DMN Player of the Week

Congrats OP and OP Son!!

Congrats to Matt and all the other players named!

Congrats to Matt. Great outing Friday night. Plus, on Saturday he came over and helped my son put on a new bumper on his truck. That's after he K'd him twice Friday night. You gotta love HS baseball.

Way to go Matt!

Ball4TX -- it would have been more impressive if Matt came to help after surrendering two doubles to your son -- and losing 1-0.

OP - does mcKiknee Directional not have a dress code - you can bring him to Frankstion - free shave on the house - and congrats to you and your kiddo -

How about OP making it into the Morning News!

Congrats OP Son

where is OP ???

Congrat's to Matt - A fine young man and on heck of a ball player!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo-Hoo!!!! Way to go!!! Ain't it fun!!!!

Anybody know how many K's Matt had ?

Unfortunaltely I do know....10. He double 2 of our better hitters season strike out total in 1 game.

I've been on here 30 minutes and just saw this thread!!

Thank you for the kuddos for Matt. Hopefully he can continue to pitch well and help his team win some more ball games. He's really looking forward to pitching against Boyd this Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather!

Thanks again....you are all a great bunch of people and super friends!

Ball4TX........You've got a pretty good kid yourself.......Actually, a GREAT one!

Ben......He actually shaved off that mess last week, but he still has the peachfuzz on his chin! Kids!

Jeff, congrats to you, Matt and the family for this recognition. Reading that was the highlight of my day!

Thanks John....your day is coming in a few years!!

I actually thought that Kale or Teddy might be the POW this week after their unbelieveable performances.

Where do those 3 play in the summer? Someone needs to contact them and find out.

Congrats to these young men.
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SportsDay's baseball player of the week: David Rollins

11:59 PM CDT on Sunday, March 23, 2008

By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News
twills@dallasnews.com

School: First Baptist
David Rollins


What he did: Rollins pitched seven shutout innings against Tyler TK Gorman, which entered the game 10-2, 3-0 in district. Rollins allowed four hits, had 14 strikeouts and walked one. He was also 4-for-8 at the plate with two doubles and three RBIs for the week.

The stats: Rollins, who transferred from Class 3A baseball power Carthage, is 4-0 with a 1.52 ERA. He's batting .456.

Who is he? Rollins is a senior left-hander who also plays right field or first base when not pitching.

He said it: "I have new kids I get to play with and a new experience. I have teammates with different personalities. I came here for the better academics and for more exposure from scouts."

Coach said it: "He fits in real well. He is one of the leaders on our team. Because of how good he is, he's one of the players our guys look to."

Did you know? Rollins played two seasons on varsity at Carthage, which has produced Kansas City Royals pitcher Brian Lawrence), Minnesota Twins prospect Philip Humber and former University of Texas standouts Tim and Kip Harkrider. ... Rollins was the ace for a Carthage team that went 28-2 and advanced to the regional semifinals last year. ... He plays select baseball for the Dallas Panthers and has signed with Missouri. ... He throws a 90-91-mph fastball and a curveball and change-up. ... He was born in Galveston, Texas.
HONORABLE MENTION
Name School Cl. Notable
Jordan Baker Frisco Wakeland Sr. 4-hit shutout, 14 Ks vs. No. 3 Prosper
Ty Herrick Gar. Naa. Forest Sr. Perfect game, 13 Ks vs. Garland
Ben Neyen Hebron Jr. One-hitter, five Ks vs. Lewisville
Stephen Niedwiecki South Garland Sr. 5-for-8, two 2Bs, three RBIs last week
Zach Walker Jesuit Sr. Perfect game vs. Grand Prairie

Way to go DJ!!!!!

Kenny Rodgers????????

Congratulations to all of these young men.
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SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Chad Kettler

11:55 PM CDT on Sunday, March 30, 2008

By C. Anthony Mosser / Special to the Dallas Morning News

School: Coppell
Chad Kettler

What he did: He picked up two saves by striking out nine in a pair of two-inning relief appearances. He did not allow a run and gave up one hit. Also went 4-of-6 at the plate in the two games. He had two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored in a 6-4 win over Hebron.

The stats: Kettler is hitting .452 (28-62) with 13 doubles, 4 homers, 27 RBIs, and 31 runs; Has an 0.75 ERA with 14 Ks in 9⅓ innings. His record is 1-1 with 5 saves. He has allowed an earned run and three hits

Who is he? A junior right-handed pitcher/shortstop who has been Coppell's starting shortstop since his freshman season.

He said it: "I love closing. I go in for one or two innings and don't have to worry about my stamina. I just go out there and throw as hard as I can."

Coach said it: "He's so valuable to us at shortstop. And since we have several arms we can go to, he's been closing for us. It's worked out real well." – Coppell coach Don English.

Did you know? He is already being heavily recruited by major colleges such as LSU and Texas. ... The best vacation was a trip to China with his summer select baseball team when he was 13. ... He was a center/midfielder in youth select s****r but has since decided to concentrate on baseball. ... One of his favorite actors is Denzel Washington. ... His favorite subject is math.

HONORABLE MENTION
Player School Cl. Notable

Travis Ballew Rockwall Jr Perfect game, 13 Ks vs.N. Garland
Shane Griffin Arl. Martin Sr. No-hitter with 9 Ks vs. Arl. Bowie
Shane Laronde Arl. Lamar Jr. No-hitter with 9 Ks vs. Arl. S. Houston
Daniel Vasquez Adamson Fr. 4-4, 2B, 3B, 8 RBIs, 3 runs vs. SOC
Zach Voight Denton Ryan Sr. 5-7, 5 RBIs, HR, 2B, 3B in 2 games

April 6, 2008

SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Colton Cain

By C. ANTHONY MOSSER / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

School: Waxahachie
Colton Cain

What he did: Threw a no-hitter and struck out 19 in an 8-0 win over Red Oak on Friday. At the plate, he had a double and home run and drove in three runs.

The stats: Cain is 8-0 with 89 strikeouts. He is hitting .480 with 5 homers and 20 RBIs.

Who is he: A 6-3, 225 pound junior left-handed pitcher/first baseman

He said it: "My fastball was working well, I got in a rhythm and everything just came together. It was just a good feeling to get in a groove like that."

Coach said it: "He's just such a humble kid. He's one of the better players in the district and the state." – assistant coach Chris Cameron

Did you know? Cain is a member of the USA 16 and Under National Team and competed with the team in Venezuela last summer. ... He has been on the varsity baseball team since his freshman season and was a starting linebacker on Waxahachie's football team as a sophomore, but has decided to concentrate on baseball. ... His favorite food in pasta. ... His favorite move is Tombstone. ...The best vacation he's taken was a trip to Florida for a baseball tournament. ... His favorite subject is math.

HONORABLE MENTION

Player School Cl. Notable
Jordan Baker Frisco Wake. Sr. 1-hitter, 9 Ks, vs. Princeton
Nick Gurguis Cistercian So. 1-hitter, 8 Ks, 5 RBIs
Trent Harris Irving Sr. 5 RBIs, 2 2Bs, 4 runs in 2 gms
Ty Herrick Gar. N. Forest Sr. 10 inn., 11 Ks, GW-RBI vs. Sachse
Daniel Simpson Frisco Liberty So. 1-hit shutout, 15 Ks.

quote:

His favorite subject is math.

Must be a pretty darn good student as well!

Congratulations to all these young men!
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ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Tanner Toal


11:21 PM CDT on Sunday, April 13, 2008

By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News
twills@dallasnews.com

School: Southlake Carroll


Tanner Toal What he did: Toal hit three home runs and had six RBIs in a 13-5 victory Saturday at Flower Mound Marcus. Toal's three homers tied the school record held by Aaron Luna, according to coach Larry Hughes. Luna is a junior at Rice and an All-American candidate.

The stats: Toal is batting .364 with six home runs and 26 RBIs. He has seven doubles and has scored 22 runs. He is batting .400 with runners in scoring position.

Who is he? He is a senior third baseman.

He said it: "Every ball I hit was hard except for one. After the first one, you don't think you're going to get anything to hit. It's hard to know what pitch you're going to get next. So I just calmed down and relaxed. It's one of those freak things that will probably never happen again."

Coach said it: "He fits in real well. He is one of the leaders on our team. Because of how good he is, he's one of the players our guys look to." – Hughes.

Did you know? Toal plays summer league baseball for the Dallas Mustangs' 18-and-under team. ...Toal has signed with Grayson County College, whose top alums include Los Angeles Angels pitcher John Lackey, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Brandon Fahey and Los Dodgers third baseman Andy LaRoche. ... Toal likes to hunt and fish. ... Favorite baseball player: Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton. ... Favorite TV show: CSI and That '70s Show. ... Favorite movie: Lonesome Dove or 3:10 to Yuma.

HONORABLE MENTION

Player School Cl. Pos. Notable
Preston Beck Bishop Lynch Jr. 3B 11 Ks vs. TCA-Addison
Jeremy Ehrke Irving Nimitz Sr. P 12 Ks in 10⅔ innings
Ben Flora Plano West Sr. P One-hit shutout vs. Allen
Ty Herrick G.N. Forest Sr. P 13 Ks in win vs. Garland
Fola Lajide S.G. Prairie Jr. OF/P Has 11 consecutive hits
Brian Ragira Arl. Martin So. 3B Batting .480 in district play
Mike Sims Lake Highlands Sr. CF 13-game hitting streak

Congrats to Fola Lajide at South Grand Prairie on his hitting streak! Way to go FOLA!

Congratulations to Tanner and his family -- good people! -- and to the others mentioned.




CS -- interesting that these kids born in the 90's like the 70's show. wait -- you were born in the 70's!

Way to go Tanner! Give Paddy Cakes a few lessons today during BP...

I'm adding one Todd Wills missed:

Chase Castilla Rowlett Sr. P 13K's in win vs Rockwall

That's 27K's in his last two starts which total 13 innings.

The coaches nominate the players. We should cut Todd a little slack on this one.

Chase is pitching great -- as are the other Eagles.

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
The coaches nominate the players. We should cut Todd a little slack on this one.

Chase is pitching great -- as are the other Eagles.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like he wasn't doing his job. I just thought he might have missed one that deserved some credit. I didn't realize the coaches nominated the players. Mr. Wills does a great job covering HS baseball in North Texas and I am very appreciative of that.

Congratulations to each of these young men!!!!
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SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Jason Coats


11:38 PM CDT on Sunday, April 20, 2008

By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News
twills@dallasnews.com

School: Plano West


Jason Coats What he did: Jason Coats was 4-for-7 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs for the week as No. 1 Plano West improved to 27-0 and 13-0 in District 9-5A. Coats hit a home run Friday against Wylie, putting Plano West a victory away from a perfect regular season. Plano West finishes the regular season at Richardson Berkner on Tuesday night.

The stats: Coats is 27-for-54, giving him a .500 batting average. He has 14 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 36 RBIs. He hit four home runs last season, but injured his right ankle right before the playoffs. He was the designated hitter for Plano West's run to the regional semifinals, the best season in school history.

Who is he? He is a senior left fielder.

He said it: "My ankle is back to 100 percent, and I've been healthy. It was just a freak accident last year [getting injured on a play at first base]. Unless another one happens, I'll be healthy for the playoffs."

Coach said it: "He has been very consistent at the plate with his power numbers, and when they've pitched around him, he's taken the walk. If you need a guy to get a base hit, you feel comfortable with him up there." – Plano West coach Kendall Clark.

Did you know? Coats plays summer-league baseball for the Dallas Barracudas. ... He has signed to play baseball at TCU. ... He likes to hang out with friends and fish. Coats, who played quarterback for Plano West, likes to play pickup football. ... Favorite baseball player: Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez. ... Favorite TV show: SportsCenter. Favorite movie: Happy Gilmore. Favorite band: Linkin Park.

HONORABLE MENTION

Player School Cl. Pos. Notable

Ryan Behmanesh Mansfield Summit Sr. P Had eight Ks in complete game vs. Mans. Timberview

Arnold Gomez Bryan Adams Jr. P Had six Ks in complete-game win vs. W.T. White

James Foster TCA-Addison Sr. P Had two wins, including a complete-game three-hitter vs. FW Nolan and a five-inning, one-run effort against No. 1 Prestonwood Christian

Tyler Mapes Carr. Newman Smith Jr. P Pitched nine innings vs. Hebron, allowing three runs and six hits; 4-for-7 for the week

Troy McCartney Celina Jr. SS Was 5-for-6 with a home run and two doubles for the week

Caleb Palmer Rockwall Christian Sr. P/CF Had a five-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts and a three-run HR vs. Rockwall Heritage Chr.

Jordan Swagerty Prestonwood Chr. Sr. P Had nine Ks vs. First Baptist; Had eight RBIs in wins over Lutheran and Shelton

Congrats to Behms, Coats, Foster, McCartney, and Swagerty for good weeks!

Also, an extra big congratulations to Ty Mapes on being mentioned! Atta boy!!!

Another who could have been listed in the Honorable Mention category at least, was DC Junior Corey Brooks.

Monday vs. Parish, 5 inning CG 20-1 victory (11 K's), 3 hits and multiple RBI (can't recall if it was 4 or 5).

Thursday vs. Lutheran, hit for cycle, including HR in final AB (somewhat of a "walk-off," in that it provided the 10 run margin in bottome of 5th) directly into our typical 30 mph wind blowing in.

Saturday vs. Jesuit, played ss in 2-0 victory, although no major highlights, errorless at ss, 1 hit, 1 BB.

Congrats to all others listed. All excellent entries.

Matt's a great ball player. I have watched him many times when Little Elm meets them in district play. Congrats to Matt and his dad.

Congratulations to all these young men.
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SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Seth Gardner


10:39 PM CDT on Sunday, April 27, 2008

By GREG RIDDLE / The Dallas Morning News
griddle@dallasnews.com

School: Highland Park


Seth Gardner What he did: Gardner has an extra-base hit in eight straight games and five home runs in his last six games. Gardner homered and had four RBIs in Friday's 14-1 win over Forney – then the No. 7 team in SportsDay's 4A area rankings – as Highland Park (28-5) extended its winning streak to seven and earned the No. 2 playoff seed in District 10-4A. Gardner was 2-for-2 with a double, a triple and one RBI in a 10-0 win over West Mesquite on Tuesday.

The stats: Gardner is hitting .550 with 44 RBIs and 44 runs. He has 11 doubles, six triples and nine home runs.

Who is he? A senior outfielder.

He said it: "I'm seeing the ball really good right now. Coaches always say, 'Never try to hit home runs.' You try to hit line drives, and then the line drives turn into home runs. I wouldn't consider myself a home run hitter."

Coach said it: "He's one of our captains and one of the guys we count on. He's one of our clutch hitters, and he's having a great season." – Sam Roberson

Did you know? Gardner has signed to play baseball for Arkansas. ... In football, he received honorable mention all-state recognition as a wide receiver in 2007 after leading area 4A players in receiving yards (1,491) and receiving touchdowns (21) for 4A Division II state runner-up Highland Park.

HONORABLE MENTION

Name School Cl. Notable
Sean Graves Rockwall-Heath Sr. Hit for cycle vs. Greenville
Bradley Padia Grapevine Sr. 4-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBIs vs. SL Carroll
Michael Ritter Arlington Sr. 5-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBIs vs. Lamar
Jordan Swagerty Prestonwood Sr. 31 strikeouts in 2 games
Gustavo Vasquez Kimball So. 17 Ks, 2-hitter vs. Pinkston

SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Trey Evans


08:11 PM CDT on Sunday, May 4, 2008

By GREG RIDDLE / The Dallas Morning News
griddle@dallasnews.com

School: Mesquite


Trey Evans What he did: Evans was 5-for-10 with four home runs and six RBIs to help Mesquite beat W.T. White, two games to one, in a Class 5A first-round playoff series. Evans hit two home runs in a 12-7 loss in Game 2 on Saturday, then he homered twice in a 10-6 win in Game 3 later in the day. Mesquite was the No. 4 seed from District 12-5A, and W.T. White was the District 11-5A champion.

The stats: Evans is hitting .371 with 21 RBIs and 27 runs scored, and 45 percent of his hits have gone for extra bases. He has seven doubles, one triple and seven home runs.

Who is he? A senior shortstop.

He said it: "If I was going to go out of the playoffs my senior year, I was going to go out with a bang. I wanted to do my best and do my part."

Coach said it: "Some kids don't hit four home runs in a year at the high school level, much less hit four home runs in one day. I don't think I've ever had that. ... He saw the ball so well. Everything he hit was hard. It was incredible watching him." – Todd Ritter

Did you know? Evans said he had never hit two home runs in a game before Saturday. ... Evans plans to major in kinesiology or psychology in college.

HONORABLE MENTION

Name School Cl. Notable
Jake Bolton Allen Jr. Shutout, 9 Ks, 2 RBIs vs. Lakeview
Ben Flora Plano West Sr. 2-hitter, 15 Ks, vs. South Garland
Brett Frost L.D. Bell Sr. 1-hit shutout, 9 Ks vs. Duncanville
Joey Hainsfurther Highland Park Sr. 3-hitter, 2 HR, 7 RBIs in 2 wins
Blake Hamblin Rowlett Jr. 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs in 2 wins

SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Ethan Cunningham


09:08 PM CDT on Sunday, May 11, 2008

By GREG RIDDLE / The Dallas Morning News
griddle@dallasnews.com

School: Southlake Carroll


Ethan Cunningham What he did: Cunningham went 4-for-8 with three home runs and five RBIs to help Southlake Carroll sweep Arlington Martin, the state's fifth-ranked Class 5A team, in an area-round playoff series. Cunningham pitched five innings Thursday and was 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs, helping Carroll rally from a seven-run deficit for a 9-8, eight-inning win in Game 1. He was 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs in Friday's 9-1 win in Game 2. Carroll (16-17) advanced to face Coppell in the 5A Region I quarterfinals.

The stats: Cunningham is hitting .309 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. As a pitcher, he is 8-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 70⅔ innings.

Who is he? A senior pitcher/outfielder.

He said it: "I was seeing the ball really well this series. The ball looked like a beach ball. I felt like I could hit whatever pitch was thrown."

Coach said it: "He and [Ross] Stripling, we look at them as two No. 1 pitchers. He's been real important for us this year." – Larry Hughes

Did you know? Cunningham played wide receiver for Carroll's football team and had 57 catches for 757 yards and nine touchdowns in 2007. Cunningham has signed to play football for William Jewell College, and he said he'll probably also play baseball for the school in Liberty, Mo.

HONORABLE MENTION

Name School Cl. Notable
Boomer Collins Waxahachie Sr. 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBIs in 2 wins
Weston Montgomery Ennis Sr. 1-hitter, HR in win vs. Hillcrest
Max Muncy Keller Jr. 2 HR, 8 RBIs in two wins
Andrew Smith Rowlett Sr. 1-hit shutout vs. Tyler Lee
Vance Woodruff Forney Sr. 3-hit shutout in Game 3

SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Derek Junkin


08:49 PM CDT on Sunday, May 18, 2008

By GREG RIDDLE / The Dallas Morning News
griddle@dallasnews.com

School: Waxahachie


Derek Junkin What he did: Junkin went 7-for-10, scored seven runs and had four RBIs and four stolen bases to help Waxahachie beat Ennis, two games to one, in a Class 4A Region II quarterfinal series. Waxahachie lost Game 1, but Junkin went 6-for-7 and scored six runs and had four RBIs in the final two games of the series to help the state's fifth-ranked 4A team advance to face sixth-ranked Highland Park. Junkin hit ninth in the order in Game 3 and went 3-for-3, scored three runs and had one RBI and two stolen bases in a 20-1 win.

The stats: Junkin is hitting .373 with 17 RBIs and 24 stolen bases, and he has scored 34 runs.

Who is he? A senior outfielder.

He said it: "I liked [batting ninth]. I got lots of fastballs down there because I guess they thought I couldn't hit."

Coach said it: "He was hitting two-hole for us, and we moved him down to the bottom of the order to get him on in front of our leadoff guy. He's a great weapon for us. He's a second leadoff guy. He does a great job of getting on base." – Tracy Wood

Did you know? Junkin has five horses and competes in team roping.

HONORABLE MENTION
Player School Cl. Notable
Jordan Baker Frisco Wakeland Sr. 15 Ks, 3 RBIs in 2 wins
Joey Hainsfurther Highland Park Sr. 5 RBIs, 5-hitter in 2 wins
Andrew Smith Rowlett Sr. 1-hit shutout vs. Allen
[b]Ross Stripling SL Carroll Sr. 3-hitter in win vs. Coppell
Taylor Thompson Forney Sr. CG, hit .400 in series win

SportsDay's baseball player of the week: Ty Wheeler


08:26 PM CDT on Sunday, May 25, 2008

By GREG RIDDLE / The Dallas Morning News
griddle@dallasnews.com

School: Flower Mound


Ty Wheeler What he did: Wheeler went 6-for-9 with a double, a triple, two home runs, seven RBIs and six runs scored to help Flower Mound beat El Paso Socorro, two games to one, in a Class 5A Region I semifinal series. Socorro was No. 4 in the 5A state rankings and was ranked No. 7 nationally by USA Today. Wheeler homered and had six RBIs in Flower Mound's 17-16 loss in Game 1 on Friday. On Saturday, Wheeler homered in an 8-2 win in Game 2, then scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-6 win in Game 3 as Flower Mound advanced to play Southlake Carroll in the regional final. Flower Mound, the No. 2 seed from District 6-5A, has beaten three district champions in the first four rounds of the playoffs.

The stats: Wheeler is hitting .320 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs.

Who is he? A junior third baseman.

He said it: "We thought we were underdogs in every series. I guess we just got hot. Everybody is hitting the ball, and everybody is contributing to our wins."

Coach said it: "He has swung the bat well over the last couple of weeks, especially during the playoffs." – Steve Stinson

Did you know? Wheeler enjoys hunting and fishing in his free time. ... He played football as a freshman before giving up the sport to focus on baseball.

HONORABLE MENTION
Name School Cl. Notable
Ryan Akins Flower Mound Sr. Hit for cycle in Game 1 vs. Socorro
Andrew Blum Plano West So. 5-hitter in Game 3 win
Colton Cain Waxahachie Jr. CG win, HR, 4 RBIs in Game 3
Shaun McPeters SL Carroll Sr. Earned win in relief in Game 3
Robert Perrin Birdville Jr. HR, 6 RBIs in two wins