Dominion District Poll, plus is there a better district in the state?

Thanks VP. The results are a little skewed as only 4 have voted (tied 2-2) I changed my vote. .

There is a lot of senior and junior talent in the Dominion this year with the two big horses having the most. I think JR was picked (by me and everyone else) to win the "World Series" because of one thing....their pitching depth. I'm re-thinking this because I think Cosby is better defensively & offensively. Cosby starting pitchng is just not as experienced as JR, but they have depth too. I can't wait to see this play out on the field.

Hard to pick against Lowery, but it'll certainly come down to those two. Question for you Fenway...what does Bird have coming back on the mound? (Other than Harmon) Thanks in advance....

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Papelbon said...Hard to pick against Lowery

I'm not. He gets the most out of his players. He has an uncanny ability to hit and run, or play the baserunning game better than anyone.

Harmon, Issacs were Varsity pitchers last year for Bird. They are back. Also, you have 2-3 current juniors that pitched well & played positions for JV last year as sophomores. They also got a transfer from Lee-Davis who I think pitches too. I think they'll be competitive, but don't have the pitching depth or experience of JR or Cosby. I'm being a realist.

While JR certainly has a few big sticks, from 1-9 I think Cosby's is the tougher batting order. JR is also going to have to put 2 varsity newbies at 2B and SS and that can be difficult.

What you have to like about JR is their unreal pitching depth. If one guy has an off day, get him out quickly because there's no need to press him just to cover innings. Someone is going to be fresh and ready to roll at all times. Cosby also has an excellent staff, but I don't know that anyone has ever had the kind of staff that JR has going into the spring.

If you've watched these 2 play in recent years, you have to admit that JR has a history of getting rattled when they play Cosby. You know going into those games that it's going to be nip and tuck, and for whatever reason it seems that Cosby is always the one making that one extra play to push across one more run or stop one more run or both; JR has been the team making the key error or walking too many guys.

The one thing about JR in recent years is that they were very young. This year they have 3 senior, ACC-bound pitchers and a 4th who's a junior of that caliber as well. They have a senior at catcher and in CF, and very experienced/capable juniors at the infield corners. That experience could well translate into getting over that hump and being able to finish 21 outs in a nailbiting dogfight type of game.

So to me those Cosby-JR games are the ones to watch. If JR's pitching dominates and the team plays with confidence, then they can pave the way to the state title. If they don't overcome their Cosby jitters, it could be a very different story.

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Originally posted by fenwaysouth:



Harmon, Issacs were Varsity pitchers last year for Bird. They are back. Also, you have 2-3 current juniors that pitched well & played positions for JV last year as sophomores. They also got a transfer from Lee-Davis who I think pitches too. I think they'll be competitive, but don't have the pitching depth or experience of JR or Cosby. I'm being a realist.

Im also going to be a realist on this. Harman hasn't pitched more than 5 innings in a row in a while and im pretty sure the Issacs kid didn't even throw a total of 5 innings last year. All that being said its clearly a 2 horse race and im just hoping Bird finishes in the top 4.

What I've seen of Harman in HS ball is that he is an elite hitter. As a pitcher I've never seen him have a solid outing, but I understand he really distinguished himself in summer and fall play. He's one I want to see for myself once the season starts to see how he looks now.

Still just a junior.

Win and Place are paying even money, so I am betting on the show. Midlothian returns with the entire starting lineup.

LCB, Midlothian and Manchester should all be in that hunt. Not hearing much about Clover Hill or Monacan thus far, anyone know about those teams?

Hey guys, I'm new here and I just wanted to give my opinion on how I think this district is going to shape up. I still think JR has the upper hand. Their pitching is too strong and experienced. I mean any rotation with Nathan Kirby (UVA), Kit Scheetz (VT), Tyler Carrico (UVA), Jack Roberts (Highly recruited D1 recruit), and I have even heard some good things about a kid named Trey Rose (who is trying to walk on at VMI). Their offense seems a little shaky since they are young at 2B and SS, but I think a senior presence of Lawless, Trentham, and also Junior Mac Caples will hold the lineup together. It all comes down on how they play against Cosby though. If they show some confidence and play loose, I think they can do it, but history has shown that they tend to struggle against Lowery. I guess we will find out soon!

Is there any public info about the college options of Jack Roberts and where he may be leaning? He's been so good for so long that you don't often hear about guys that have been on the radar for this long and haven't made a verbal commitment. I'm sure he has lots of options and he still has time to sort things out.

I believe JR has the talent to go undefeated in the district this year. Their top two pitchers Nathan Kirby and Kit Scheetz (Jack Roberts cannot throw until mid-March) will give them chances to win every game. They are young in the middle infield but SS Cullen Large is a sophomore with a lot of talent to go along with 2B Paul Wood who has a very smooth glove. They lost two OF's from last year but senior Nick Guyer had what turned out to be two game-winning hits in the Regional tournament last year. Not to mention the hitting potential of Trentham, Caples, Roberts and Lawless. If they can score runs, they can beat anybody in the state.

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soxforlife said....I believe JR has the talent to go undefeated in the district this year

Love the screenname, it would make a good license plate . Seriously does it matter if JR goes defeated or undefeated in the district. Who cares? JR should win the state championship is what you should be saying based on the talent in that dugout. No question in my mind. What about your mind? You seem to know quite a bit about he program, what is your hesitation in making a bolder statement than they have the talent to go undefeated in the district. For someone who is confident of their abilities, you seem to be holding back.