District 5-5A & 6-5A

I'll speak for Keller in 5-5A.

John Edwards in right field is a monster. Should be a top draft pick. He was clocked by Perfect Game throwing 97 from the outfield. Many don't try tagging up on him, if they are smart.

Brett Medlin, OF, signed to TCU. Kid is fast, breaks on a ball like few I've seen, hits for both power and average. Did I mention that this kid is FAST?

Monk Kreder behind the plate. Another TCU signee, but probably will be drafted. Best catcher I've ever seen at the High School level. Also can smash the ball to all fields.

Jerod Stafford, Junior, staff ace. Went 13-1 as a sophomore and was Dallas Morning News Newcomer of the year. Not an overpowering fastball, but all he does is get outs. His curveball is an amazing thing to watch from behind the plate, wouldn't want to be in the box having to face it.

Chance Asbell, my guess will be the number two. As a junior last year, ate up a lot of innings as Keller waited on BYU signee Michael Ward to get healthy. Chance should return in top form.

The rest of the team is solid. Speedy outfield, solid infield, power in a number of spots, and dirtbaggers in total.

Colleyville will be tough, as will Grapevine. Denton Ryan is ALWAYS tough, and I feel sorry for 4A baseball teams next year, as they should dominate 4A again. Southlake is always dominant, and should be again this year.

I know that Fossil Ridge will have a tough year. They starters either graduated or moved, and they will struggle this year.

Richland and Haltom, they will need to step it up from last year in order to compete in this very tough district.

I think CC Moody (which also dropped down to 4A) might have something to say about whether Denton Ryan dominates.

KD -- it's rare for one HS team to have as many as three highly regarded (D1) players. Coppell and Mansfield are a few others that come to mind. I look forward to watching these kids through the DMN -- as good as that can be.

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
KD -- it's rare for one HS team to have as many as three highly regarded (D1) players. Coppell and Mansfield are a few others that come to mind. I look forward to watching these kids through the DMN -- as good as that can be.

Yes PD, should be a fun year to watch. I imagine there will be a bunch of scouts at every game to watch John and Monk, which can't hurt my son's chances of being seen.

KD, your boy will be attracting plenty of good attention on his own. But a little extra never hurts.

Our top prospects signed early and neither one is draftable at this point (don't take that as a cut-down moms -- the future is in their hands!), so we are hoping to see scouts at the FM and Allen games....our team is young. Isn't there another top notch player in Keller that is in a private school?

I hope the season goes well for your son.

Thanks for the kind words Texan. He is excited about competing for a spot on varsity this year.

PD, don't know the kid you are talking about, but Keller has gotten so big, it's not hard to not know everybody in town.

Who Panther Dad??? Do tell....

Rockwall has 3 D-1 this year and last year and the year before. Two will start at UT and Three at Tech and many more playing D2 and D3 and Juco....

KD. best catcher Preston Clark at hs level.
At UT Preston is playing 3rd and Brett Lewis(Rockwall) is their starting catcher.
Lewis played ss for Rockwall.

Kieschnick hit Grand Slammmmmm in first game at Tech today......

Clemente, I'm sure Preston was a great HS Catcher, but I never saw him play. Monk is the best I have ever seen

Figured I'd weigh in on the 5-5A discussion ...

KD has spoken well for Keller but let me add -
- Jake Sowell, Sr. P/1B, signed with Galveston JC and has looked really good towing the mound in scrimmages.
- Nick Miller, Jr. OF, can really fly and plays an excellent OF. Strong arm and can hit it. Should create havoc on the base paths.

As with all schools, the key for Keller will be pitching. Stafford should be rock solid again. The players that step into the #2 and #3 slots will be critical.

On to the other schools and players I'm familiar with:

- Denton Ryan - should be loaded again although I don't know about their arms. Austin Knight returns at SS and he can pick it with anybody. Excellent bat as well. Austin signed with DBU. Tim Rainey returns in the OF. My son has played with Tim the last two summers and he can really play. Great wheels, excellent bat and tracks the ball as well as anyone. Ross Hubbard, a big time bat, returns to play C. Ross signed with Kentucky. No doubt Ryan should be able to score a bunch of runs.

Colleyville - Return two seasoned arms in seniors Matt Lane and Steven Deleo. Scotty Lawson, Sr SS, can hit with anyone. Great bat, great kid. Deleo and Lawson have signed with Grayson JC. Not sure about Lane but I do remember he no hit a pretty strong Keller squad last year so he'll be tough again.

Southlake - Expect them to be tough even though there is not a lot of depth of varsity game experience. Watch out for junior P Chase Reid. Chase was a stud on Carpenter's Dallas Mustangs squad last summer and should be one of the top pitchers in the district. James Allen should provide some seasoned pitching experience as well. I don't know much about the other players but I've no doubt they will field a top quality team again.

The other schools I'm not real familiar with. Grapevine has a top flight talent in junior Dan Evatt (started as a sophomore). Big kid with a big time bat. Don't know about Fossil, Richland or Haltom. Regardless, 5-5A should be tough again and lot's of fun to watch how things play out.

Good luck to all!

From what ive seen Coppell, Ld Bell, and South Grand Prarie should be really good in 6-5A

coppell should be on top in that district with Cole Green and many other returners

LD Bell has lots of talent,corey bozo an excellent shortstop and a strong Bat in Austin Denny (1b/lhp)

SGP returns entire team with melvin kelly and deep pithcing staff with colt simon (UTA) and David Carpenter

should be intereting to see these teams face off with the 5-5A talent in playoffs

good luck to all

As far as Rockwall,we are young and naive,won't kiss and tell yet. Great senior leadership,promising junior class,pitching has to develop 4 and 5. Young'un will have to age quickly. Best soph in Dallas maybe country(Walden like).

Leverton went deep for Tech. UT boys have rough week-end.

Is Chase Reid (Southlake) only a junior??

Melynda,
Yes - Chase is only a junior. He'll be a real tough one and am sure Coach Hughes is glad he has him for two more seasons.

quote:

Originally posted by Clemente21:
As far as Rockwall,we are young and naive,won't kiss and tell yet. Great senior leadership,promising junior class,pitching has to develop 4 and 5. Young'un will have to age quickly. Best soph in Dallas maybe country(Walden like).

Leverton went deep for Tech. UT boys have rough week-end.

The best soph in the country? You have peeked my interest. I watched their JV play FM last season. Was he hurt, because I didn't see anyone fitting that description.

You think the kid would be playing jv.

He's a move in. Looked real good 1st time out.

Name?

The kid's name is Matt Lackie. I believe he moved into Rockwall from McKinney and his dad's an instructor at Frozen Ropes.

I gotta say that comparing him to Jordan Walden is a heavy tag to put on a sophmore.

Lackey's dad could flat out bring it in his day. He was drafted by the Orioles out of HS. Big lefty. Remember facing him in practice as a freshman and only hearing the ball as it went by. Then he broke a curve ball off and I left the batters box and tipped my hat to him on the way out still mezmerized by it.

Saw his son last spring at McKinney North, he was a catcher for the most part when I saw him on the JV. Good looking player back there. Handles pitchers very well, keeps the ball off the screen and has good foot work. Only saw him on the mound a couple of innings.

Sounds like a kid to watch for sure! LA, how's your team looking?

We're going to be a solid group. I love the make up of the team and I emphasize TEAM. We've got 15 guys who will go out and compete everyday and do whatever it takes to get the job done. The competition for playing time is going to be fierce and that will only help them become better players. Top quality kids with character. I could not imagine a better group to have this summer. Now that "thump-thump" is over, the only thing between me and the summer league starting is a stroll through golf season which starts Monday so I'm super pumped. I may try to brave the cold wind today and head to Cedar Hill to see my old college coach. If anyone out there wants to attend an NAIA school with an incredibly strong man in character and baseball knowledge, I cannot recommend anyone any more than Brad Bass at Wayland Baptist University. He respects the game and is a awesome man of God. They play at Northwood today at 12:00. I then may sneek up to Duncanville and watch the going ons there if I'm not too frigid. Take care KD and tell KD son to have an awesome year!

Hold on a sec....Rockwall has the best sophomore in the country? Walden-like? Come on Clemente21. Matt Lackie is a very good player -- with alot of upside -- and he will help the Jackets....but I think you should tap on the brakes a bit when comparing him to PG's top '06 pitcher. JMO.

PD did you ever see Walden as a sophmore. I did while he played with the Knights. He was throwing mid to upper 80's. Matt threw two innings for the Jackets last week. He sat around 86-88 in Feb. True he has along way to go to gain Walden statue but he's well on his way.You may just get to see Matt Tuesday but I hope not because we are hoping for a Tollesen-Lackey matchup later in the week.

My comments should not be interpreted as a slight to ML -- he throws hard and has a great pitchers' body. My son's team faced him in the summer and our decision-makers like him alot. I have no doubt that he could come to East on 2/14 and shut everyone down, but...as you know, there are many kids that throw hard as sophomores -- and few move from 88 to 98. I know it's possible -- time will tell. There are kids around town that throw in the 90's -- some have done it since they were freshmen. That ability is a gift -- one that should present future opportunities. But becoming a pitcher includes many other ingredients, maybe this kid has it all. I understand your earlier post if it is in the context of the sophomore Walden.

I wish Matt success (except perhaps Tuesday) --- he's a good kid.

And, of course, there is far more to being a successful pitcher than velocity.

{Not referring to ML, have never seen the young man throw.}

The $64,000 question is.....is this kid playing for DBat, The Tigers or The Mustangs this summer???

quote:

Originally posted by KellerDad:
The $64,000 question is.....is this kid playing for DBat, The Tigers or The Mustangs this summer???

I have heard that he plays for a Frozen Ropes summer team since his dad instructs there. He's a little younger than the kids I recruit for our team but I would imagine it's not for lack of effort on the part of the teams you mentioned.

It seems that a simple solution would be to hire the dad for higher wage to instruct at your baseball facility.

Surely all of the teams you mentioned have their own instruction facilities, don't they?

Family with McKinney roots....former coach with Red Hawks....move to Rockwall....new team....hmmm....I love the dynamics of baseball in the Metroplex.

I have heard good things about Frozen Ropes. It's tough be break on the scene with a new team in the older age groups. Good to have a stud pitcher though and the baseball fields in Rockwall are fertile --- two huge training facilities and top names to boot.

All this talk about one kid is probably making his dad or his coach uncomfortable. I wish good things for the Lackies in their new situation.

I agree. Let's move on and discuss this weeks upcoming action. Better to focus on the TEAMs at this point than individuals. Let's let the boys get some real games under their belts.

That explains it.. Man, Rockwall just keeps getting them!! I know they had a very strong Soph. class without this kid. I guess we'll be seeing them in Austin for the next few years.

Good luck to the Garland Schools next year!