Central Region 2011

EH,
In terms of the Dominion district, I see it shaking out this way. Lots of opportuninites for pitchers to step up on their respective teams. The Distict lost a lot of pitching talent from last years senior class. Almost every team lost an ace pitcher except James River. My predictions were all correct last year, so I'm taking another shot at it this year. Here they are in order.

1) James River - abundance of young talent, and some senior leadership. They have a senior newcomer (transfer) to the team who has a baseball scholarship to Elon. They are deep everywhere, and they will win the District for the next two years. They have a lot of choices with pitchers Kirby, Roberts, and Parnell who all pitched in varsity games last year. James River will be last years Manchester, so I'm not sure if they will see anybodys best pitcher all year long.

2) Cosby - lot of talent, but not sure about the number and quality of starting pitching. My understanding is Carpenter moved away. Lowery is a proven coach who can get the best out of his players. Luke Lowery may be behind the plate which may help that pitching staff develop and feel at ease. Cosby graduated D1 pitcher (Mooney to Davidson) so there are big shoes to fill there, as well as Shifflet (UVA) in CF who raised havoc on the base paths. Cosby has some proven returning starter bats with Lowery, Hamlet and Perry

3) Manchester graduated 3 D1 players including their pitching ace (Morrison, Cujos and Ayers to VCU). Senior Ben Florence will need to step up to become the ace at Manchester, and they still have senior stud Augie Ayers in MIF.

4) LC Bird only graduated their pitching ace and DH (Connor Kaufmann to D1 Cornell) as well as CF Sean Belcher. That means senior pitchers Nick Conner, Hunter Lohr and possibly Vernon Vaughn will need to step it as well as MIF Nick Matty. Bird has some bats with Bryce Harmon and the others mentioned here.

5) Clover Hill graduated ace pitcher Nick Santalucia who is at D3 CNU, and Josh Reavis at D1 Radford who was both primary catcher and part time pitcher last year. Pitchers is a question mark. I'm not sure who will be the primary pitchers at Clover Hill in 2011.

The #3,4,5 teams are going to be fighting it out for the middle of the pack and seeding for the District tournament.

6) Monacan graduated many seniors including their ace (Will Bayse), and team leader Logan Staib. Monacan has junior Jalen Carter who may be able to some noise at the plate.

7) Midlothian was young last year, so they may have some guys step up and surprise some teams.

8) George Wythe - Usually not a factor in district games.

Last years district tournament had a few surprises as James River was knocked off by Monacan and LC Bird knocked off top seeded Manchester. Sometimes, you just never know!

Pretty good assessment.

Hanover is going to be stout. And all indications point to them being stout for a long time. Childress, Zona, Lowry on the hill (among others) plus a fundamentally sound defense will give them a chance day in day out.

I just found out that Varina just had their entire field renovated. The county apparently spent a fortune fixing the place up. Could the Blue Devils be this years version of last year Henrico team? Poh will pitch and hit. Epps is solid in the middle infield and swings it lefty. And he can eat up innings on the hill. They also got a transfer from New Kent, Carpenter (I think) that rumor has it has some legit bat speed and pop. He's built sort of like a Mac Truck! I'd love to see my Alma Mater get back to the regionals! I have to admit that I am a Blue Devil, Class of 1997!

Rich Prado
www.playinschool.com

A note about James River -- Kirby and Roberts are the pitchers who get all the headlines, but the staff runs much deeper than just the two of them. Kirby is a UVA commit (88-90 mph lefty with a very sharp knuckle curve) and Roberts (87-91 mph soph RHP) could conceivably be an Aflac All American in 18 months. They also have 2 bullpen-oriented guys in Tyler Carrico and Kit Scheetz, each well capable of giving 2-3 closing innings each game with mid/upper 80's fastballs and some of the nastiest breaking stuff around. And you still have senior lefty Nick Parnell, who can both start and relieve, and who is getting some pretty solid collegiate looks, too, especially since developing a lower angle delivery.

Carrico had to spend last spring on JV recovering from a back problem and Scheetz missed the season with a knee injury, so you guys haven't seen these guys yet, but trust me, they would be top arms on any other team. Parnell is going to be a 4th year varsity guy, so he's going to bring solid maturity to a staff that otherwise is really very young. So you're talking about one team with 5 arms who could each be the top arm on some teams.

I have questions about their defense, though the new SS arrival should help with that. With their pitching and their hitting I think it'll be tough to knock them off. You'd have to bring your A game on a day when the starting pitcher had a bad outing. But as we all know, that can happen. It did happen to Manchester twice in the past two seasons, so people just have to come to play tough and see how the games shake out.

I was interested in Fenway's comment about James River not seeing anyone else's top arm. Did coaches concede to Manchester last year and then try to win their other game each week? I know some have done that from time to time, but in my experience it's more common that teams throw their best against the best, if only to build the team attitude that "we will back down to no one." I cannot imagine, e.g., Tim Lowery going into any game without putting his very best lineup on the field; the only time I've ever seen him not do that was when someone had a disciplinary issue going on.

As to L.C. Bird, let's face it, that program has a history of contagious attitude problems, and the revolving door at the coach's office hasn't helped any. Conner has all the talent in the world, but by the end of last year he was really struggling, and unfortunately this year he has had to deal with the untimely, wholly unexpected and tragic passing of his father as well. I just don't know how that's going to work out on the field and frankly, I just hope the kid's life is OK off the field. (There are things more important than baseball.)

The player to watch on that team is sophomore Bryce Harmon. That kid is a decent pitcher, but truly gifted as a lefty hitter. He has it in him to be special if he keeps himself on the right path the next 3 springs. Unfortunately it may be college level before he gets to play for a winner, so he needs to keep his sites on his long term goals. I know he plays for the Richmond Braves so hopefully that'll help keep him on track.

My best guess for order of finish for the Dominion would be:

1. James River
2. Cosby
3-6 -- Clover Hill, Monacan, Midlothian and Manchester neck and neck, no way to project which ones edge out the others
7. L.C. Bird
8. Wythe

Midlo,

Thanks for the intell on Carrico and Scheetz. I didn't realize they were that high on the pitching list. Yes, Kit's curve is filthy and he had an ACL issue last year. Their defense will be fine. JR has an established and experience catcher in Lawless. The battery will be their strength this year.

We're going to disagree on LCBird, but that is fine. Your right about Harmon, he can hit with anyone. I think Bird will be fine this year. Not at the top but not at the bottom.

Yes, I think most teams played 'possum with Manchester last year. We remember different things, because I don't remember Mooney (Cosby) pitching against Manchester. I recall just about every team pitching their #2 gainst Manchester.

Let's catch up at a game.

Everything comes in waves. There is a lot of young talent entering the ranks this year in several of these schools. Of course many of them won't see Varsity time for awhile, but it bodes well for the futures of these programs.

Matoaca - There was a lot of young talent on the JV last year. Another chunk coming in this year. So in will be fun to watch in the next couple of years.

LC BYRD - There are two potential game changers that played JV last year. If these kids keep getting quality competition to play against and good instruction, they have the potential to be something else. One of them has to be one of the fastest kids I've seen in a LOONG time. Solid stick with good (potential for great power) and super solid behind the plate..and an absolute cannon for an arm. I hope he gets his chances. Honestly with someone willing to put the work in, he projects even better as a standout pitcher. Another really good prospect coming up this year..hope he gets his chances.

THOMAS DALE - lots of young players coming up the pipe. Like other young players a lot will depend on growth and working to their potential. Several very strong kids that were JV last year, and another group coming up this year. Potential there for several kids to be forces on the mound, in the field and especially at the plate. A couple of the 8th/9th graders coming up already have HR power now as young kids and both project to be big strong kids.

I get excited seeing the kids I've coached start hitting the local HS baseball ranks...makes me feel old..but worth it I'd have to say.

It should be fun to watch in the next few years, that's for sure.

CT and ALL, I do enjoy reading you all's analyzations. The couple of you I know on this thread, you all definitely have the knowledge of these teams. I further agree it will be fun to watch and see all the programs grow and send off some great quality of talent to the next level.

The only program I have a good amount of knowledge on is Midlo. Having a son in the program going on his 3rd year has been a constant challenge. Three coaches and 2 AD's in three years will challenge any program. But in one of the most competitive districts in the state compounds the amount of pressure put on the kids, parents, coaching staff and faculty. I am hoping they just get it right.

Midlo will again face challenges with experience on the varsity. IF... all of the returning seniors come out and make it, (there are just 5), and only two were constant starters. Barto and Weiss. Weiss has just suffered a season ending injury to his shoulder during wrestling. Amongst the 8 possible returning juniors, Poe will definitely have to step up as the man behind the plate. However I'm sure Griffin would like to use his arm in the rotation, so that will definitely make room for another underclassman to step up and gain some valuable experience.

I am looking to Poe and Bastaich to lead the team this year at the plate as they both came off good summers with their legion team. Bastaich and Barto in the Middle infield should be a good tandem to watch. Junior Austin Joseph will hopefully have a strong season pitching and in the OF. With the concern of depth and experience Griffin will have to depend on some of his sophomores to step up, make the varsity transition and hopefully emerge as quality players at this level. They have 11 players off the JV from last year who ended a good season at 13-7.

Some of the names to watch for this year and in the future are; Jacob Moore, he's a tremendous hustle player who will play where and whenever he's needed. He's strongest in the MI but could transition to 3rd to round out a solid defense. Jordan Smith has tremendous speed and ball tracking ability in the OF and led the JV in steals and OBP last season. Dell Fuller if healthy again would be a good addition as a lefty in the pen. And Zack Ayoub (Freshman) has an excellent bat with pop and another young arm with good velocity already.

I think immediately it will be another year of learning and growth for the Midlo boys, but 2012 thru 2014 they should become a much more competitive program in the district, barring injuries or more kids moving schools and more coaching rotations.

It will be exciting though to watch.

Who took over the head job at Midlothian?

As to that program's recovery, believe it or not things can turn around very quickly if the right ingredients are there. Even as tough as it was on them last year, they had a lot of young guys get a lot of experience. What you hope is that those guys get better while the competition level stays the same. At the end of last year they played some top teams nip and tuck. What you hope is that you're at that tipping point where maybe you can notch a few wins, remember your confidence and get on a roll.

It would help if you had one premium arm develop to help you win at least once/week, and to take on tough teams come playoff time. Unfortunately from your note I don't see one identified. But again, there are lots of historical precedents for teams turning the standings upside down in a short period of time. Things tend to ebb and flow depending on who's where, when. Just remind your son to keep a stiff upper lip and not let the roof cave in on his whole year, his whole team and his whole HS experience.

Adam Griffen is taking over at Midlothian. He was at Varina for the last 2 or 3 years. He teaches at Matoaca I believe and must have been driving 100 miles a day from home to school to Varina and back home everyday. Much better situation for him to be at Midlo.

He works hard and provides the kids every opportunity to improve their game.

And his older brother was RHP for the Tribe when I was a freshman.

Rich
www.playinschool.com

MIdlo Dad,

Adam Griffin was selected out of 6 candidates this summer. He teaches at Manchester and has coached Varsity Volleyball and baseball at Varina the past 3 years. He was out there with us for the fall Wood bat league and showed good support. He seems to have a good grasp of the game and possesses a good strategic posture. I pushed the 18U team to play 16 games this fall as he and I felt that the Midlo boys needed the most experience playing together after the dismal season in 2010. It was mostly juniors and sophomores in the fall, so a lot of experience and confidence was gained. I am hoping those players can pick up where we left off in the fall and bring the rest of the team online.

You hit the nail on the head with having at least ONE premium arm. We have 5-6 decent arms with potential, but we have to re-instill that confidence and poise that the legendary Coach Moody demanded of his players back in his championship years. You know what I mean, the same aura that your sons team the last couple of years @ River had about them. Or you could transfer Carrico back or a couple others that we have lost to River and Cosby over the past 3 or 4 years. LOL

But seriously, I appreciate your words of advice with Jordan, he has a great love for the game and works hard. He sets high goals for himself and I think he really loves playing. Take care Midlo Dad, I know your season down at Wake has just started, so I'm sure you will be traveling a lot to soon. Have a great weekend.

PIS,

Yeah, he has mentioned his brother and also that he graduated with Vick over in the beach area, and then followed him to VT. He seemed to really show a concern for the young boys this fall. I just don't want to see the boys give up on the program. Leadership is a rare but very important quality to have on and in a team. We will see how we fare in a few weeks and months to come. Take care PIS...

I know Ayoub and Moore personally. Both great kids. Moore is Mr.Hustle that's for sure...and not shy on or off the field.

I'll have to catch a Midlo game to see those guys and talk with 'em, it's been awhile.

The central region overall will make a statement. There seems to be alot of discussion around the West End teams, but, like alot of you are saying, teams like James River, Cosby, and others are just as loaded over here, if not more, and there is some pretty good coaching also. I got a chance to see some of them play this past season and they are very impressive.

I think for two years Manchester has gotten a free pass from their District Rivals top pitchers.
Coaches picked their battles and in Cosby's case they avoided letting Manchester see their best pitcher until the end.
The Cosby team was the battle most teams picked and week in and week our they saw each team's ace.

In the end for two years I think it worked in their favor ....two years ago- District Tournament Champions...last year Tournament Champs AND Regional Champs...that was a result of talent but also very good coaching and exposing the team to the best pitching in the area all year long

I think views of Dominion are pretty accurate.

The way the District is structured now...Midlothian,Monacan, and Clover Hill on the downside- all three have new coahces i believe and almost no returning starters

James River being clear favorite with some young talent coming of age- the addition of a good player from NC and i understand a dominican who has showed up

Manchester and Cosby pretty even but behind JR with Cosby havingan edge on experienced pitching with some depth

Bird with alot up in the air and some big shoes to fill, althiugh a couple of returning experienced pitchers

Cosby has 3 position players returning from a final 4 state championship conender with # pitcher that played a huge role in that championship run. The funnel is likely to be full of players who hae been waiting their chance to play a role.

Given the number of struggling teams pitching in regular season can be handled without too much depth

Come tournament time it has to be hard t0 bet against the coaching and strategiizing of Cosby's veteran coach. Two years in a row Cosby has existed in a District with a Manchester program that may have had more talent- on the mound and in their batting order than any team in the state- but ended up holding the big trophy when itb was all said and done...amazing

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
EH,
In terms of the Dominion district, I see it shaking out this way. Lots of opportuninites for pitchers to step up on their respective teams. The Distict lost a lot of pitching talent from last years senior class. Almost every team lost an ace pitcher except James River. My predictions were all correct last year, so I'm taking another shot at it this year. Here they are in order.

1) James River - abundance of young talent, and some senior leadership. They have a senior newcomer (transfer) to the team who has a baseball scholarship to Elon. They are deep everywhere, and they will win the District for the next two years. They have a lot of choices with pitchers Kirby, Roberts, and Parnell who all pitched in varsity games last year. James River will be last years Manchester, so I'm not sure if they will see anybodys best pitcher all year long.

2) Cosby - lot of talent, but not sure about the number and quality of starting pitching. My understanding is Carpenter moved away. Lowery is a proven coach who can get the best out of his players. Luke Lowery may be behind the plate which may help that pitching staff develop and feel at ease. Cosby graduated D1 pitcher (Mooney to Davidson) so there are big shoes to fill there, as well as Shifflet (UVA) in CF who raised havoc on the base paths. Cosby has some proven returning starter bats with Lowery, Hamlet and Perry

3) Manchester graduated 3 D1 players including their pitching ace (Morrison, Cujos and Ayers to VCU). Senior Ben Florence will need to step up to become the ace at Manchester, and they still have senior stud Augie Ayers in MIF.

4) LC Bird only graduated their pitching ace and DH (Connor Kaufmann to D1 Cornell) as well as CF Sean Belcher. That means senior pitchers Nick Conner, Hunter Lohr and possibly Vernon Vaughn will need to step it as well as MIF Nick Matty. Bird has some bats with Bryce Harmon and the others mentioned here.

5) Clover Hill graduated ace pitcher Nick Santalucia who is at D3 CNU, and Josh Reavis at D1 Radford who was both primary catcher and part time pitcher last year. Pitchers is a question mark. I'm not sure who will be the primary pitchers at Clover Hill in 2011.

The #3,4,5 teams are going to be fighting it out for the middle of the pack and seeding for the District tournament.

6) Monacan graduated many seniors including their ace (Will Bayse), and team leader Logan Staib. Monacan has junior Jalen Carter who may be able to some noise at the plate.

7) Midlothian was young last year, so they may have some guys step up and surprise some teams.

8) George Wythe - Usually not a factor in district games.

Last years district tournament had a few surprises as James River was knocked off by Monacan and LC Bird knocked off top seeded Manchester. Sometimes, you just never know!

I heard that Nathan Kirby has a sprained ankle and will be out for at least 2 weeks to start the season.

Thanks for the update Baseballfan 21, and welcome to HSBBWEB. I heard the same about Kirby, but I don't think it will change the District outcome much as I still think JR is loaded, deep and young.

As MidloDad pointed out they have also have Carrico and Scheetz in their pitching depth chart. So they are still 4 deep on starting pitchers with their ace sidelined for a few weeks. IMHO the only team that can beat JR this year is JR, and they already know that.

Does anyone know if Jordan Boze from Lee-Davis has decided where he will play college ball?

Kirby HAD a sprained ankle. He'll catch up his conditioning with plenty of time to spare before the regular season starts. Not to worry.

quote:

HSBBWeb

Good assessment on Dominion with 1 disagreement I believe L.C. Bird will be better than people believe and can compete with James River only because they are deeper in pitching this year than last year. They return essentially 8 starters counting Harmon as a starter (he's that good) they have the bats to go with it and they have dedicated this season to Conner's father. To midlo you are correct about the attitude problem at Bird in past seasons but those day's have gone with coach Nicely he doesn't take anything and even suspended players for showing up late or whatever the players like to to play for Nicely. There is not one attitude player on the team. They may not be as talented as James River but they are a different type ball player they truly wear there emotions on their sleeves and believe they can compete with anyone hence making it to the District championship last season. They are confident and believe they can win. Conner has been clocked at 95 mph and Harmon is getting it up there around 90 the other two pitcher throw in the mid to upper 80's. Just don't count this bunch out.

quote:

Originally posted by a6403:
..Conner has been clocked at 95 mph...

Come on, man!

quote:

A6403....(Bird) can compete with James River only because they are deeper in pitching this year than last year.

I share your enthusiasm about Bird, but I disagree with your statement. The difference is that JR has proven pitching from last year. Bird has two pitchers that were not the primary pitcher last year. Bird had one primary pitcher, and alternated on the second starter because they were not getting the results they wanted. Also, I understand Nick Matty is not with the team this year. He was an all-district selection at 2nd base. His bat and glove productivity will be missed. I'll stick by my 3-5 district regular season finish for Bird. They have to prove they can do it evey year, and it is just not there in their body of work. But watch out for Bird in the district tournament. The last two years they knocked off higher seeds to advance to the championship.

As for your "clock", you may want to check it, re-calibrate it or wind it. That is something I would have to see to believe. If you're right, the games will be crowded with radar gun toting MLB and college scouts.

I'm very glad to see that Bird is dedicating their season to the memory of Mr Conner. He was a good man, and loved to watch his boys play baseball.

I saw Conner 92 this time last year, though he ground down to around 86-87 by the end of May.

It's not unheard of for a kid to gain 3 mph between junior and senior year, so touching 95 is not out of the question. Haven't seen it myself, but it doesn't strike me as unbelievable.

I wish that kid the best. He's had some tough breaks and it'd be great to see him bring some excitement to LCB. And if he could hold at 90+ all spring, he strikes me as "signable". He will have to bring it every time he takes the hill to get to that point, though.

quote:

Reply

you are correct that Nick Matty will not be playing this year. They did have a couple of JV ball players from last year move up that have better gloves, I don't believe they will hit like Matty. The 95 mph was 3rd person, told that the kid worked hard in off season working out. The only reason why I believe they can play with JR is they have faced their best pitching along with the tough pitching last year (Mooney,Morrison). I don't believe they will be intimidated by anyone that takes the hill. As far as Cosby Bird played well against Cosby last year and could have won both regular season games. I just figure with what Cosby lost would be the determining factor for this year

quote:

Originally posted by Emanski's Heroes:
Does anyone know if Jordan Boze from Lee-Davis has decided where he will play college ball?

Jordan has not committed anywhere yet are you interested

Hopefully Bird will challege JR and other teams. I think on pitching the loss of their no. 1 gguy is huge. Lcb didnt "play cosby close" ...CK pitched a gem and Bird lost 1-0.
Vs Mancnester in the tournament Morrison dominated them then made an ill advised. Pitcvhingg change and manchestyer imploded...i remember Lancers tnrowingg tyhe ball all over the field.

All this about Conner tnrowing 90 or 95 is great ....but he was mostly at ss and never put together more than 2 or 3 innings whe he made an appearance. Can be a touggh closer and ligght up a gun..will have to become more off a pitcher and less off a thrower if LCB is ggoingg to make a run.

Losingg Jeff is terrible...have seen him watcvhingg his boys since they werte little and playingg for Salem Church. He was a dedicated father and Skyhawk fan.

I think it is ...
JR,Cosby,Manchester...then LCB....then monacan,midlo,clovber hill

Alot of talk about JR...but there was alot of talk about Lancers last year that was loaded as they were tyhe year before that...will be interesting to see iff they are as good between the lines as the seem to be on paper

CK did pitch a gem in the 1st game but if you remember Mooney had to pitch himself out of 2 different jams in the 1st game. Bird had runners on 2nd and 3rd twice and were thrown out at the plate, also Vernon Vaughn hits a ball off the very top of the fence and comes back in. The 2nd game at Cosby Bird completely fell on their face,
up 8-1 after 5 innings and loose 9-8. So in my mind they did play Cosby close. I already know what your thinking though close isnt good enough. I think Bird will be able to use Conner in closing situations now that Harmon is back for this year and healthy and Vaughn and Lohr will give them innings, I just dont think from what I saw last year Cosby's pitching, maybe someone moved in or something I just dont see them as strong as last year.

Yeah i think Cosby will be down this year too. Very young team. JR will probably run away with it. They may even make run toward state title.

Cosby (a) draws from an area rich in baseball talent, and (b) has a coach who gets the most out of his team every year without fail. I never count them out. It's hard for me to imagine them having a season where they don't finish first or second, this year or any other year.

I wonder how many Cosby and James River players are transfers for "center based concentration"? The IB program at Midlo is a huge draw for athletes...NOT

I am goingg to guess and say 1 - 2 on each team. If you are implying either team uses those programs to develop their athletic programs i do not think they
Dont know what happened at midlo last year but i knew some of the kids and felt they had enough talent to do better than 0-20
Apart from cross country midlothian hasnt had alot of succees with athletics lately.
With baseball dont have to go back too many years and they were competi g for district championships under longtime coach Moody.

The key to Midlothian's run of success was having one ace pitcher for several years in a row. Matt Edwards could dominate a game as well as anyone, and it's a crying shame his Legion coach got him hurt (TJ surgery) so that his years at VMI were hindered. Tyler Wilson's career at UVA demonstrates what his talent level was then and now.

Midlothian has had a succession of guys who all look pretty much the same -- tall righties throwing low 80's. All varsity level guys, but none of them have dominated. And they could use a little variety so that if you hit one guy, they have a different look to bring at you.

Even with that, 0-19 is absurd. That should never have happened. It suggests to me (though I have no knowledge, just suspicion based on experience) that the problem was more in the attitude department. And once that takes root, it can take a housecleaning to get it completely gone.

The typical problem involves a lot of people who all think they know best, all carping in 100 different directions. With a new coach this year, hopefully it'll be someone who is willing to cut talent if it brings too much baggage, someone who's willing to boot someone off the team when the situation calls for it, someone who rewards grinders and benches those who are consumed with self-importance.

I'm not saying you can vie for a championship in your first year, but if you just throw strikes and bust your butt between the lines -- especially on defense -- you should win at least 40% of the time. To climb from there you need talent. But 0-19 is just ... indicative of deeply rooted problems.

No onnes legion coach got them hurt...that is a horrible accusation to make

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
My take on Midlo's issues...compared to other high profile schools like James River and Cosby, the talent level is lower (no emminent college players on the squad), plus they are extremely young, plus I don't believe many of them even play on travel ball teams. 3 players from last year's squad are not playing this year, 2 quit, 1 got hurt. Last year, in my opinion, the coaching was subpar, surprising since he came from JR. From what I heard, they did nothing but take about 10 cuts in the cage and play a scrimmage game almost every day..very lazy in my opinion, no practicing, drills, strategies etc. The good news this year is that the new coach is working them hard, 3.5 hour practices, lots of drills, lots of running, busting heads for non performance or slacking off. This will make them better, no doubt. However, the talent is what the talent is, and so is the youth...a several juniors and sophomores will lead the team. I do not think they can compete with JR and Cosby or Powhatan, and will struggle against manchester and bird, but be competitive i think. We'll see, but i think they are somewhat weak in pitching (compared to JR and Cosby) and not real strong in hitting this year...again, the good news is that they are young, have an energetic coach who pushes them, so hopefully there will be a payoff in 1-2 years..unfortunately JR is also strong this year and fairly young, so it won't get easier...and for Midlo's glory years, Tyler Wilson was great, but he also had some D1 players on the team with him (cerreto in minors now, and ryan mallory at UR).

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
No onnes legion coach got them hurt...that is a horrible accusation to make

except that midlo is right. I remember that run and the overuse and subsequent injury on the field to edwards at the world series. If memory serves the Duty kid was damaged goods by the time it was over as well.

Might be a tough pill to swallow but it happens to be the truth.

I was not suggesting any recruiting, just some self deprecating humor. Midlothian lost 2 payers to JR and 1 to Maggie Walker, but Tyler Wilson was an IB student, a transfer from Clover Hill, an excellent student who continues to prove if you work hard enough, you can be a great student and a great athlete.

Midlothian did lose some close games last year that would have pulled the % up to be in line with what MidloDad stated. Midlothian nearly upset Cosby at Midlo and nearly upset Manchester at Manchester....no, neither opponent threw their #1 ace, but Manchester only scored 4 runs on that little field, including 1 that came in on a dropped routine fly ball.

I have known the guy that coached that team for many years. He has loggged thousands of hours volunteering his time to help the youth of chestrefield county...from 5 years old and up. Would never do anytyhing to hurt a kid..in fact has a very. Strong record of helping kids.
He is a tremendous individual and lots of people have nothing but respect for him.
To say a "coach hurt a kid" is wrong.
Very serious accusation.
Both those kids left one of the finest school in the country not as "damaged goods" but as young men with bright futures.
Certainly we live in a culture where people love to point fingers and place blame...in this case as most it is in many it is underserved and way off base

Back to the topic at hand......

Richmond Times Dispatch came out with their preseason rankings. For the first time EVER, I think the RTD may have something that I can mostly agree with. I think you'll see Deep Run move up the rankings.

1. James River
2. Godwin
3. Atlee
4. Hanover
5. Dinwiddie
6. Cosby
7. Deep Run
8. Manchester
9. Matoaca
10. Lee-Davis

Was this ranking part of a larger baseball preview by chance?

No, but there was a nice story on the James River v. Godwin game, which JR won 8-0.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/...ning-day--ar-905837/

I guess the "preview" will run later this week, or maybe next week. They usually like to clear basketball season completely before they run it.

quote:

To say a "coach hurt a kid" is wrong.
Very serious accusation.

Yes, very serious, also undeniably true with respect to Matt Edwards' situation. What happened there should never have happened. The coach should not have let it happen and Legion rules should be fixed to prevent its ever happening again.

I'm sure the coach is a wonderful guy who feels very badly about this. He got caught up in the moment, just a few games away from a national championship and hoping against hope it would happen. It's an object lesson for the rest of us.