Could it be that the results of beginning select baseball at younger ages is producing more overall talent, i.e., stronger classes? I know select isn't a new phenonemon, but it was unusual for kids in my '00 and '03 sons' classes to have played it for more than a few seasons. My '08 will have played select for 8 summer seasons and a number of fall campaigns before college.
Hmmm.
I must admit, that in the SA area the '07 class is deeper than the '08.
I know select baseball has made a big difference at my son's school. Most of the teams we played this past year had maybe two of three kids that had played select ball at any level, and my son's team had I know 14 kids that had been playing select atleast 4 years plus fall ball.
I believe there is no doubt select ball is making a huge difference in the quality of the players that are being produced. But what I also think is helping is the fact that at the bigger schools, kids are having to focus more on just one sport to play. I am not saying coaches are forcing athletes to chose which between sports, i never saw it( but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen), but that there is so much competition that its hard to excel at 2-3 sports. I would bet if you look at the rosters of your better teams in the area most of the players play select baseball and it only year round.
I think a mix of football and baseball is the most popular amongst the 2 sport players. Drabek may be phenom in baseball ,but he still plays a mean wide receiver. Some of the Kingwood kids enjoy football because of all the weight training leading up to the baseball season. I wonder if the baseball coaches go to the football games? LOL There goes my star pitcher down the field and gets sandwiched by two huge 250-300 pound kids. Can I remove my hands from eyes yet? :P
Great example of kids getting better in baseball. Little League World Series.Check out the 3rd basemen from Hawaii.Pitcher tonite from California throwing 80...
quote:Originally posted by penja:
I think a mix of football and baseball is the most popular amongst the 2 sport players. Drabek may be phenom in baseball ,but he still plays a mean wide receiver. Some of the Kingwood kids enjoy football because of all the weight training leading up to the baseball season. I wonder if the baseball coaches go to the football games? LOL There goes my star pitcher down the field and gets sandwiched by two huge 250-300 pound kids. Can I remove my hands from eyes yet? :P
I don't mean to get the football vs. baseball thing going again with baseballmom but I am a big proponent of kids playing football and baseball. I think there a numerous examples of MLB players who played high school football. I just have never seen anything for me to believe that in order to succeed in baseball a kid needs to drop high school football.
As penja mentioned the off-season football conditioning programs these high schools have developed are reason enough for a kid to play football in order to gain an advantage in baseball. As far as developing strength, cardivascular development, speed, and agility the high school off-season football programs have come a long way in the past few years.
Any athlete in any sport would benefit from such a program.
I thank God every fall that my son gave up football.
Too hard on the body.
Too hard on the body.
Have to agree with KD on this one. You can give me all the reasons in the world about how football makes them stronger, etc. I agree yes, but the risk for INJURY is too great.
Count your blessings, if your son plays and can stay healthy for multiple sports.
Count your blessings, if your son plays and can stay healthy for multiple sports.
Echo Lt and KD...I was high-fivin' myself when he said it was baseball year 'round.
PantherSon gave up football this year -- with mixed emotions from mom & I. He has football talent as well. I just couldn't find a good argument to try to pursuade him to play when his heart (and passion) weren't in it. I miss seeing him lead the team -- he probably would have seen JV snaps at QB this year. In any case, I agree that the two sports can co-exist and the cross-training for strength is a good thing.
But have you seen the size (and speed) of the kids trying to take the QB's head off? And -- new turf and all -- ACL's, MCL's, LCL's, and most other ligamemts weren't designed for all that..........JMO.
But have you seen the size (and speed) of the kids trying to take the QB's head off? And -- new turf and all -- ACL's, MCL's, LCL's, and most other ligamemts weren't designed for all that..........JMO.
Looked brutal didn't it PD?
Kids with good work ethic can do their own off season (e.g., not baseball season) workouts. They don't have to have football to get their workout. And a lifting program designed for baseball is better for baseball players.
Not knocking football. Just noting that the fall conditioning doesn't require being in football.
Not knocking football. Just noting that the fall conditioning doesn't require being in football.
agree with Texan.
We've got a couple players at his school that are baseball-f******l players. Neither are pitchers.
Our pitchers work an entirely "pitcher directed" off season. Yankees off season routine & Jaeger are great tools.
And, I agree that select ball is making inroads in some areas on the quality/caliber of the HS player, which can only raise the level of District play.
We've got a couple players at his school that are baseball-f******l players. Neither are pitchers.
Our pitchers work an entirely "pitcher directed" off season. Yankees off season routine & Jaeger are great tools.
And, I agree that select ball is making inroads in some areas on the quality/caliber of the HS player, which can only raise the level of District play.
FO, I missed the actual bang-bang -- but I was sick once the consequences became apparent. Fortunately, he is doing well and will fry on the turf on Friday night.
6 hours till kickoff and I can hardly wait!!
Violence and mayhem - you can't beat it!!
Violence and mayhem - you can't beat it!!
in 103 degree heat, & conservatively 110+ with pads on! Just hope no one collapses from heat exhaustion or worse.
Every year it's the same story. Teams from the north. By the end of the year the teams from Corpus Christi are in the playoffs. Come on guys think outside of the box.
?????
What took you so long, citger?
Pitch in, which of the Corpus teams will win their respective state classes next year?
Pitch in, which of the Corpus teams will win their respective state classes next year?
very good question.
I think Ray high school will be very good this coming year, they have a number of players that have been starters since they were freshman and now they are srs.. so look out for them..
4a calallen will be strong again with the winner of the semi-final game only being a soph. last year. That bodes well for the wildcats who always seem to make a run to round rock..
I think Ray high school will be very good this coming year, they have a number of players that have been starters since they were freshman and now they are srs.. so look out for them..
4a calallen will be strong again with the winner of the semi-final game only being a soph. last year. That bodes well for the wildcats who always seem to make a run to round rock..
No where did I see any south Texas teams mentioned.Every year the north forgets about Corpus Christi and every year CC is there in the playoffs. Spread the love. 
In 4A Look out for Mesquite Poteet to be stronger than people are giving them credit. They lose one of the best coaches in Texas High Scool Baseball, but they have hired Bobby Doe, former Big Spring coach, worked in scouting 13 years with the Twins organization and recent success in Missouri HS Baseball. they have 2 strong lefty pitchers (seniors) Anthony Arrietta and Brian Watson. They have a seasoned defense to back them up. Look really good so far in Fall. They also have several good kids in playing JV and Freshman ball. Movers to look out for in freshman: RHPs Johnny Riley, Blake Lemmons, Nick Yager and Bradley Stone. Good core of JV and freshmen players means this team will be strong for years.
Amarillo High School may well be the team this year. They are sure to dominate their district and region. They return their entire staff from the team that beat state finalist Lubbock Monterey three times, won two pre-season tourneys, etc. in 05. In addition they have a kid who hit low 90s for the Blacksox last summer, yet he was about no 6 on the AHS depth chart and hardly saw the field. If that kid emerges, it's all over. They are so deep that they could quite literally field two fairly competitive 5A teams. If this team was anywhere else in the state, we'd be reading about a bunch of these kids making D-1 commitments already.
My son's team crossed paths with them this fall, when well over half their bunch was off playing football, and even that team was quite dominant.
There are some demographic trends and enrollment policies that allow that school to load up, primarily for its football program. The result is a baseball program that has two or three times the kids a school of that size (barely 2000) would normally have. With a new coach last year, they only tipped the iceberg.
My son's team crossed paths with them this fall, when well over half their bunch was off playing football, and even that team was quite dominant.
There are some demographic trends and enrollment policies that allow that school to load up, primarily for its football program. The result is a baseball program that has two or three times the kids a school of that size (barely 2000) would normally have. With a new coach last year, they only tipped the iceberg.
rcmax29- if i am not mistaking, Amarillo will have to get passed a nice team in Mansfield. Mansfield does have one of the best staffs in the state and also one of the best pitchers in the nation. So i am not sure they will just dominate their region. I saw them play last year agianst a state finalist team in rockwall (playoff warm-up game) and their staff held them too 2 runs and they threw i believe 3 pitcher, all who are returning, they will be very hard for anyone to beat.
For what it is worth, I saw the kid from Amarillo throw a few times this summer, and he has nothing but a average fastball, for Texas that is, and why he is listed #6 on the depth chart, not trying to bash anyone here, but lets deal with the truth! I think Mansfield and the Woodlands will see each other in June!
I agree that Mansfield will be tough to beat no doubt. In the meantime, I would guess that Amarillo High will dominate its district and the first few rounds of playoffs till it meets up with Mansfield. A variable is that Amarillo lost 5 or 6 position players, who were pretty outstanding offensively. But to compare with teams from Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, etc. - anything west of FW area, they have enough talent to be the class of the field and will also surprise some metroplex teams in pre-season play as they did last year.
But no doubt, it's hard to argue with curveball and southpaw about Mansfield. They will be tough, tough, tough.
What about Weatherford?
But no doubt, it's hard to argue with curveball and southpaw about Mansfield. They will be tough, tough, tough.
What about Weatherford?
I agree with Ctiger that Ray High School in Corpus will be dangerous. They are loaded from top to bottom but you can never count out Moody from that district. How does Carroll look?
rcmax... for a parent from a team that "crossed paths" with an Amarillo fall team, you seem to be very well informed. Come on talk your guys up, that's what this is for... no need to hide your allegiance.
Being from Amarillo, I would say pitching-wise we should be very good this year, offensively and defensively there are lots of gaps to fill. I have noticed that taking two 90 mph fastballers (Monterey) will get you farther in the playoffs than a whole bunch of low 80s pitchers. As I have posted before, look also to Midland High, whose collective team won the 13 year old AAU national tournament, and gave Monterey all they could handle last year as Juniors.
My kid is on a rival team to Amarillo High. Living in the area I have developed somewhat of an "allegiance" to all West Texas or Panhandle teams who put together a competitive group. Every year a special team or two emerges from this part of the state, but they never seem to get the recognition they deserve. Typically those special teams come out of Lubbock (Monterey) or Midland (Lee or MHS). Until recently it was a little unusual to see them from Amarillo. Three years ago it was Randall in 4A, followed by Tascosa in 03, and Amarillo High this year and next. And of course there was the Lubbock Hubbers going to the Connie Mack World Series in 04 and Midland High's run a few years earlier.
So I am surely revealing my geographic bias, that's for sure. Point being, there is some pretty decent ball being played in Midland, Lubbock, and Amarillo, especially at the 5A level. Every year, a few kids emerge as special talents only to go largely unnoticed in the rest of the state. Even then, last year, for example, nearly half of my kid's district at bats came against future D-1 commitments or MLB draftees.
Bottom line is that any discussion of teams to beat has to include a team or two from out this way. This year, my pick happens to be Amarillo High. Tough for Monterey to repeat without Hobdy and Phillips on the hill. Not sure what's emerging from Midland after 05 graduations, so there's my call.
So I am surely revealing my geographic bias, that's for sure. Point being, there is some pretty decent ball being played in Midland, Lubbock, and Amarillo, especially at the 5A level. Every year, a few kids emerge as special talents only to go largely unnoticed in the rest of the state. Even then, last year, for example, nearly half of my kid's district at bats came against future D-1 commitments or MLB draftees.
Bottom line is that any discussion of teams to beat has to include a team or two from out this way. This year, my pick happens to be Amarillo High. Tough for Monterey to repeat without Hobdy and Phillips on the hill. Not sure what's emerging from Midland after 05 graduations, so there's my call.
rcmax 29 to answer your question about
Weatherford. Zack Britton commited to A&M, Darrell Lockett has commited to Weatherford J.C. and they have two to three more with the opporunity to play in college. We have most of our infield back with the exception of 1b and the # 2 pitcher from last year, plus one outfielder. Personally I think they will do just fine. I have watched these kids grow up and I'm proud of who they have become. With that being said Mansfield will still be the team to beat. Look forward to the first weekend in March out in Midland.
Weatherford. Zack Britton commited to A&M, Darrell Lockett has commited to Weatherford J.C. and they have two to three more with the opporunity to play in college. We have most of our infield back with the exception of 1b and the # 2 pitcher from last year, plus one outfielder. Personally I think they will do just fine. I have watched these kids grow up and I'm proud of who they have become. With that being said Mansfield will still be the team to beat. Look forward to the first weekend in March out in Midland.
Midland is a great tournament. Enjoyed watching the Weatherford kids last year.
carroll will be young
but they are talented young kids so we will just have to wait and see about them.
i know they are having a good fall. They have won acouple of tournaments in corpus with teams from moody and calallen in them. so they know how to compete.
i really dont know how they will do.
one more note on carroll: their ss just committed to baylor i was reading in the paper this weekend.
but they are talented young kids so we will just have to wait and see about them.
i know they are having a good fall. They have won acouple of tournaments in corpus with teams from moody and calallen in them. so they know how to compete.
i really dont know how they will do.
one more note on carroll: their ss just committed to baylor i was reading in the paper this weekend.
Pitching.
That is who is going to win. Got three superstar hitters? Pitch around them.
You need 1 great pitcher and one very good to advance. Not some "crafty lefty" that throws 81 mph. They get rocked when the good teams meet.
My vote is for Rockwall but I don't know what the new school did to the pitching.
That is who is going to win. Got three superstar hitters? Pitch around them.
You need 1 great pitcher and one very good to advance. Not some "crafty lefty" that throws 81 mph. They get rocked when the good teams meet.
My vote is for Rockwall but I don't know what the new school did to the pitching.
70mph
I think Flower Mound Fans would disagree with your assessment.
They had one of the top pitching staffs in the country last year, much less the state. They couldn't get past their 1st round series against Southlake.
The team with the most talent, pitching or otherwise, does not always win. It takes team chemistry, drive, a little luck, as well as good coaching decisions to win state at this level. It doesn't just start at tournament time but at day 1 of practice. Coaches must have the respect of the players and the players must believe in what the coaches are selling. Players from the superstar to the benchwarmer must forget about their individual goals and sign on to the team concept.
I think good pitching typically gives you the advantage but at the high school level the other intangibles are most important.
IMO
I think Flower Mound Fans would disagree with your assessment.
They had one of the top pitching staffs in the country last year, much less the state. They couldn't get past their 1st round series against Southlake.
The team with the most talent, pitching or otherwise, does not always win. It takes team chemistry, drive, a little luck, as well as good coaching decisions to win state at this level. It doesn't just start at tournament time but at day 1 of practice. Coaches must have the respect of the players and the players must believe in what the coaches are selling. Players from the superstar to the benchwarmer must forget about their individual goals and sign on to the team concept.
I think good pitching typically gives you the advantage but at the high school level the other intangibles are most important.
IMO
This discussion really comes down to which teams peak at the right time. I talked to a Rockwall assistant last year...and they didn't look like state semi-finalists in March. They put it all together just before the playoffs and went on an exception run. In 2003, my son's team at Plano East didn't even win their district, but made it to the Regional finals because of consistent pitching, strong defense, and timely hitting. Such is the case every year. Forney never won the title with Segovia (sp?) there, but reached the final 4 several years in a row. As H&U said, it's about team chemistry. All coaches love the luxury of having 2-3 draft picks on the hill. And that happens once in a blue moon.
The uncertainty of each game.....that's the beauty of baseball, eh? Weren't the Astros 15 games under .500 at some point this year?
Mansfield is no doubt exception on paper. And I would expect awesome years from their great arms. But penciling them into the final 4 will do little but inspire the other teams in their district and in the region.
Is it February yet?
The uncertainty of each game.....that's the beauty of baseball, eh? Weren't the Astros 15 games under .500 at some point this year?
Mansfield is no doubt exception on paper. And I would expect awesome years from their great arms. But penciling them into the final 4 will do little but inspire the other teams in their district and in the region.
Is it February yet?
Hey CTIGER how do the other teams in the district look besides carroll, I know ray is loaded with seniors including 3 division 1 early signees, Kenneth Avila SS- Northwestern University (Big 10), Trey Crain 3B- Rice University (C-USA), and James Tankersley P- UTSA (Southland), how do some of the other teams look and can any1 challenge Ray?