunslinger - Obviously you have never seen Lane throw. Competing is what he is all about. If he can't go, then he can't go. ******* it up is not the issue. This kid would run through a brick wall.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger:
First off Lane needs to suck it up!
The only way that Duncan can beat Martin is by throwing knuckle balls. Last night proved to most of the area that if you don't bring total smoke, Martin is going to rip the **** out of the fastball.

No offense, but that was JV pitching that Colleyville was forced to throw last night. That fastball (and I use that term loosely) was not even 75mph and the curveball was as flat as the bleachers that I was sitting on right behind home plate. Not to mention that every one of the 4 HR's Martin hit, the pitch was belt high right down the middle of the plate.

Not the kid's fault that was throwing, but when you have the injuries that Colleyville has, that happens. Coach McDougal has done a great job this year. If I were in his shoes (and I have been) is to tell those kids that the reason why baseball is so great is that today we have another chance and the score is 0-0!

YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!!!

Let me say a couple things:
1. I might have not given Lane enough credit for the way he competes....and that's my bad. BUT!
2. I have seen Lane throw, against SGP in round one @ Colleyville.
3. What was the reasoning behind K. Duncan not being able to go on a Thursday after pitching on a Saturday night????? I hear he was still sore....??? Not sure if that's totally correct, but 5 days should be plenty of time for a high school SOPHOMORE!

I want some explaining please....

Martin in two games. Enough said. And Martin isn't all that good (relative to the top teams in state). North Texas is weak on solid teams this year - as a whole... there are some good ones, but not like usual.

Bottom of one and it's 4-0 Martin.

I'm leaving work and will update more later if I can.

Broken nose in three places and a class 2 concussion and you tell him to "Suck it up"??????


No way a doctor is going to release him to play. Dang, even if he was a major leaguer he'd be on the D/L

quote:

Originally posted by 5sdad:
Bottom of one and it's 4-0 Martin.

I'm leaving work and will update more later if I can.

Recap.......Colleyville scored 4 in the bottom of the 1st and they are in the top of the 3rd now tied 4-4. Not sure who is pitching for Colleyville but 5 said it was some lefty not Duncan.

Middle of the 6th - Martin 6 Colleyville 5

Rumor has it Colleyville won 9-6. Where's the next game?

Paper had it listed at UTA at 1pm but I know sometimes these things are fluid.

Now who is throwing for colleyville deleo or another middle schooler? Deleo needs to toughen up and get a win for colleyville. Nothing against him but if he competes like everyone says we'll see.

Deleo pitched for colleyville today and picked up his 9 win on the season. Deleo gave up 5 hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 7 (three coming from Karns...). Though in the 3rd and Fourth innings Deleo seemed to strugle and ended up walking 7 on the game, but only gave up four runs. Colleyville advances and will be playing Keller. Should be a great series!

Colleyville - 13
Martin - 4

quote:

Originally posted by Diablo con Huevos:
Martin in two games. Enough said.

Good call, jackleg.

quote:

Coach McDougal has done a great job this year.

Agreed.