Pick which team is the BEST of the BEST
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The team that wins the states in June!!! 
My Six team tournament play would be:
Greenbrier Christian Academy
Menchville
Cox
Indian River
Kellam
Hanover
Greenbrier Christian Academy
Menchville
Cox
Indian River
Kellam
Hanover
All due respect, but I dont see the options on this poll being even close. PVI is not very strong this year at all. If it's statewide, how about:
-Menchville
-Manchester
-West Springfield
-Indian River
-Westfield
-GW
-Greenbrier Christian
-Menchville
-Manchester
-West Springfield
-Indian River
-Westfield
-GW
-Greenbrier Christian
With all due respect to this poll, how can you even begin to say who the best is in this game we call Baseball! Colonial Forge went all the way to the State championship last year with a record of 24-9 straight out of the Districts. Now if you want to say who the top district teams are then we can dance. None of the teams listed in this poll barely play out of their areas or Districts to justify saying they are the best of the best in the state of Virginia and if you are just asking for opinions then let's include all regions, not just the BEACH. 
I agree that Manchester should be in this group. They have a stud (Hauser) on the mound that can beat anyone. Their #2 and #3 are pretty good as well. As for their lineup, Top to Bottom, they hit it as well as any team I've seen in the CR in years.
I agree with Kingjam. Most of us know who the best teams are in our own regions and neigboring regions, but only know the teams in other regions of the states either through knowing some of the kids on those teams from travel ball or from reading about them here or elsewhere. For example, I can tell you who the best teams are in the Northern Region (West Springfield, Westfield, McLean) and Northwest Region (Osbourn Park, Osbourn, Loudoun Valley), and I can tell you that PVI is not very good this year and doesn't belong in this mix at all. But I could only surmise that Hanover is good this year from knowing a couple of stud kids who play on that team, and that Menchville is good this year because of what I've read.
We'll have a better picture once we see how the regional tourneys play out. Until then, trying to pick the top 5 teams in the state is pretty tough, and then when you add in the private schools as well, fuhgeddaboudit...
We'll have a better picture once we see how the regional tourneys play out. Until then, trying to pick the top 5 teams in the state is pretty tough, and then when you add in the private schools as well, fuhgeddaboudit...
Everyone has there opinion on who the best team is in Virginia but i think everyone will agree that Greenbrier Christian and Menchville are definitly in the top 5. Even still in the top 3. Man wouldnt that be a game to watch. Seeing Ethan Carter and Matt Armsted from Menchville Go against the dynamic duo Eddie Butler and Josh Richardson fom GCA. I think the coaches should get together and try to schedule a game. What better place to play at than the Norfolk Tides stadium!
ok so maybe i shoulda thought about putting Paul VI up there but dont under estimate them. They will get on you if the other team isnt playinng their game.
You must not get out of the Tidewater area much. Menchville is better than GCA, but there are many other teams uin the state that can hang with either of those two. GCA schedule is very weak with a semi-tough game every month.
va are you kidding me?? Who did the number one ranked team in the nation lose to? A nobody team. Not only that they did not even get a run. And you said GCA has a weak schedule? Menchville plays nobody! They beat Bethel 2-1 at one point. GCA 10 runned them. Sure Menchville has Ethan Carter but thats one player. He cant beat GCA by his self. GCA has power all through the lineup. 6 or 7 are going D1. What i was saying it would be a good game. And for your personal info, i go all over the State to watch the best teams play. The Tidewater and Beach area is where i live and the competition is much better over here.
i would not count hickory out of the picture. Everyone is talking about Indian River and Hickory beat Indian River with Dean Ali on the mound
va, I must butt in. I must. As far as GCA’s schedule, the AD and coach tried to get some of the best teams in the area and state to play with this year. We even had a tournament here in order to get some great teams to play without traveling out of the area. I see no reason for us to spend thousands of dollars to play NC and SC teams when there is much better talent right here (Tidewater or VA). Weak schedule?? We played Lawrence Academy from NC who was in first place in their district until we beat them 4-2 then 11-0. We did barley beat Hampton Christian, but that was only do to our very very sloppy play. We split with St Anne’s Belfield 3-6 again same day as HC (sloppy) then 12-3 last Saturday. I guess Phoebus and Bethel are no body’s either?? Then there is Kempsville, Princess Anne, Covenant and Nansemond Suffolk all were 10 run and are great teams. Oh, what about Cape Henry, Liberty Christian (both 10 run) and The Steward School 10-5. GCA’s fielding is solid (except for April 4th
), batting over .450 as a team and the pitching can stack up to anyone’s first 5. I won’t say we are Virginia’s best, but like I said early in this blog, those teams we would love to play either because of their rankings and the kids that are on the teams that we know. Just to see that GCA is part of the great teams this year in Virginia is very exciting. One fact, this GCA team is the best out of all the other GCA's team past.
The only true Virginia State Champion would be for all the Public AAA, AA, and A tournament champion's play in a tournament against VISAA D-1, D-2 and D-3 teams tournament champion's. That would be something to see.
), batting over .450 as a team and the pitching can stack up to anyone’s first 5. I won’t say we are Virginia’s best, but like I said early in this blog, those teams we would love to play either because of their rankings and the kids that are on the teams that we know. Just to see that GCA is part of the great teams this year in Virginia is very exciting. One fact, this GCA team is the best out of all the other GCA's team past.The only true Virginia State Champion would be for all the Public AAA, AA, and A tournament champion's play in a tournament against VISAA D-1, D-2 and D-3 teams tournament champion's. That would be something to see.
That tournament would be great if the playing fields were a little more balanced.
VHSL rules restrict many aspects of the public high school teams. This "may" be a huge advantage for the private school teams that strongly encourage and support their athletic teams.
The number of games permitted to play, GPA guidelines, discipline issues and the list goes on.
To say GCA has a great baseball program would be an understatement. Not to mention a Coach with all of his professional baseball experience.
Heck, there are some coaches at the beach that never even played baseball!
Yes, Grasscutter, you can learn the game of baseball and teach the game of baseball, but until you have actually been on the field in a game situation, you can never really explain the game!
Lynn Metheny
VHSL rules restrict many aspects of the public high school teams. This "may" be a huge advantage for the private school teams that strongly encourage and support their athletic teams.
The number of games permitted to play, GPA guidelines, discipline issues and the list goes on.
To say GCA has a great baseball program would be an understatement. Not to mention a Coach with all of his professional baseball experience.
Heck, there are some coaches at the beach that never even played baseball!
Yes, Grasscutter, you can learn the game of baseball and teach the game of baseball, but until you have actually been on the field in a game situation, you can never really explain the game!
Lynn Metheny
quote:Originally posted by coachdoo:
i would not count hickory out of the picture. Everyone is talking about Indian River and Hickory beat Indian River with Dean Ali on the mound
Dean Ali... i've heard his name/ seen it in the pilot often, any details on him?
i've only seen IR at Harbor Park, Ali only pitched an inning or so
Dean has gotten a rep for his pitching, as he was the ace on last year's IR team that went to the State Tournament.
Here is the bio from the IR website:
"Ali finished his sophomore season with a 3.36 ERA, 63 Ks in 60.1 IP, and a microscopic .198 opponents BA. Not only did he pitch the Braves to a victory over the 20-3 Peninsula District Champion Hampton Crabbers in the Eastern Regional & the SED regular season champion Western Branch Bruins in the SED Tournament, the highlight of his season was a dominating performance over Virginia Beach District Tournament Champion Ocean Lakes as he pitched a complete-game 2-hitter, allowing no earned runs and striking out 15 over those 7 innings!
As a batter, Ali earned his way into the lineup toward the end of the regular season. He took advantage of the chance as he finished .308 with 7 extra-base hits in just 39 at-bats, including 2 huge postseason home runs."
He pitches in the mid-80s and works hard at locating and mixing up his 4-pitches. He has drawn every tough opponent (GB twice, Hickory, WB, NR, GF) this 2009 season on the mound and is 5-2 with 2.42 ERA (corrected - didn't included GB game from Fri), however, it is his bat that has taken a tremendous leap this year as a Junior.
He is currently batting .490 with 24 runs, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 11 SB, and 10 BB:4 K ratio in 16 games (49 ABs).
As far as this topic goes... I have to say that I've seen GCA play a couple of times this year and it is clear they can match up with any AAA team in VA. They have 2 D-1 starting pitchers who pitch in the upper-80s and a lineup full of bats. They handled Bethel with ease, with Bethel's ace (Shively) on the mound, and 10-runned Kempsville and Princess Anne... two decent AAA teams in their own right.
Here is the bio from the IR website:
"Ali finished his sophomore season with a 3.36 ERA, 63 Ks in 60.1 IP, and a microscopic .198 opponents BA. Not only did he pitch the Braves to a victory over the 20-3 Peninsula District Champion Hampton Crabbers in the Eastern Regional & the SED regular season champion Western Branch Bruins in the SED Tournament, the highlight of his season was a dominating performance over Virginia Beach District Tournament Champion Ocean Lakes as he pitched a complete-game 2-hitter, allowing no earned runs and striking out 15 over those 7 innings!
As a batter, Ali earned his way into the lineup toward the end of the regular season. He took advantage of the chance as he finished .308 with 7 extra-base hits in just 39 at-bats, including 2 huge postseason home runs."
He pitches in the mid-80s and works hard at locating and mixing up his 4-pitches. He has drawn every tough opponent (GB twice, Hickory, WB, NR, GF) this 2009 season on the mound and is 5-2 with 2.42 ERA (corrected - didn't included GB game from Fri), however, it is his bat that has taken a tremendous leap this year as a Junior.
He is currently batting .490 with 24 runs, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 11 SB, and 10 BB:4 K ratio in 16 games (49 ABs).
As far as this topic goes... I have to say that I've seen GCA play a couple of times this year and it is clear they can match up with any AAA team in VA. They have 2 D-1 starting pitchers who pitch in the upper-80s and a lineup full of bats. They handled Bethel with ease, with Bethel's ace (Shively) on the mound, and 10-runned Kempsville and Princess Anne... two decent AAA teams in their own right.
I wonder what Keaton's numbers for Nansemond River or Thompson's numbers for Western Branch are?
Very true 1943, very true. You guys may as well let sleeping dogs lie when trying to compare public vs private. There is never going to be an even playing field. Not in VA anyway. Ace, there were a couple of GCA teams back in the early 2000's that might put your declaration of this year's team as the best to the test.
GC, my quote was from a old timer at GCA. He's been there for a very long time and has seen all the great teams play. I can only see the last 3 years. Hopefully the rain stays away today for us to get this TCIS tourney underway.
quote:Originally posted by El gato:
I wonder what Keaton's numbers for Nansemond River or Thompson's numbers for Western Branch are?
Nick's numbers are parallel to Ali's but Nick has fewer SB's (6) and his ERA is below 1.00 (0.95). Nick is only a sophomore.
Ace,
I've been around GCA myself for 20 years now. I've seen lots of outstanding players and outstanding teams come thru this program. Your old timers' opinion is just that...an opinion...it may be an informed opinion, but it is certainly not a fact. I think it would be a very good (I guess fantasy) game to see the '01 and '02 kids Grasscutter mentioned play against the current group. I think those teams had the players to surprise you.
Ace, I have no intention to offend you. Josh is quite a fine young man and excellent player. We have appreciated his contributions. We wish him luck at the next level.
Thanks Grasscutter. I read the article on Dan on MILB. We're proud of him and Dexter.
I've been around GCA myself for 20 years now. I've seen lots of outstanding players and outstanding teams come thru this program. Your old timers' opinion is just that...an opinion...it may be an informed opinion, but it is certainly not a fact. I think it would be a very good (I guess fantasy) game to see the '01 and '02 kids Grasscutter mentioned play against the current group. I think those teams had the players to surprise you.
Ace, I have no intention to offend you. Josh is quite a fine young man and excellent player. We have appreciated his contributions. We wish him luck at the next level.
Thanks Grasscutter. I read the article on Dan on MILB. We're proud of him and Dexter.