Tops in VA for 2011

Western Branch -- They essentially return the same team that lost 3-2 to West Springfield in the semis last year.

Up NOVA way:

W.T. Woodson is STACKED in both pitching and with hitters. Should be the top public school in the area.
Westfield and Lake Braddock.

Private: WCAC is crazy strong and deep...DeMatha, then St. Johns, then Paul VI, but the whole conference will beat up on each other...I know the MAC's Flint Hill got a GREAT new coaching staff and have some transfers coming in to make them strong...

I am going with South County. They have a pretty good coach, four d-1 players, two pitchers a catcher and an infielder. Have been near the top before. I also like Woodson with their pitching, they did lose a lot of good seniors in the field and at the plate. LB enough said, best coach in the region IMO.

bxbomber is right...SC has a bunch of very good returners and some stud athletes moving up from JV. The team speed will be off the charts. My bad for omitting them!

Battlefield District:

This year the Battlefield District has several teams who are going to compete and go far in the region. I don't see anyone of them dominating the district like Courtland H.S. did last year. I believe the Battlefield District champions will be one of the following four teams. (Spotsylvania, Courtland, Chancellor or Easter View). Anyone of these teams has the potential to make it to the AA states. Not too familiar with the King George and Caroline teams this year.

Spotsylvania H.S.
Lost the following key seniors:
Matt Houston
Travis Payne
Kevin Seay
Returning key players:
R.W. Payne
Chris Ardiente
Trevor Talley
B.J. Collins

Courtland H.S.
Lost the following key seniors:
Ryan McBroom
Matt Lenox
Casey Lynch
Joe Nartowicz
Billy Rausch
Returning key players:
Clay Keranen
Jonathan Haught
Travis Weaver

Chancellor H.S.
Lost the following key players:
Cameron Ayers
Ruane Thomas
Returning key players:
Steven Barlow
Travis Frum
Mike Oster
Chris Barlow
Brent Gromer

Eastern View H.S.
Lost the following key players:
Brandon Scott
Matt Ward
Trevor Mack
Returning key players:
Josh Gardiner
Geoff Ward
Ben Pittman

The Patriot District will be a crapshoot this year. Lots of pitching! I give the edge to SC with quite a few returning players, a couple of good pitchers and a couple of good hitters. LB will be fairly young with only two or three seniors coming back but should be tough. They will need their younger players to step up. Woodson has 4 very good pitchers but don't know about their hitting. I think they lost maybe six starters (non-pitchers) from last season. West Springfield should also be tough although they will be without a dominant pitcher for the first time in years.

quote:

They have a pretty good coach, four d-1 players, two pitchers a catcher and an infielder

Wow! Four D-1's huh? The last time I knew of a program with that many, the state title was won.

quote:

Originally posted by grasscutter:
Wow! Four D-1's huh? The last time I knew of a program with that many, the state title was won.

Didn't Manchester have 4 last year?

quote:

Originally posted by redbird5:

quote:

Originally posted by grasscutter:
Wow! Four D-1's huh? The last time I knew of a program with that many, the state title was won.

Didn't Manchester have 4 last year?

Morrison, Ayers, Ayers, and Cujas I think.

A year or two earlier, Cosby had five or six if my memory serves me. I think James River have four or five at one point. In neither case were they all seniors but all signed D1.

Matoaca also had a number of D-1s, as well as D-3s, in 2010. According to an article in the Chesterfield Observer, they had players going to U of Maryland, Bowling Green, James Madison, Christopher Newport, Longwood, George Mason and Methodist College.

Woodbridge will be a contender again this year. They lost in the state Finals last year to West Springfield. They return 6 starters from last years squad including 1 D1 commit and 4 other D1 players that are Juniors. Solid all around team. Will contend for another Northwest region title.

quote:

Originally posted by n2fords:
Woodbridge will be a contender again this year. They lost in the state Finals last year to West Springfield. They return 6 starters from last years squad including 1 D1 commit and 4 other D1 players that are Juniors. Solid all around team. Will contend for another Northwest region title.

Who are the 4 D1 juniors? I know of Gum and Thomas but don't know of any others.

Grasscutter,
Didn't another team in that same district have more than 4 D-1's? Must be the coaching, or maybe the fact that one pitcher threw about 175 pitches!!!! to win the state game.

Ha, I knew I could lure you out of your lair with that one! And it was only 164 pitches.

Actually, there wound up being six D-1's on that team (Baylor, Marshall, ODU (2), CNU and eventually ECU by way of Louisburg).

Great thread!

Not trying to slight any other teams at all but if you look at how close (geographically speaking) James River, Cosby, Manchester and Matoaca are, it's amazing how much top notch baseball talent has come from this area over the last several years and continues to emerge.

River seems to be the de facto favorite for the Dominion district but I am sure a few other teams will be up to the challenge of doing their best to change the equation.

One thing for sure, Va is producing a ton of baseball talent, no matter what region.

CNU is still Division 3 as far as I know

CNU is still Division 3 as far as I know

You are correct. I had D1 on my mind because the individual first attended VMI.

In the Northern part of the state, Id say put LB, WS, South County, and Woodson in the top four in any order you want. That district is just nasty.

Madison could be a player this year in the region as well. I dont see anybody else being at the level of the Patriot teams though. McLean can probably beat anybody once with Sborz on the mound and ditto with Fairfax when Vanderplas pitches and Westfield with Hoover, but overall the Patriot teams are by far the best if you ask me.

Woodbridge has to be considered the favorite, though, dont they? They didnt lose until the state title game last year and have 6 starters back! Not that any of this matters in the least, but am I missing something or do most people just think they overachieved last year?

I'd have to agree with vabaseball fan in large part. No doubt at all that the Patriot District will be the strongest in the State yet again this year. Whichever team emerges from that district will be the favorite for the Regions, and a strong contender for States. Also wouldn't be surprised if 2-3 of the final 4 Northern Regional teams will again be from Patriot District this year.

SC is clearly the favorite in th edistrict with the overall talent, speed, power hitting, pitching, and catching all at exceptional levels. They have it all, and if they don't go deep into the postseason, it will be a surprise (and a MAJOR disappointment). The next three are LB, WS, and Woodson -- in any order. Woodson is overrated by some people -- they do have 4 high-level pitchers returning, but lost most of their offense, and their defense will likely be suspect again this year. LB will be younger, but returning some studs and will have good pitching. WS lost their stud pitching, but has a good nucleus of position players with strong offense and defense, so if a pitcher or two steps up, they may surprise some people.

As for other contenders in the NoVa area, Woodbridge, Madison, McLean, and Fairfax are going to be in the mix. Fairfax and McLean will go far due to their premier pitchers, Madison will be solid (although probably not overly talented).

Woodbridge will probably get to the Regionals again without having played any strong teams, pretty much like last year. That will allow them to go into the States again this year, but once they come up against the stronger teams at that level, they will fold again.

In the Central Region, there are teams you just never rule out because their coaches have proved that they can make it work with whoever they have, year in and year out. Cosby, Hanover, and Matoaca in particular. I know Matoaca has one front line starting pitcher in Will Brown. Not as familiar with the rosters the others will run out there but I never count out these teams. They are going to be in the top 2 in their districts when the season ends, you can take it to the bank.

James River is really loaded with talent, but a lot of it is still underclass. I wonder if they'll reach their potential this year or if they might be still a year away from peaking.

I think Manchester lost a lot the last few years and may need a year or two to reload.

Deep Run and Douglas Freeman are teams to watch, lots of quality arms on those teams including Gardner, Brooks and Godfrey. Should be some great head-to-head games in the Colonial come spring.

quote:

Originally posted by berryberrygood:
I'd have to agree with vabaseball fan in large part. No doubt at all that the Patriot District will be the strongest in the State yet again this year. Whichever team emerges from that district will be the favorite for the Regions, and a strong contender for States. Also wouldn't be surprised if 2-3 of the final 4 Northern Regional teams will again be from Patriot District this year.

SC is clearly the favorite in th edistrict with the overall talent, speed, power hitting, pitching, and catching all at exceptional levels. They have it all, and if they don't go deep into the postseason, it will be a surprise (and a MAJOR disappointment). The next three are LB, WS, and Woodson -- in any order. Woodson is overrated by some people -- they do have 4 high-level pitchers returning, but lost most of their offense, and their defense will likely be suspect again this year. LB will be younger, but returning some studs and will have good pitching. WS lost their stud pitching, but has a good nucleus of position players with strong offense and defense, so if a pitcher or two steps up, they may surprise some people.

As for other contenders in the NoVa area, Woodbridge, Madison, McLean, and Fairfax are going to be in the mix. Fairfax and McLean will go far due to their premier pitchers, Madison will be solid (although probably not overly talented).

Woodbridge will probably get to the Regionals again without having played any strong teams, pretty much like last year. That will allow them to go into the States again this year, but once they come up against the stronger teams at that level, they will fold again.

Not doubting any of what you said here, but McLean lost a ton of talent. They do have Sborz, real good, and I heard they have another good pitcher transfer. What else is there? I hope you are right.

Fairfax does have Vanderplas, and he is a horse, but what else do they have? Kuchel (sp) REALLY stepped up last year, but he is gone. Without those 2 FFX may not have won a game...and one of them is gone.

Woodson may not be as strong offensively, but they can still hit and 4 very strong starter-type pitchers.

I think Madison will surprise some...solid well-coached team.

100% agreed, Dblemup. Both McLean and Fairfax will have to be carried by their strongest pitcher, which will possibly take them into Regionals. Also, I forgot to mention Westfield earlier -- they should be a force, too.

My real point is that, as good as these teams may be, it's unlikely any of them (other than possibly Madison)would even make the district playoffs if they were in the Patriot District. But because of the district in which they play, they will likely make it to the Regionals. And once you get there, anything can happen.

quote:

SC is clearly the favorite in th edistrict with the overall talent, speed, power hitting, pitching, and catching all at exceptional levels.

I'm not sure about the speed, but they do have pitching and a couple of kids that can hit and go yard.

McLean did have a transfer come in, Hunter. Havent seen the young man pitch, but I know he's a lefty and word is they think he's gonna be pretty tough. Hard to see where the runs are going to come from this year though after what they lost last year. Regardless, they'll play tough against top teams as will Fairfax and Westfield.

Totally agree that to mention any of those three in the same breath as any of the Patriot teams would be a serious reach. Not even close. No other NR team someone might care to mention has that kind of talent, with the possible exception of Madison. But they'd have to be clicking on all cylanders. They are the one team outside of the Patriot who could end up hitting with the top Patriot lineups.

The only reason I brought up McLean/Fairfax/Westfield earlier is because they all have pitchers that are capable of beating anybody with even minimal run support. That makes them dangerous.

Colonial District will be all over the place I think. Lots of teams beating up on each other.

Deep Run - Brooks, Bruce, Gardner should be the top 3 with a host of good junior arms waiting to prove themselves. Be an interesting lineup, not a lot of HR potential.

Godwin - Lees, Garrett, Stephens is enough said. They score 3 runs a game they should be golden for much of the year.

Freeman - Godfrey carries them on the mound. Mac Hudgins (sp?) at the plate. They could beat anyone when Godfrey is on the mound.

Tucker - Engler could be that effectively wild kind of guy that can really shut down a team. Lots of seniors returning, they have high expectations.

Hermitage - Honestly, don't know much about them except Korey Smith is pretty darn good. Someone else can fill in whatever else they got.

As I said before, I expect there to be a lot of teams beating up on each other, close wins, tough losses, whoever keeps their cool through the end and doesn't overreact should come out of it.

Oakton has some very good players returning from last years team and could be tough. If they find some pitching, I look for them make to some noise this year.

Bxbomber mentioned the best coach in the area being at Lake Braddock. Well, word on the street is that Scott Rowland and Don Kildo will be back on the field for Oakton this spring. No coaches get more out of their players than Rowland and Kildo.

With two D1 players, some strong pitching, an excellent D1 catcher (yet to sign), Oakton will make waves this spring.

quote:

Bxbomber mentioned the best coach in the area being at Lake Braddock. Well, word on the street is that Scott Rowland and Don Kildo will be back on the field for Oakton this spring. No coaches get more out of their players than Rowland and Kildo.

Agreed, Wagoneer. Sure, LB has a good coach, but I'm not sure how many truly consider him to be the "best in the area." There are a lot of coaches with a better record, that have well-deserved reputations of many years, and that have gone farther with less talent.
Also, I agree with Golfball that Oakton will be something to be reckoned with -- with Rowland returning, their coaching staff will be significantly upgraded over what they've had the past couple of years. Look for Oakton to be a presence again in the region.

Who is the D1 Oakton catcher?

quote:

Originally posted by redbird5:
Who is the D1 Oakton catcher?

I believe they are referring to Austin Lamon. Big kid. VERY good receiver and game "caller". When he is on, hits with good pop...4+ GPA...which in itself is getting him alot of attention.

Other catcher is Chris Hanson...great athlete bihind the dish...quick release

Chris Hanson is the catcher. Great behind the plate, cannon, quick, and good knowledge of the game. He'll fill out this year and be a good pickup for a good program.

I consider both of those two as well as Rutherford as good coaches as they will make players better and are not swayed by the size of the kid. There are a few coaches in the region who will not play you if you do not fill the door when you walk through it. To me the key to winning in high school is how well you get the last three or four players to contribute. This was one of Rowland's specialties. Kudos to Janis for bringing those two back

quote:

Originally posted by Wagoneer:
Chris Hanson is the catcher. Great behind the plate, cannon, quick, and good knowledge of the game. He'll fill out this year and be a good pickup for a good program.

If you are right. and I hope you are, that is great news that Hanson is getting that kind of attention. Fantastic kid, hard worker and about as athletic as it gets behind the plate.

That said, Lamon is also getting alot of well deserved attention also. Had a great summer and fall with the Stars.

I agree mostly with the top players to look at in 2011. There are alot of good players coming up from the sophomore year as well especially in the colonial district.

quote:

Originally posted by berryberrygood:
I'd have to agree with vabaseball fan in large part. No doubt at all that the Patriot District will be the strongest in the State yet again this year. Whichever team emerges from that district will be the favorite for the Regions, and a strong contender for States. Also wouldn't be surprised if 2-3 of the final 4 Northern Regional teams will again be from Patriot District this year.

SC is clearly the favorite in th edistrict with the overall talent, speed, power hitting, pitching, and catching all at exceptional levels. They have it all, and if they don't go deep into the postseason, it will be a surprise (and a MAJOR disappointment). The next three are LB, WS, and Woodson -- in any order. Woodson is overrated by some people -- they do have 4 high-level pitchers returning, but lost most of their offense, and their defense will likely be suspect again this year. LB will be younger, but returning some studs and will have good pitching. WS lost their stud pitching, but has a good nucleus of position players with strong offense and defense, so if a pitcher or two steps up, they may surprise some people.

As for other contenders in the NoVa area, Woodbridge, Madison, McLean, and Fairfax are going to be in the mix. Fairfax and McLean will go far due to their premier pitchers, Madison will be solid (although probably not overly talented).

Woodbridge will probably get to the Regionals again without having played any strong teams, pretty much like last year. That will allow them to go into the States again this year, but once they come up against the stronger teams at that level, they will fold again.

I agree with your opinion that the Patriot will be extremely strong again this year. The Northern Region has established itself as a baseball factory and the flow of talent looks like it will be here for quite some time. I have had the good fortune of watching many of these players during off season workouts as they prepare for upcoming seasons. The dedication to the sport in this area continues to get stronger each year and it is exciting to see these young men move up through the ranks and establish themselves as a some of the top players in the state.

I don't like to make predictions on baseball because it is baseball and anything can happen on any given day but if I had to pick a team that I thought would excel this year it would be Woodson. Not taking anything away from any other team in the area. I just like the fact that they will be very good on the mound and from what I have seen, I think that their sticks will produce more than enough runs to back up the pitching staff. All that being said, I believe that it is nearly impossible to figure out what will happen in the standings by year end. Even though you may have a ton of talent, somehow that group of boys must figure out a way to gel as a TEAM and adopt the attitude that each player on that team is an important cog in the overall success of that team. Calling yourselves a team doesn't get it. Acting like a team on and off the field and believing in each other everyday will add a factor against opponents that opposing coaches cannot prepare for in upcoming games. It sits there as an incredibly strong force and there is nothing the opposing team can do to eliminate it. You can always pitch around good hitters or decide to play more of a small ball game against dominating pitchers but the attitude and strength of a solidified confident team is hard to deal with. This past year, Woodbridge showed everyone in the state what the true meaning of team is. You can ask any of the opposing coaches or coaches who came out to witness any of there games. These kids demonstrated exactly what every coach strives for each year but few accomplish. It wasn't Coach Jason Ritenour trying to drill into them each day that they need to play like a team, it was a nucleus of about 12 of the 15 players who had played together since they were 9 & 10 years old in the same travel program who became family. The other players on the team simply bought into the concept because they saw an opportunity to be included in something very special. This was the first time in all my years that I have had the pleasure of witnessing the power of what a close knit team can accomplish. A "no one will take us down, no panic, never give up" attitude throughout the lineup and on the bench. The Cardinal District is not the most domiating district in the state and I will be the first to admit that but there were strong teams in the district. OP was highly ranked and strong, Hylton is always a problem and you can never go into a game thinking you are going to walk all over Potomac and Coach Covington. Woodbridge was able to get through the district schedule unscaved but definately didn't dominate. They also beat North Stafford,Stonebridge and West Springfield during the course of the year. A lot of heart, good pitching and timely late game hits enabled them to stay undefeated. In the Regions they beat Osbourn and Franklin County, two excellent clubs. In the States they were able to get by Woodson and Cosby before losing to the powerful West Springfield team. My point is, you can't say that Woodbridge didn't play any strong teams last year up to the states. And, to say they folded is taking away from a great day on the mound by Bobby Wahl and some excellent hitting at the plate by the Spartans. Folding was not in Woodbridge's vocabulary this past year. Now, will this happen again this year? Probably not. Woodbridge is young, one senior. They have some great younger players but the one thing that must happen in order to have another successful season like last year is that the entire team must come together as a TEAM as last years players did. If that doesn't happen, they will end up where I thought they would be last year before I underestimated their solidarity at around 15-5. Sorry for the long-winded reply but I guess I was on a little bit of a roll.

Nice post Bucktail. I don't know much about teams outside the Northern Region so it's good to read about other teams. And by the way. congrats on a great season last year for Woodbridge.

quote:

Originally posted by golfball:
Nice post Bucktail. I don't know much about teams outside the Northern Region so it's good to read about other teams. And by the way. congrats on a great season last year for Woodbridge.

Thank you Golfball,
I hope the fact that I am a Woodbridge Player's Parent doesn't take away from what my message was. I wasn't trying to let everyone know that Woodbridge is the greatest thing since sliced bread, I just wanted to bring into the light that there are a lot more factors to having a good season than the stud players on your your team. IMO, the two key players in Woodbridge's success last year were Wirth and Szwed. Wirth was our utility player who I believe started every game somehwere. He moved to whatever position opened up depending on who was called to the mound and even pitched a few innings. Szwed was our Senior catcher who's leadership qualities were about the highest I have seen. The absence of his leadership and Wirth's ability to play anywhere will need to be filled this year. We have the players to do it but it definately needs to be done at the same intensity.
I love seeing the players from Northern Virginia do well. I have many Head Coach Friends and a Head Coach Cousin in the Northern Region and I love seeing there success as well as the success of there players.

Are Wirth and Szwed playing anywhere in college? They sound like good follows.

quote:

Originally posted by justakid:
Are Wirth and Szwed playing anywhere in college? They sound like good follows.

Wirth at George Mason and Szwed at Clemson. Niether went to play baseball.