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Guys I have been following this website for a long time. I really enjoy the talk about the other districts but I really wanted to get some ideas on how they think the 8-5A race may shape up this baseball season. I am a Lamar follower but I think this district will be one of the more competitive districts in the area. Duncanville, Martin, Lamar have all done well the last few years but Desoto and even Bowie can bring the wood. Any thoughts?
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not much talk about 8-5a on here. from what i've seen, watch out for bowie. young team last year and they beat us once. im drawing a black on bowie's top pitcher but he can pitch. You know what martin will do, Duncanville seems like they graduate everyone evry year but "there is some thing about putting on a panther uniform for those kids." Not sure of lamar's experience. As for desoto, well they have a mix of young and older players and they do have that center fielder.
I do think that Desoto will be a force in district play. I also don't want to leave out Arlington High. They have a good mix of talent. Heck Cedar Hill could always enter into the mix.

Lamar will be have to rely on a lot of JRs. to fill out their pitching staff. They have a SR. # 1 and then need for some of the younger guys to step up. They did get a nice JR. transfer from a local private school that should provide a nice arm and stick.
Finally some chatter south of I-20
There is some good baseball down here too. Martin's three levels have dominated this district the last two years. Duncanville always in the mix. Lamar made the play-offs last year but it was a tight squeeze with DeSoto and CH. a game or two behind. CH has a new coach with an impressive resume from west Texas that will be great for the LongHorns. Should be a fun season once again.
man look at bowie burried down on that list. as for field renovations, people will be shocked to see DeSoto's new field. its supposed to look like a mini Duncaville. stopped by today since im in town for the weekend, and it looks like it'll be ready for start of season.

the lighting at lamar is really bad. home field adv, yall just gotta get a flame thrower and dirty the balls a lil. Wink
just an opinion lamar fan. from what i'm hearing the boys could care less. they do not feel like a team, they have a pitcher and a few starters coming back. they have not even had a single round of batting practice

making the playoffs is a different subject. being in the top four in this district only to go two and out in the playoffs is not something that i consider a big accomplishment. however, if lamar does it they have had a successful season?
Screwball, I understand what your saying. I agree that it is not a big deal to make the play-offs and go 2 and out every year.

I also agree with you about the players attitudes. I heard from a booster club member that it doesn't just appear to be the kids with that attitude. Again, this is just how it appeared to this member. Hopefully when baseball officially arrives the boys and coaches will be able to turn it on. I do think Lamar has the talent but you maybe right, they may not have the heart.
I am not a Lamar Parent, but I do see many of your players at CAB all the time and at least 4 of them did the winter work out program. They all seem to want to get better and worked hard at it. I also watched several of the players play select this summer, I feel they will make the playoffs and end up #2 in district!

1. Duncanville
2. Lamar
3. Martin
Since I am not at DeSoto any more, and don't have a horse in the race, here is my take on everybody using last year's standings.

Martin - They have no experienced varsity pitching returning. A couple of guys pitched a little here and there, but the the 2 guys they leaned on all year are gone. Kaiser and Imhoff in the middle of that line up will be tough though. Their JV team lost only 1 game last year ( to my DeSoto JV ). They always have great depth and I know they will have kids step up. Plus Coach Culbertson will have them fundamentally sound and ready to play once district rolls around.

Duncanville - They return almost the entire starting line-up so scoring runs should not be an issue. The pitchers that return, their only district wins were against Sam Houston!!! Still, those kids will play up to the expectations that their uniform, and their coach, have.

Lamar - Sperry will anchor the staff. Whenever he pitches, they will have a chance to win. With Green at the top of the line-up and Lee and Buechele in the middle, the Vikes should be OK. Lee needs to step up in the #2 pitcher role. Look for the sophomore Arnsberg to be in the mix. Oh, the SS transfer will definitely help the defense.

DeSoto - All the pitching graduated. 2 good sophomores will be relied on. They led the JV team to a 2nd place 11-3 District finish. Kenny Gilbert is the man here. He will be an offensive force! Pitch to him and he'll beat you...walk him and he'll be on 3rd in 2 pitches! He will need help around him.

Bowie - Like DeSoto, they will have a new coach. They have a solid #1 in Stuckey, but have to find a #2. Defensively they should be OK and Poston should pace the offense.

Cedar Hill - Like DeSoto and Bowie, they will have a new coach. They graduated their best pitcher and 2 of their best hitters, but the cupboard is not bare. The catcher and CF are back and both can swing it, so can the 3b. Pitching wise, they will have a couple of soft toss lefties. Based on what I saw on the subvarsity last year, there is not much help coming this year.

Arlington - The Colts return pretty much their entire starting line-up. That would be pretty good right? Wait, it gets better for them...they also get back Zac Osman from Pantego. Zac will be the #1 they have lacked the last couple of years. Plus, he will hit in the middle of the lineup which should help the catcher out a bit. The CF, Seay, don't let him on the bases!!!

Sam Houston - Ahhh, my alma mater...sad days there for one of my former coaches Ronnie Powers. They do have a good #1, Blanton, but not much else around him. If he can throw strikes and get ahead in the count, he can keep them in some games. But not sure how the defense and offense will support him.

I like Arlington alot in this district, though not necessarily to win it. Martin, Lamar and Duncanville should be there. If they slip up, DeSoto and Bowie can make things intresting with them.
Last edited by funneldrill
Lee hit over .300 for them, so one would think that if has been working then raising that to the .350 range is not out of the question.

I believe the soph. is in basketball? He is a pretty good size kid. You are right though, it will take more than a name to get the job done.

Lamar graduated people in key positions. #2 pitcher is a question mark until someone steps up. Lee is probably the top candidate based on last year. Of course, that was last year!

Their JV was good. The DeSoto JV swept them last year, but both were hard fought close games.

On paper, Lamar "should" be one of the top 4 teams in that district. But, that's why we play the game on grass/dirt and not on paper.

Oh, I went out to see DeSoto's new and improved facility. It is awesome!!! It is a mini-Duncanville in regards to the seating, pressbox, and roof over the seating. The rest of the facility needs lots of work, but the new superintendent intends on bringing the baseball facility up to the same level as DeSoto's football and basketball facilities.

I am proud of the fact that I had a hand in getting that project off the ground.
DeSoto's new field is in the same spot. Just getting a facelift.

They basically removed the old stands and pressbox and put in new stands that wrap around home plate with a pressbox built into the top of them.

There is a roof that covers the stands, though there will be some obstructed view due to the steel beams.

The backstop was taken down and replaced with a wall and netting.

A warning track will now go from dugout to dugout behind home plate.

A new 9 inning scoreboard will be in RF.

Still to come, new batting cages, new irrigation system.

I live in the Lamar attendance zone and know many of the kids that have played there. I also played in HS with the head coach and varsity assistant. I think they do a good job there. As for the JV coach, football was #1 for him. Also, football is #1 there (like most places) and if a kid plays football and baseball, football is the priority...period! That was always made clear to the JV coach.
You are correct about the coach/friend thing. I am there for my players. I consider myself a player's coach in that I try to create an atmosphere of fun for the game, love for the game and respect for the game. I will have fun with my players, but when I say it's time to get down to business, they know it. They know what my expectations are of them on and off the field.

They know they can come to my about anything, however, they also know that there are boundaries to that, which are clearly defined for them.

Anyway, I wish the Vikes the best of luck. Hopefully, we can meet in the championship of your tournament.
After watching Lee pitch all summer and fall he is ready to be the #2 at Lamar. He increased his velocity to the 84 to 86 range and his curve is very good. The SS transfer (Arocha) may pitch in tournaments, but is a much better middle infielder than pitcher. Both Lee and Arocha are very good hitters who keep the ball in play, have good gap power and hit for average.
OP -

Although 2010 has an interest in McKinney - Pretty sure no kids there (unless a move is in the works, which would be awesome!). Mine is a freshman at MHS,so we are keeping are fingers crossed these next few days to see where we end up, and maybe, just maybe, by district we will get to see OPson and the rest of the talent over at North!
quote:
Originally posted by 4leafclover:
OP -

Although 2010 has an interest in McKinney - Pretty sure no kids there (unless a move is in the works, which would be awesome!). Mine is a freshman at MHS,so we are keeping are fingers crossed these next few days to see where we end up, and maybe, just maybe, by district we will get to see OPson and the rest of the talent over at North!


4LC,

I wish your son the best. How did things go yesterday? McKinney is my alma-mater and I wish them well.....except 2 days a year!! Keep us posted on how things are going this week.
I don't know who you consider"others" but at least 5 maybe 6 threw andthere were no numbers so I can not tell you who they are as I only know of Johnson by site. All the others beside Johnson were not that impressive.

Nothing stood out at the plate except the Grace prep hitters that hit it out of the park on several of the kids not named Johnson from Lamar.
Once again the Johnson kid from Lamar excelled in his 3 innings of work against Trinity. No hits, no runs.

Don't have a kid on the team and don't know any current players and only know the Johnson's as family freinds but as a casual observer, Lamar will need some help besides Johnson on the hill.

I heard multible guys have hurt arms and that can't be good as you head into tournament play.

On a side note, the Lamar freshman beat Trintiy in their first scrimmage of the year. After watching my older son in college games, it's was a little tough to go watch the younger one at his first HS scrimmage/game. I have to remind myself it is not summer ball or college ball and just relax.
It sounds to me like a lot of people are severely underestimating lamar. Drew Johnson seems to be a hot topic. I haven't played him at all the last couple years and don't have a strong recollection of him. If he's doing as well as I've heard, then I send my congradulations. However, and with this I intend no disrespect, but I've played with Nick Lee and most of the other players on the team for that matter and Nick Lee is their #2 arm. Again, I haven't seen Drew pitch and admittedly I am biased, but Nick's a talented kid and will do a lot of good things both as a pitcher, second baseman and as one of the two left handed bats that will anchor this lamar lineup. Also, don't be surprised if Ben Walker throws some quality innings out there in important games this year- there's a live arm that seems to be getting overlooked. As for the pitching staff on the whole, I encourage the lamar faithful to relax a little. Sometimes, we all tend to forget that you don't have to be prototypical phenom like the ace of the staff to get outs. After all, that is the objective.

I think Screwball for the most part is dead on in his previous breakdown of the district. Though, in my humble opinion, with Buchelle, Arocha, and Lee, Lamar has the best infield in the district. THeir outfield is no slouch either. YOu've got three pretty good athletes out there in Garner, Green, and Jockers. All three of those guys will make considerable defensive as well as offensive contributions this year (Taylor Jockers being the other left handed bat previously mentioned accompanying Nick- let me pre-empt any arguments of Taylor maybe not hitting well last year- He's capable of hitting at least .350 and I think he would be disappointed in that performance). For my money, Lamar finishes second in the district, beheind duncanville and ahead of martin (Martin is short on arms and will have to rely on their offense to make the playoffs- never a good formula for winning consistently). Watch out for Bowie though. Their #1 will give the chance to win any given night in district play.
Duncanville has pitching issues. Calhoun has good stuff, but he has yet to do it on the varsity level.

Here is a little inside scoop for all of you..._________ is ineligible and has been since the end of the football season. Remember, he was ineligible his entire freshman and sophomore year. Last year, was the first year he passed. If this is an issue this season, that makes them a much different team. I hope for his sake he gets his grades together because he is a a tremendous talent.

Arlington is the team to watch. They return their entire lineup plus they got Zac Osman back from Pantego. We scrimmaged Martin on Saturday. NCHS19, I agree with your assessment on them. But, they know how to and expect to win.
Last edited by Panther Dad
funneldrill -- with all due respect, I think it is inappropriate to discuss specific eligibility issues in this forum.

Everyone, let's stay positive about kids. Even the more "liberal" football message boards generally stay away from the no-pass, no-play topic since the entire story is seldom available and it may paint a kid in a negative light.

As for game recaps, etc....let's all be sensitive to the fact that we are serving as reporters of sorts, despite our obvious bias towards one of the two teams. Again, let's highlight positives and only mention negatives in a generic sense. I prefer, "the Panthers' winning run was unearned...." to "East won on an error by Plano West's left-handed third baseman..." Smile

These "suggestions" are not aimed by funneldrill....there are few coaches that demostrate his level of care and concern for his kids. FD, you're a class act.

Looks like another great day for baseball tomorrow! Stay warm. Smile
PD I understand you sensitivity to addressing anyone in a negative light on this board, but I don't think Funneldrill was doing anything but stating a fact about a player. There were several posts prior to FD's post that questioned the heart of specific players from Lamar, if that's what you are addressing, I guess I understand, but make sure you don't call out people directly either.

If not for FD posts, most of the members spend their time slapping each other on the back about their sons greatness. FD is one of the few who bring true information about local high school baseball to the forum. I would guess 50% of the post should be private messages from one Dallas Tiger or DBAT or Mustang to another. Most of the posts are inane drone. If not for FD and a few others this forum would not be worth the cyberspace it takes up.
quote:
Originally posted by nchs19:
Martin is short on arms and will have to rely on their offense to make the playoffs- never a good formula for winning consistently.

What happened to all of Martin's pitching? They had 5 Arlington A's, 2 Dallas Mustangs (1 of those may be a Tiger now but not sure) and 1 Monarch pitchers.
Last edited by 11sdad
reggie -- this isn't a personal issue with any one person. The Lamar discussion did not mention specific players by name when questioning their heart. Or if it did, those posts are equally inappropriate. I have no desire to direct the discussion in one way or another. This particular issue has nothing to do with DBAT, the Dallas Tigers, Mustangs, or Marshals.

Regarding your feelings about the other inane drone, the primary purpose of the site is to share information regarding HS baseball as it relates to many subjects. But the rules discourage negativity towards specific players.

You're 51 posts into this message board. I'm not expecting you to research history here, but I have always been a big supporter of funneldrill and appreciate his unique position. In this case, I do not think it is beneficial to the discussion or anyone involved to specifically identify an ineligible player. Call it a moderator's perrogative if you think the editing was selective. Or contact me in private and we can discuss it further.

I respect your opinion on this matter. Again, it is not personal. I have a feeling that FD will not have a huge problem with my stance. Many consider this cyberspace to be a valuable resource, because it is much more than DFW chit-chat. A lot of backslapping? -- YES. Too much at times? -- Perhaps.

FD and other coaches will continue to be among the board's favorite posters -- with much of the "best" information to share.

-PD
PD,

I see nothing wrong with your moderation in this case. As a parent, if my son had grade issues, I wouldn't want it plastered all over this website. Like you said, there may be extenuating circumstances. Even if there is not, it doesn't need to be discussed here.

I also enjoy funneldrill's ideas and discussions very much, but I bet he would agree that we can leave kids grade issues out.
quote:
Originally posted by screwball:
Lamar played Hebron and Irving Friday night. Lamar won both games, forget the scores but Hebron was closer than Irving. Don't know about Hebron or Irving but Lamar was still looking at several pitchers. Lee only threw two innings and Sperry didn't pitch at all.


Is there a different Hebron than the one in District 6-5A? The Hebron Hawks did not play Friday or last weekend.
quote:
Originally posted by nchs19:
Martin is short on arms and will have to rely on their offense to make the playoffs- never a good formula for winning consistently.


quote:
Originally posted by funneldrill:
NCHS19, I agree with your assessment on them.



PD I'm not sure what your talking about, we have no pitching. Wink
Last edited by 11sdad
quote:
Originally posted by Panther Dad:
We have to prepare for your son, T-B dad and Collikar's son, and the Coppell, Mansfield, and Keller Central kids -- we're going to have our hands full!


You do NOT have to prepare for T-Bird son...he is about #6 on the pitching depth chart...that is why he was throwing on Saturday. The wind kept blowing the ball into the strike zone.
quote:
Originally posted by 04and10:
I've been out of pocket the last few weeks, has Lamar decided on it's pitching staff? Johnson has had a good spring but who has emerged as the no. 2 behind him?


its hard to tell what lamar's plans are. sperry has only thrown a few innings since we started and has struggled in every outing. drew has looked good. lee has not pitched that much and has struggled quite abit. i guess we will see tonight against duncanville.
This is from the DMN web-site but im not sure it's correct. I feel for whoever plays Arlington High (if they make it) in the 1st round because they are playing great baseball right now.


Arl. Martin 10-2
Cedar Hill 8-4
Duncanville 8-2
Arlington 7-4
Arl. Bowie 6-6
Arl. Lamar 6-6
DeSoto 1-10
Arl. Sam Houston 0-12
Last edited by 11sdad
quote:
Originally posted by Dtiger:
So can I ask the obvious question, why do some teams have 2 more games on their records than others? I'm more concerned on how/when they'll be making up the games if indeed they haven't been played.

Dtiger I believe the list should look more like this but I could be wrong, the above list was copied from the DMN web-site.

Arl. Martin 10-2
Duncanville 9-3
Arlington 8-4
Cedar Hill 8-4
Arl. Bowie 6-6
Arl. Lamar 6-6
DeSoto 1-10
Arl. Sam Houston 0-12

If this isn't correct can someone in the know help?
Yep, should look like this:

Martin 10-2
Duncan 9-3
Ced Hil 8-4
Arling 8-4
Bowie 6-6
Lamar 6-6
Desoto 1-11
Sam 0-12

Martin, Duncanvill are in. Pretty sure Cedar Hill is in as well. Arlington is in with a win Tuesday over Lamar or a Friday win against Sam which should happen. Lamar has to beat Arlington and Martin and must hope Arlington gets beat on Friday which would put Arlington in a tie with Lamar. Then I don't know if it is a playoff game or coin flip.

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