WCAC 2011....

PVI should be strong. Tremendous amount of pitching depth,including 4 D1 pitchers -Garner,Aker,Veeder,Kidd.

Veeder isn't going to St. Joe's to pitch, is he?

Lansing Veeder is an outstanding athlete and talent who can do anything on the ball field, and will do whatever he is asked to help his team. I have no personal insight into what the St. Joe's coaches have in mind for him at the next level, but I would not bet against Lance becoming the same type of multi-positional multi-dimensional impact player at the next level that he has been in HS ... and he is a terrific young man.

As to the WCAC in 2011, I would have to say that DeMatha, PVI & St John's will once again prove to be the class of the league. I would expect that it will become a matter of who stays healthy, who plays up to their potential & who plays best on any given day to see which of these teams comes out on top.

The one known in the equation is that there will be some very good baseball played in the WCAC this spring.

I know he is talented. I just see him as a position player more than a P. Hence the question.

Veeder has proven himself as a VERY good HS pitcher, as with any other pitcher, when he is on...which for him is most of the time. I am not in the "in crowd" on how he will be used in college...but I did hear that St. Joe's saw him pitch and liked what they saw, but he was recruited as a MIF/UTL player.

I saw someone say that the coaching staff at GC is new. Is this true? What happened to the head coach from last year?

quote:

Originally posted by WCACFAN:
I saw someone say that the coaching staff at GC is new. Is this true? What happened to the head coach from last year?

DCSportsfan.com...will lay it all out for you...yes, new coach.

It would be nice to get a summary of the GC coaching change if anyone can offer that.

As for WCAC:

1. PVI--5 Division players starting; all of whom can pitch; plus several other core players with two full years of Varsity experience under their belts. . . Plus Billy Emersona at the helm.

2. DeMatha--with a 35 man roster (just kidding) every year, and their pick of the cream of the crop talent from a wide radius, DeMatha is ALWAYS very, very good, if not great. Could be #1.

3. St. John's--will return much more than anyone thinks, but lose one of the best hitting catchers I have seen in a long time. SS HAS got to live up to the UVA billing. Pitching has to be good. With the right combination of hard work and good breaks, will compete to be #1.

The rest are battling up hill. I have to believe GC cannot compete at the top again. I may be wrong, but it sure seems that with the loss of talent and with the change in coaches, it will be tough.

OC and Gonzaga both look to me like great potential teams. Lots of talent with good experience.

McNamara and BI on the rise. I would call the McNamara turnaround a miracle. Coaching has been unbelievable. BI, too. Coach Gallagher is a winner who has built a core of young talent, especially pitching talent, that will allow them to compete in every game. Would love to see both of these teams, plus Ryken, compete and climb.

Should be a great year. Must see games are PVI, DeMatha, and St J's games.

If PVI fails to win both the regular season and tournament championships, Coach Emerson needs to reevaluate what is going on. He has five Division I signees and may end up with another two. He goes about 6 deep in quality pitching, and has kids in all positions with two or three years of on-field WCAC Varsity experience. This team was built to rival his 2008 team. I don't think they come near that talent level, but some think this team may be as good. Key players, already signed:

--Kianka--fabulous physical talent; up there in the Verdin, Hoes category on talent.

--Kidd--If Cal St. Fullerton wants him, he's got to awfully good.

--Aker--Maybe their best pitcher and only a junior.

--Garner--Maybe their best pitcher.

--Veeder--a very good HS player entering his 4th year as a Varsity starter.

Add to this mix an experienced catcher (Robbett) and another potentially great pitcher (Frezza, if healthy), and this team is stacked.

quote:

Originally posted by isaacvanwart:
If PVI fails to win both the regular season and tournament championships, Coach Emerson needs to reevaluate what is going on. He has five Division I signees and may end up with another two. He goes about 6 deep in quality pitching, and has kids in all positions with two or three years of on-field WCAC Varsity experience. This team was built to rival his 2008 team. I don't think they come near that talent level, but some think this team may be as good. Key players, already signed:

--Kianka--fabulous physical talent; up there in the Verdin, Hoes category on talent.

--Kidd--If Cal St. Fullerton wants him, he's got to awfully good.

--Aker--Maybe their best pitcher and only a junior.

--Garner--Maybe their best pitcher.

--Veeder--a very good HS player entering his 4th year as a Varsity starter.

Add to this mix an experienced catcher (Robbett) and another potentially great pitcher (Frezza, if healthy), and this team is stacked.

As most know, the WCAC is a very difficult place to dominate. Virtually every other conference in the area has "gimme" games. There are none in the WCAC. Every team is tough. Also, let's keep in mind that all the players are teenagers and must live up to the expectations and avoid injuries...which doesn't always happen.

All that said, DeMatha, St. John's are proven and others are going to be very good teams as well.

I agree that DeMatha and St John's will be very tough, but I cannot get past PVI's pitching depth and overall experience. The 2011s have been starters, more or less, since 2009. Veeder since 2008. They go at least 5 deep on top quality pitchers. With Frezza, they have 6.

But you are 100% correct in two respects. DeMatha and St. John's both return alot of top talent. And, there is no easy win game in the WCAC. Gonzaga and OC can beat anyone, anytime. Ireton, with its young pitching, will be in most games. SMR and McNamara proved that they can compete with anyone.

What can you tell me about the state of things at GC? Seems to me they lost alot of talent and the coaching change has to have an impact.

RHobbs: I don't know a heck of a lot about GC. The coaching change is documented on dcsportsfans.com. I know they return Doherty (2012 UVA commit) and McGowan and they lost their top 4-5 hitters to grduation. I heard their JV team from last year was REALLY good.

Thanks. GC seems to be good at every sport now. They can compete with DeMatha in football, the big boys in baseball, girl's lacrosse is completely dominant. . . I guess basketball is one sport where they don't seem to have reached the top level in the WCAC. The new school seems to have attracted a ton of talent across the board. Sounds like with that JV team moving up to Varsity and a couple of returnees, GC may surprise some folks.

quote:

Originally posted by rhobbs:
Thanks. GC seems to be good at every sport now. They can compete with DeMatha in football, the big boys in baseball, girl's lacrosse is completely dominant. . . I guess basketball is one sport where they don't seem to have reached the top level in the WCAC. The new school seems to have attracted a ton of talent across the board. Sounds like with that JV team moving up to Varsity and a couple of returnees, GC may surprise some folks.

GC's team will have a very difficult time in duplicating last year's success, because they were so good and so senior "heavy". Kind of like PVI's 2008 team...they rarely come along like that. GC seems to do things right and no doubt the attraction of the school and the facilities help the rebuilding/reloading process.

The GC facilities are top shelp, although the baseball fences should be about 20' deeper, as they have the room....IMHO, DeMatha's field is VERY good as well. PVI's field surface is also very good. Too bad the layout is what it is (forced to share baseball and football field), because they would have a truely top of the line park. I was told they bought additional land and had a plan to separate the football and baseball fields, but the city shot it down...shame on the city. Ireton's place is real good, but no real "feel" being off campus, but they really have no other choice. Ryken, OC, MacNamara and Gonzaga's fields are an embarassment and dangerous at times. I know they are all limited by space, but they could take far better care of the fields itself. St. Johns...all that $$ and that is what they came up with...sheesh

I like your field descriptions of the WCAC fields. I may be biased, but I think that PVI's may be the best. Yes, it has that ridiculous 430 foot deep, 20 foot high CF fence, but it sure gives the RH hitter a chance down the line in LF at 302. The LH hitter is the one who is in tough shape--in all the games I have seen at PVI over the years, I have NEVER seen a HR over the right CF fence. But the surface is nearly flawless in a good season, and the "confines" really great once the weather warms up.

I like GCs and DeMatha's, too, but don't care for their "open feel very much." Also, I think DeMatha's left CF fence is a ridiculously short as PVI's right CF fence is ridiculously long.

I guess I like St John's new field better than you do. I like that it sits down in the valley, so to speak, and has its odd quirks.

BI's is a very good field, but the dimensions are almost pro. CF is 390, if I am not mistaken. A much improved facility from even 5 years ago.

SMR's is a neat field, but I am the first to admit that the big hill in CF and right CF comes into play way too often and impacts games.

McNamara's, Gonzaga's, and OC's old field are simply places teams have to play at. Wish all could be better.

quote:

Originally posted by rhobbs:
I like your field descriptions of the WCAC fields. I may be biased, but I think that PVI's may be the best. Yes, it has that ridiculous 430 foot deep, 20 foot high CF fence, but it sure gives the RH hitter a chance down the line in LF at 302. The LH hitter is the one who is in tough shape--in all the games I have seen at PVI over the years, I have NEVER seen a HR over the right CF fence. But the surface is nearly flawless in a good season, and the "confines" really great once the weather warms up.

I like GCs and DeMatha's, too, but don't care for their "open feel very much." Also, I think DeMatha's left CF fence is a ridiculously short as PVI's right CF fence is ridiculously long.

I guess I like St John's new field better than you do. I like that it sits down in the valley, so to speak, and has its odd quirks.

BI's is a very good field, but the dimensions are almost pro. CF is 390, if I am not mistaken. A much improved facility from even 5 years ago.

SMR's is a neat field, but I am the first to admit that the big hill in CF and right CF comes into play way too often and impacts games.

McNamara's, Gonzaga's, and OC's old field are simply places teams have to play at. Wish all could be better.

Don't get me wrong Hobbs, I like the surface at St. Johns and the venue. I just think they could've been abit more creative...Raise the HT of fence in RF and add some temporary fencing in LF and CF. I certainly understand their space limitations.

MC: expand and cover the dugouts, move the backstop back 20' would make that place much better.

No doubt you are correct about all of those recommendations. The fence is a critical issue. the sad thing is that I have seen CERTAIN homeruns, that would have impacted game outcomes, fall into the outfielder's glove at about 400 feet. Crazy. As are the pop-up homeruns to right. Still, its quirks make it interesting--somewhat like Fenway or something. That is why I like PVI's field. A 320 foot fly ball hit to left, fielder goes back, has to deal with the small hill in front of the fence, then has to deal with the fence, then it drops into the football stands. I just like that sort of thing.

SJC is #34 on Baseball America's preseason list of top 50 high schools. No other WCAC program was listed.

quote:

Originally posted by LHPMom2012:
SJC is #34 on Baseball America's preseason list of top 50 high schools. No other WCAC program was listed.

wow...

Has anyone heard that this year's playoffs will feature a three-game series in the semi-finals and finals? That's the rumor I heard today...

The details are on dcsportsfan.

LHPMom--I guess that goes to show you the value of rankings. Hard to believe that a PVI team with 5 Div I signees, plus a 6th waiting in the wings (Frezza), and a pitching staff that goes 6-7 deep, is not ranked.

New format would be a huge improvement. It will reveal much better who the best team is. Winning will now require pitching depth and consistently high quality play.

Isaac,
How's Frezza doing? I had heard a rumor of Stanford, and I understand he's a fabulous student. Any news?

Truthfully, I don't think any WCAC team can compete with those teams that play year round, but SJC has several very strong seniors who've started on varsity since their sophomore years and just don't have the name recognition of some of the PVI guys.

quote:

Originally posted by isaacvanwart:
LHPMom--I guess that goes to show you the value of rankings. Hard to believe that a PVI team with 5 Div I signees, plus a 6th waiting in the wings (Frezza), and a pitching staff that goes 6-7 deep, is not ranked.

New format would be a huge improvement. It will reveal much better who the best team is. Winning will now require pitching depth and consistently high quality play.

In all fairness, PVI was ranked 40ish by the same publication this time last year...both meaningless and based on the previous season for HS. Time to just play and let all sort itself out....

quote:

Originally posted by LHPMom2012:
Truthfully, I don't think any WCAC team can compete with those teams that play year round, but SJC has several very strong seniors who've started on varsity since their sophomore years and just don't have the name recognition of some of the PVI guys.

Mom...all the highly skilled players put in their work year round to get better.

I highly doubt anyone in the WCAC is taking St. Johns lightly. They have plenty of talent and proved that they are a force last year. I for one picked them to finish very high. Just behind DeMatha...and I have no affiliation with either school. Name recognition does not win games.

of course all the players in the WCAC work all year round to get better. But throwing in a gym or hitting off a tee just isn't the same thing.

quote:

Originally posted by LHPMom2012:
of course all the players in the WCAC work all year round to get better. But throwing in a gym or hitting off a tee just isn't the same thing.

I don't know of anyone playing games year round. Kinda tough to do that with the weather around here. There are indoor facilities around for all these players to use. That is about all they can do and most are taking advantage of those opportunities.

If you know of teams playing year round, fill me in, please.

They are in California, Texas and Florida; my point was about the list, which is nationwide.

quote:

Originally posted by LHPMom2012:
They are in California, Texas and Florida; my point was about the list, which is nationwide.

Oh ok, my mistake. I thought you were talking about area teams...that we play.

If I am not mistaken, PVI and St. John's both have enjoyed enormous success against "year round" teams. PVI has owned the Florida teams and all comers at the annual tournament in SC. St. John's, while not winning tournaments in the West or South, has competed evenly with them. There is little doubt that DeMatha and several other WCAC schools would fare just as well.

Now, I will say this--it is much, much more difficult for the average "Northerner" position player (a whole bunch of Virginians are screaming and some are even rolling over in graves right about now) to compete, on an individual basis, with kids from the South. This does not reflect itself in team play as much as it does in individual position player comparisons. There is not alot difference for pitchers. But for position players, being on the field, outdoors, playing 340 or more days each year, is a huge advantage.

As for national rankings of HS teams, it is ridiculous. There are teams in Ohio that can compete favorably against teams from Texas or Florida. There are teams in Virginia that can beat the best of teams from California. This has to do with team balance, pitching depth, team play, and so forth. Team competition is a whole different thing from individual comparisons.

Oconnell 11 Dematha 3.
PVI 5 SSSA 0
Katz pitched for Oconnell, Uherek pitched 3 innings for Dematha (came out at 3-3) and Veeder pitched for PVI

quote:

Originally posted by gamefan:
Oconnell 11 Dematha 3.
PVI 5 SSSA 0
Katz pitched for Oconnell, Uherek pitched 3 innings for Dematha (came out at 3-3) and Veeder pitched for PVI

PVI 10 - SSSA 0 in 5

Archbishop Spalding beat Good Council 3-1....Spalding is 5-0 so far and may be the best team in the State of Maryland ???

Spalding is ALWAYS tough. Last year they were young and I think they had a new coaching staff (I could be wrong??). I expect them to be good this year. Who pitched for GC? AND BTW...score in the Washington Post said Spalding won 6-1. The Dematha score is surprising. I am not surprised O'Connell scored 11 (I think they have the bats that can get them that on almost any night), but I am surprised Dematha only gets 3. PVI off to a good start, but against a weak opponent. That said, how many times did PVI 10-run a team last year?

How did St. John's do against Lake Braddock?

quote:

Originally posted by baseball1227:
How did St. John's do against Lake Braddock?

St. Johns 7 - LB 4...St Johns must still be the real deal, because the Lake Braddock squad is very good.

Nearly all of St. John's starters are seniors who have been varsity starters since their sophomore year. They have a strong, experienced squad.

St John's played well. They can all hit and play defense. They turned some timely double plays. Solid pitching as well.