Freshman Class?

Doubtful IMPO...unless they're at a small school or a relatively weak program. The better 4A and 5A schools have so many kids that it's difficult for even the rare Soph to make the varsity, much less make an impact.

I would have to agree with doubleday. However, we have a righty that is 6'4, 220 that could get a look in intrasquads. He was 81-82 at camp this summer and his pitching instructor had him at 84-85 right before the break.

He looks the part physically, but the mental aspect and the fact that he has not done it yet is the question. But boy is he a speciman!!!

That's what I have heard TX Crude. I was looking for some names/schools so I could take a look. Got any?

TH-
You'll probably get more response to this post after tryouts. Right now, it's hard to know who is going to make their varsity squad, and not many want to go out on a limb and be wrong.

I suppose every freshmen class will "make their mark in years to come." They will become Juniors and Seniors so they'll be the team.

What are you really trying to say?

RD,

You are probably seeing the excitement of parents with kids entering HS ball for the first time as many have had great success at the 14U level.

I think that they assume that will translate to varsity as a freshmen; innocently forgetting that there are older, stronger, more experienced players already at the school.

There will be a handful of freshmen make their varsity squads and contribute, but most won't, not because they aren't top players, but because the upper classmen at their respective schools are not stiffs.

At least at the 5A level, I think most varsity squads have already been named. JV tryouts are typically in early Feb and then Freshman tryouts in mid Feb. So it's unlikely many Freshmen, at least in the DFW area's larger schools, will get a look at varsity.

Maybe the question should be about Sophs, as there should be a few more of those sprinkled across varsity teams.

Alot of freshman are 14 years old when they enter 9th grade. Mine wasn't 15 till the regular season was over. Its hard for a 14 or 15 year old to compete against a senior who is 18 or almost 19. JMHO.

Double D is your son a sophomore or junior this year?

A few Fresham in Houston are getting looks but it's too early to tell if they will make it to Varsity. Being able to contribute? That will only be known once they start playing. They may have the skills but performing under intense pressure for just being a Freshman on Varsity combined with the speed and intensity of the game will rattle the best of them. Some played in the Fall but the pressure and intensity is not the same.


Question - From the players perspective, is it wise to play Varsity as a Freshman?

quote:

Originally posted by The Beast:
Double D is your son a sophomore or junior this year?

He's a Soph and did make varsity. As for playing time...who knows but he's doing well.

Doubleday - Has your son's school already had tryouts? I thought that the UIL start date was set for the end of January.

They had them last fall.

quote:

Originally posted by Jacket Backer:
Doubleday - Has your son's school already had tryouts? I thought that the UIL start date was set for the end of January.

The kids that have been named to the varsity are either in the baseball off season program and returninig varsity/JV players, or are footabll players who were on last years varsity team. There is no varsity tryout per se.

quote:

Originally posted by JunkBall2:
Question - From the players perspective, is it wise to play Varsity as a Freshman?

Probably no one answer for every kid. I know of a few kids that were freshmen varsity starters. Part of the makeup of a freshman varsity player is the ability not to bog down when you slump a little bit at the plate against top arms.

Of the kids I know, all but one are seniors now and top level players. I can't see where it hurt them, but they were gifted players to begin with.

If tryouts were last fall, what happens if a football or basketball player wants to play? What if the QB is a better short stop than the kid who played fall ball?

Dane Evans and Matt Bishop are freshmen worth watching from the Denton area.

quote:

Originally posted by Jacket Backer:
If tryouts were last fall, what happens if a football or basketball player wants to play? What if the QB is a better short stop than the kid who played fall ball?

Dane Evans and Matt Bishop are freshmen worth watching from the Denton area.

I think the "tryouts in the fall" comment was made in jest...hence the winking smiley face.

I think all coaches are looking for the best players regardless of age. The coaches of the Freshman and JV teams provide frequent updates to the head coach regarding a kids progress, and most varsity coaches watch their Freshman and JV teams play every chance possible. If a younger kid can differntiate himself, he'll get a chance to play. However, in most cases he will need to be clearly better than the older kid.

quote:

Dane Evans and Matt Bishop are freshmen worth watching from the Denton area.

Dane without a doubt can flat out play. He plays with our Summer team. Great energy level. Dane plays at Sanger.

Another kid worth watching. Conner Adams out of Granbury.

While it is rare for Freshman and Sophomores to make an impact on Varsity squads, Plano West had 2 sophomores in the batting lineup while winning the 5A State Championship, Ryan Ford and Blake Parker. Each heavily contributed to the success of the team. So it is possible for underclassmen to play a role in Varsity athletics.

Three years ago I would have said it is VERY rare for a freshman to make, much less have an impact on varsity. FO's oldest was a freshman varsity stud, but it was almost unheard of. Then came Lipka and Lee at our school, Alves at Boyd, and Ford at West. The Average "very good" select player will struggle on varsity, but a stud is a stud, and it seems there are more and more of them.

...not an impossibility, but still a rarity. The guys you mentioned will most probably get drafted fairly high and/or have their pick of D1s. So a handful over the course of the last few years in the entire metroplex.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert S.:
Three years ago I would have said it is VERY rare for a freshman to make, much less have an impact on varsity. FO's oldest was a freshman varsity stud, but it was almost unheard of. Then came Lipka and Lee at our school, Alves at Boyd, and Ford at West. The Average "very good" select player will struggle on varsity, but a stud is a stud, and it seems there are more and more of them.

Is Alves planning to play baseball this year?

I know he sat out last spring (his sophomore year) but was a freshman on varsity his freshman yr.

I heard he wants to play...


En boca cerrada, no entran moscas.

He is not in the overall skill category of the kids from Plano West, McKinney etc... He has speed, but that is about it as far as baseball. The other kids have proven to have played (and have had success) at a much higher level.

Also, MCK Boyd was a new school and had nothing but Varsity sports his Freshman year.

Posters -- making positive comments about a player or players is one thing....and fine. Let's not get into negatives about players. Please clean up your posts using good judgment. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
Posters -- making positive comments about a player or players is one thing....and fine. Let's not get into negatives about players. Please clean up your posts using good judgment. Thanks.

There you go, jelly roll.

Thanks OS79 -- and yes, I need fewer jelly rolls in 2009.

There's a freshman at Heath, in fact maybe 2 of them, that could have an impact on the Varsity. He catches and pitches. They may need him to give the staff depth. I clocked him at 85mph in the fall. I believe his name is Giovanni. He's a fine hitter also. His inexperience may show at the varsity level.

Don't know the other kid's name but seems I clocked him at 80-81. That'll get hit.

.rockdad

Well, I always enjoy reading this type of thread were the "old" posters tell the "new" posters how the cow ate the cabbage. I am not saying that particurly in this thread, but I have seen it many times in this forum.

Fact is, Grapevine was a 5A playoff team that started 4 sophs last season. Season before had one of those sophs as freshman starter at SS on a playoff team for all 30+ games.

You "new" posters keep believin'

quote:

Originally posted by Cobra21:
Well, I always enjoy reading this type of thread were the "old" posters tell the "new" posters how the cow ate the cabbage. I am not saying that particurly in this thread, but I have seen it many times in this forum.

Fact is, Grapevine was a 5A playoff team that started 4 sophs last season. Season before had one of those sophs as freshman starter at SS on a playoff team for all 30+ games.

Wow..."how the cow ate the cabbage"...that's pretty old school itself.

You "new" posters keep believin'

I must be spending too much time on Facebook. Just how did the cow eat the cabbage?

I know a kid that started at SS for 4 years at the state's largest HS. It can happen.

Cobra21 -- you're older than your 121 posts!

hello all, seldom post but felt the time was right. son was also a 14year old freshman when he competed for the starting catchers job on varsity last year. was named the jv starter to start the season, but won the respect of the senior leaders and coaches with his work ethic and dedication. when the varsity catcher went down with an injury, he was prepared to step in.(his personal goal for 2 years was to be the varsity catcher as a freshman) defensively he was strong behind the plate, but the two areas you could see the difference in age were offense and leadership. totally overmatched by the Colton Cains and Weston Montgomerys of our district. he was slow to step up and be a leader towards the older guys.its easy for dad to say just step up, but thats with 28 years experience on him. he really gets it though, as he went to each of the senior leaders on the team after the last game and expressed his gratitude for the help, instruction, and support they had given him. makes a dad real proud to here that! hoping for a great sophmore season as we watch him grow into a fine young man with a strong desire to play the game with the respect it deserves.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Panther Dad:
I must be spending too much time on Facebook. Just how did the cow eat the cabbage? [QUOTE]

Answers:

Yes you are.

Very slowly.

With all due respect, and having had a son play on Varsity as a Freshman (albeit years ago), isn't the "best Freshman" akin to being the tallest midget or the fastest turtle?

While they will definitely make waves in the next few years, the here and now SHOULD wait. Unless these guys are the Lee's and Lipka's of 2009, keep them with the other Freshmen...they will be better players, teammates and leaders down the road.

That and $1.79 will get you a cup of Starbucks! Can a get some change for my 2 cents?

THAT'S HOW THE COW ATE THE CABBAGE - "An expression to indicate the speaker is laying it on the line, telling it like it is, getting down to brass tacks - with the connotation of telling someone what he or she needs to know but probably doesn't want to hear. According to Little Rock attorney Alston Jennings, who submitted this southernism to Richard Allen's February 2, 1991, 'Our Town' column in the Arkansas Gazette, the expression has its roots in a story about an elephant that escaped from the zoo and wandered into a woman's cabbage patch. The woman observed the elephant pulling up her cabbages with its trunk and eating them. She called the police to report that there was a cow in her cabbage patch pulling up cabbages with its tail. When the surprised police officer inquired as to what the cow was doing with the cabbages, the woman replied, 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you!'" From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Fact on File, New York, 1997)

As a parent at McKinney High I witnessed Lee and Lipka come into the program and make their mark as freshman. There was some doubt at first as to whether or not they would be able to play at the varsity level, they squashed all the doubts quite quickly. For the typical freshman playing on the the freshman team is probably the best option but there are exceptions to every rule. Some athletes strive playing against higher competition and for those players playing on the varsity will only make them better. It should be noted that as freshmen Lipka was the district offensive MVP and Lee was newcomer of the year. Again they are exceptions as opposed to normalities

Are any of the Freshmen that have played Varsity pitchers? Is there a particular role that a Freshman is likely to play on a Varsity team?

It seems to me that a young pitcher with the skill is most likely to break down mentally. I also wonder if he would have to pitch at the top of his stength level for every pitch and risk arm injury.

Hey gang - It's called Plateauing, well maybe...guess some frosh are ready upon arriving in High School, but for the majority..time always tells...Blue Skies