Interesting that Godwin spent its ace in a non-district game, while JR started a sophomore. I couldn't get there, but if the RTD is accurate (and it so often is not), looks like Austin Arnold held his own until the cavalry got there.
Anybody know what's going on at Deep Run? They always seem to have quite a bit of talent, but most scores I see for them aren't even competitive. I'm not familiar with their roster so it could be just a cyclical rebuild, but they simply aren't very good this year. Any thoughts?
Just a down year there I'm afraid. Also, several players in what I believe would now be their sophomore class chose to head to Benedictine, so I'm told the cupboard may be bare there for the next few years.
I suppose it's also possible that the opening of Glen Allen HS eroded their base some, but that's just speculation; I haven't really studied the district lines.
Originally Posted by Midlo Dad:
Interesting that Godwin spent its ace in a non-district game, while JR started a sophomore. I couldn't get there, but if the RTD is accurate (and it so often is not), looks like Austin Arnold held his own until the cavalry got there.
Godwin "spent" their ace because their district is the have and the have nots this year. Deep Run lost the entire starting roster from 2012, they were all seniors, and yes, I'd say their pool to pick from is smaller because of Glen Allen. Tucker seems to be having an off year so Godwin can pitch their strong number 2 man, Nick Phelps, against them for this week's district game. Patrick Henry and Freeman are the other two strong "have" teams in the district. The lefty starter for James River (Austin Arnold?) did pitch fine, and taking nothing away from him, but GHS is not a strong hitting club (only 1 hit vs Freeman, only 2 hits vs Atlee.) Good, scrappy, small ball players, and strong overall pitching staff.
backstop bob,
Your words regarding Godwin's offense seem to be prophetic...according to the RTD they were no-hit last night by C.J. Hutchison of Hermitage. Wow
More upsets!
Varina beats Hanover -- Hawks caught taking them lightly? Passed over Casey and used Denton earlier this week.
Monacan beats Clover Hill -- preseason this would not have been news really, but the way CH has played this season, you would've thought they would handle this one. But now it seems it's Monacan's turn to get its act together and knock off a few teams.
Not sure it rates as an upset, but I saw a lot of the LCB win over Manchester yesterday. Manchester kicked it around pretty good in this one. Of the first 5 LCB runs, 2 were unearned and 2 more would've been prevented with ordinary defensive plays. I left after another E kicked off what apparently was the winning LCB rally in the 6th.
Midlo,
Hanover plays Atlee on Friday which one would assume is why Casey didn't pitch. When you have three games in one week, teams need to score more than 4 runs to win games when their ace is not on the mound. Hanover is capable of scoring plenty of runs (13 vs. Lee-Davis on Monday). As you know, from time-to-time bats go cold, line drives are hit directly to fielders, etc. which is why not many teams go through the year undefeated. The loss makes the Atlee game even more important.
any reports on how the Atlee (Bolka) vs Hanover (Casey) part deux went on Friday night? That had potential to be an interesting matchup in light of Hanover's stumble vs Varina.
It went the same as the last matchup. Bolka couldnt find the strike zone, and Atlee's catchers couldn't catch curve balls. Casey wasn't as dominant as he was in the first game, but he was still VERY good. Final was 6-3 Hanover.
Friday night 5/3, Central Region #1 James River (12-1) faces #2 Douglas Freeman (12-1) at 7pm at Freeman. It will be James River's third game of the week.
again, another interesting decision on whether to use your ace against 1 of the 2 lower tier district teams (midlo and clover hill) or save Mr. Roberts for a game against a top tier team.
Friday night 5/3, Central Region #1 James River (12-1) faces #2 Douglas Freeman (12-1) at 7pm at Freeman. It will be James River's third game of the week.
I thought Clover Hill had been pretty solid this year? To me, this one is easy...between Midlo and CH, whoever you feel is the better team should see Roberts. The other should see your #2, and Freeman will see whoever is left.
Things just got interesting in the Dominion District.
Jack Roberts carried a No-No into the 7th vs Clover Hill and after retiring the 3 hole hitter on a flyball to right the Cavaliers managed to break-up the no-hitter (Ryu Yano singel to right), shutout and then left JRHS standing on the field after plating 3 runs in the span of about 8 pitches. The final blow being a sac fly to left on the first offering from the Rapid reliever who came in with the bases loaded.
Huge win for the Clover Hill program and a real tough one to swallow for the Rapids. Roberts was in complete command all game but some timely hitting and a couple defensive mishaps in the 7th saddled him with a loss he didn't deserve.
On the other side - Will Midgette continues to stymie the offense of another good club. This sophomore has been excellent all spring and has given the Cavs a chance to win more games this year than they have had a look at in the last 5 years combine.
This loss sets up the possibility of a real dog fight with Cosby in the final game of the season in a couple weeks if both teams can avoid a stumble along the way.
Here is what were looking at in terms of winning % as of 5/2/13 8pm with lots of important games yet to be played.
JR 7-2
Cosby 6-2
Manchester 6-4
Clover Hill 4-5
LC Bird 4-5
Monacan 2-6
Midlothian 2-7
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AotujdJR2JhqdEV1UThpME5ZeHBlTldqWkM0U1ZJZEE&usp=sharing
The May 16 Cosby at James River game just got a lot more interesting. Probably the game that decides the regular season champ and the automatic regional berth that goes with it.
That would be Roberts' turn again. Will JR pitch him there, meaning he might end up facing them a 3d or even a 4th time in playoff action?
Will Cosby come with fire in their eyes, looking for payback?
Will JR's offense show up (as at Cosby) or disappear (as at Clover Hill), especially given that Williams seems to have found dominant form of late -- assuming Williams starts this time around?
quote:The May 16 Cosby at James River game just got a lot more interesting. Probably the game that decides the regular season champ and the automatic regional berth that goes with it.
That would be Roberts' turn again. Will JR pitch him there, meaning he might end up facing them a 3d or even a 4th time in playoff action?
It most certainly got more interesting. We need more drama in the Dominion.
Why would JR not pitch their stud the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time? It is one thing to know what to do, it is an entirely different thing to be able to do something about it. Cosby players have to do something about it, before I'd change who I'd put on the mound. He throws hard, he's got 3 very good pitches and he's a smart kid. Do they have somebody else hiding in their dugout going to UVA next year that is capable of beating Cosby?
Depends. Will JR be scoring 12 runs, like last time, or 2 runs, like yesterday?
I think they have guys who could hold Cosby safely under 12. Only Roberts could be counted on to keep you in it if you only score 2.
The JR-Freeman game tonight was a barn burner, won by Freeman, 7-6 in 10 innings.
I got there when Miller Trevett had just come on for DSF, top 5, with JR leading 2-1, 1 on, 0 out. JR managed to get that one and another one in that inning to go up 4-1. DSF quickly made it 4-2, but then tied it when JR made a key infield error that led to 2 unearned runs.
Junior RHP Justin White and Sophomore RHP Griffin Roberts (no relation to Jack) threw very well for JR, but in the end DSF was just a bit scrappier. JR had a threat in the 8th when Kelvin Marte hit a tracer to the berm in RCF for a triple with one out, but Trevett got a K and a pop out to hold him there. Roberts I think had runners on in all of his 5.1 innings but he kept wriggling off the hook.
Top 10, Mac Caples hit the longest HR I have ever seen at DSF and maybe anywhere for that matter. Had to be at least 420'. It was just left of center, well out, landed on the bus ramp. Jack Roberts followed with a screamer to RCF that would've been out anywhere else; it went for a triple, but he scored when the relay throw got away, making it 6-4.
But JR couldn't seal the deal. G. Roberts got the first out in the bottom of the 10th, but then DSF got 3 singles to get to 6-5 with two on, and as the top of the order came up, they brought in Mac Caples. Caples was throwing very hard but DSF got a sharp grounder through the SS hole for an RBI hit to make it 6-6. On one of those two runs, I forget which, Stiebel Alemon made a strong throw home from LF but the DSF runner made a nice inside slide to score on a VERY close call -- all JR fans barking but honestly I thought it was a good call. With runners on 1st and 2nd now, Caples got the next guy on a slow grounder, too slow to get the DP, so it was 2nd/3d and 2 outs with Gerstenmeier up. JR opted to walk him intentionally, but with the bases now loaded, the next batter also walked on a 3-1 count. A walk-off walk, I guess you could say.
Great win for DSF, which undoubtedly will inherit the top ranking in the region now. JR suffers its 2nd heartbreaker loss in 2 days. But no rest for the weary, with Cosby looming next Thursday; JR can still win the Dominion but it has to regroup quickly.
The one thing I will say is that JR's pitching depth has shown impressively. Everyone knows about Jack Roberts, but this week they got quality outings from Austin McClellan, Austin Arnold, Justin White and Griffin Roberts. Not many teams go 5 deep, so I would expect JR to be in every game as the season gets to crunch time and then playoff time. But as the last two days have shown, they are not invincible. Really no one in the region has shown that this year.
It is already on Twitter that there is a new #1 in the RTD poll. There were some very key errors tonight on James River's part, but to go 10 innings was outstanding for both teams. I understand that Freeman played one other game this week, Maggie Walker, so they used their #1 (sophomore?)and #2 guys tonight. River had two district games which really spread their pitching thin this week, especially when the 3rd game goes into extra innings, but Justin White and Griffin Roberts showed that River can play 3 games during a week very competitively. Only the next several weeks will show if JR can pull off the wins.
Keewartson just called me in and said he hadn't seen anything like this before.....most of the players, Freeman and James River, are tweeting each other how great the game was and complimenting each other. No smack talk at all. Very classy!
I am just very sorry the game ran so late tonight before SATs tomorrow!
Here's the Mac Caples home run clip. I've been watching games at Freeman for about 30 years (although, admittedly, I wasn't quite as focused at age 5 as I am now), and that's about as long a HR as I can remember seeing there. Nobody hits home runs to that part of the field, at least not ones that leave the park. I have four minutes of highlights over at www.VirginiaPreps.com if you want to see more of the game.
Central Region Tom,
Wow. That is a tremendous shot over that crazy hill. I like the sound effect....."good gravy" in the video clip. Is that your homerun signature phrase?
VT Coach Hughes is smiling ear to ear somewhere in Hokieland.
I saw this live from the first base side. From the camera angle in the video clip, I'm going to have to revise my previous estimate of distance. To my understanding, the points of reference are that the fence at straightaway CF is 450' from home plate, the flagpole is 420'. So this ball went WAAAAAY past the flagpole area, over the fence by a lot and out into the bus loop. Add to that the presence of the berm in front of the fence, which means a ball has to be higher at that point to get out.
When I said "at least 420 fee", I was trying not to let myself get carried away to a ridiculous extent. Based on the video clip, that had to be 470 feet. And in the BBCOR era, no less.
An interesting footnote is that this was Mac's first HR this year. He has of course hit many balls on the screws but this is the first one he elevated. But then again, there's a lot of season left, and we're still awaiting some warm weather.
Also if you watch the full VirginiaPreps.com highlights you'll see Jack Roberts' triple, which came on the very next pitch. This ball landed on the berm just right of center, so that's probably a 400' + blast as well. Out of any HS park other than DSF, and out of nearly all college and pro parks as well.
I think 470 might be a little steep. I think the flag pole was maybe 420 under the old configuration, but they re-did Freeman a few years ago and moved home plate up a bit. My understanding is that the part of the park where he hit it out (to the right of the light pole in left-center, closest to the flag pole) is about 395 feet, and dead center is maybe 410 or so. So, I think it was maybe closer to 430 than 470, but still a monster shot either way.
What was funny was when I posted the clip on my Facebook page, and the T-D reporter who covered the game felt the need to say that Payne's home run to left was almost as long as Caples'. For anyone who actually saw both shots, I think that "analysis" speaks for itself.
Incidentally, the longest home run I've ever seen live in a HS game was a homer that Mike Milchin hit for Tucker in 1986. For anyone who has ever seen a game at Tucker, Milchin hit a homer to left-center that went *over* the trees and landed on the apartments behind the field. I've never personally seen one like it in a HS game.
I say "good gravy" a lot, especially when I know the camera is on. I try to avoid profanity on videos. 
If the TD reporter said Payne's home run was even close to Caples then he was either a DSF grad, a cousin of the Payne family, or in line at the concession stand. One was a long flyball, an out in some parks. The other was SportsCenter worthy.
I agree they were very different, but Payne's was definitely legit, so let's not rob him of his due.
Payne hits another and so does Caples. What happened to Roberts (pitching) last night? Big week of games coming this week..