[JackRabbitSlim]

I don't know about exact averages, but Prestonsburg has had some very good hitters over the past few years like Josh Rodebaugh, Tyler Hall and now Grant Anderson.

The program usually always has a few guys who would find a way to get on base, however there just wasn't ever enough talent to always get them across the plate.

Prestonsburg baseball is getting better & better and with young talent like Anderson, Stapleton, Shepherd, etc. they'll get respect from more people in the region. I'm not saying anyone is downing the program, just stating my opinion.

I think Josh Rodebaugh is a perfect example of what i'm talking about? I think he hit well over .500 his senior year and a lot of RBI's as well? That's all fine and good, but whenever you take Pburg's schedule from that year and compare it to the 3-hole hitter at Lexington Catholic who hit .370 the same year, who would you think is the better player? I think everyone would agree the kid from Lexington Catholic? The stats in eastern kentucky are exaggerated and they really mean nothing to college coaches. Coaches realize eastern kentucky kids will not get any type of recognition unless they inflate their stats? That's why it's gotten out of hand.

When Josh got to college what happened? He was surrounded by the same guys he had played against the previous year and also several kids his own age who had far worse numbers than he did, but he was clearly behind everyone with mechanics and knowledge of the game. I think that is a testament to the schedules and the administration. I wouldn't neccesarily blame the coaches because a lot of them are doing it for free, and they work with what they are given. Because they don't pay coaches a lot, that in turn causes the caliber of coaching to go down, in turn makes the talent go down, and it also keeps good caliber teams from coming to eastern kentucky to play. Mainly, because if a Lexington elite program wants to travel over 3 hours, their not going to want to waste their time on a mercy rule game? They want to be challenged, and they know there is only one maybe two teams in eastern kentucky that can challenge those type schools on a year in year out basis, and even that is a stretch? It's actually more like one or two teams every 5 years?

Therefore, a stigma is placed on the area, and it will remain there for quite sometime.

[ole_blue_sack_15]

terry watts hhs!

[kai]

Slim, I think you are right on what happens about our HS team with regard to the competitive edge, however I thin you are misguided about your reasons why. I disagree about you comparison of the hitters. I would take the top hitters from the eastern kentucky right there with Lexington or Louisville. The difference between the teams are that in the mountains team have 2 maybe three really good athletes where the teams from more populated areas have more athletes the choose from which will obviously, since it a TEAM sport, make their team better more often than not. However, it does not mean that our good players aren't equal and definitely does not mean coaches are inferior. A coach with any knowledge at all could win with players at Lexington Catholic, let him come to 114th, 15, or 16th region school and see what he does less of a talent pool. Quit bashing our good kids an stats, the lack of college offer more often comes from lack of exposure not talent, that derives mainly from summer ball not High School.

[Bob Seger]

Slim, I think you are right on what happens about our HS team with regard to the competitive edge, however I thin you are misguided about your reasons why. I disagree about you comparison of the hitters. I would take the top hitters from the eastern kentucky right there with Lexington or Louisville. The difference between the teams are that in the mountains team have 2 maybe three really good athletes where the teams from more populated areas have more athletes the choose from which will obviously, since it a TEAM sport, make their team better more often than not. However, it does not mean that our good players aren't equal and definitely does not mean coaches are inferior. A coach with any knowledge at all could win with players at Lexington Catholic, let him come to 114th, 15, or 16th region school and see what he does less of a talent pool. Quit bashing our good kids an stats, the lack of college offer more often comes from lack of exposure not talent, that derives mainly from summer ball not High School.

What you first have to understand kai is that JackRabbit is in no way berating eastern Kentucky players, he is in fact an advocate of our kids and our programs and your assumption is quite the opposite. If you knew him you would know where I am coming from. Is it ironic that most of the local kids that we ballyhoo on these websites more often than not struggle when they get to college? The percentage of those that make it at the college level from here are very miniscule.The lack of a day after day competetive enviroment in high school more often than not spells doom for that rare player from this area that gets the chance to even play at the next level. Most are in for a rude awakening and cannot adjust. JackRabbit has it "spot on" whether you choose to own up to that fact or not.

[JackRabbitSlim]

Slim, I think you are right on what happens about our HS team with regard to the competitive edge, however I thin you are misguided about your reasons why. I disagree about you comparison of the hitters. I would take the top hitters from the eastern kentucky right there with Lexington or Louisville. The difference between the teams are that in the mountains team have 2 maybe three really good athletes where the teams from more populated areas have more athletes the choose from which will obviously, since it a TEAM sport, make their team better more often than not. However, it does not mean that our good players aren't equal and definitely does not mean coaches are inferior. A coach with any knowledge at all could win with players at Lexington Catholic, let him come to 114th, 15, or 16th region school and see what he does less of a talent pool. Quit bashing our good kids an stats, the lack of college offer more often comes from lack of exposure not talent, that derives mainly from summer ball not High School.

Seger is correct in saying that I am a huge advocate for eastern kentucky and I always have been. Unfortunately, I am not living in eastern kentucky at the moment but it will always be home. Kids there have the unfortunate task of having to do everything twice as good as players from more populated areas. If not, they will never be seen, and I think that is part of the reason that coaches inflate their stats the way that they do? However, I am going to have to question the fact that you are telling me that a kid in eastern kentucky with the same numbers as a kid from Lexington or Louisville or even parts of western kentucky, will be just as good of a hitter? That makes no sense to me? The difference in schedules alone should show you otherwise? Most schools in the 6th and 7th and 11th regions play top 25 teams once or twice a week, and teams from easter kentucky(on average) only see that type of a team maybe once a year, if that? There are a couple schools that are willing to travel to get that better competition, but for the most part schools dont wont to pay for the travel, and with coaches getting paid what they did, they also don't want to travel that much. Like I said before all this is a domino effect from the top down. If the administration from all these schools in eastern kentucky decided to start putting more into getting quality coaches and opened up them to travel more, then it would start that domino effect from the opposite end? Good paid coaches do quality work, but they can't do it alone? Most teams have to rely on parents to fill out a coaching staff because they are the only ones who will do it for free? When that happens it ends up being horrible for the kids, and I think anyone on this site that has experienced that will agree with me? There are plenty of exceptions to that, but for the most part its a disaster.

Thank you Seger for coming to my defense?

[bcats12]

I am going to take the middle on this. I agree with both sides of this debate to an extent. Most schoolds in E. Ky. havent been able to develop a strong baseball program for many of the reasons listed and probably many more. That being said the internet and other forms of media are allowing more E. Ky. players an oppotunity to locate better camps, showcases and summer teams to play on. This is helping the players with recognition and more players are getting attention yearly.

The comment started about some Prestonsburg players hitting throughout the years, then one kid was named as an example. Personally I think that was in bad taste, naming and kid specifically, but thats just me. As for Prestonsburg program they have a new coach and some support. I have also heard that the schedule has been constructed to have the team playing in the Lexington area at every oppotunity. Prestonsburg has alot of yong talent and a few older kids that have the ability.

As for other programs in the area. E. Ky. is slowly becoming a stronger baseball area. Look at some of the teams that are making some noise. Pikeville was very competitive in the State Tournament and you have other teams that will be making some noise soon.

[JackRabbitSlim]

I am going to take the middle on this. I agree with both sides of this debate to an extent. Most schoolds in E. Ky. havent been able to develop a strong baseball program for many of the reasons listed and probably many more. That being said the internet and other forms of media are allowing more E. Ky. players an oppotunity to locate better camps, showcases and summer teams to play on. This is helping the players with recognition and more players are getting attention yearly.

The comment started about some Prestonsburg players hitting throughout the years, then one kid was named as an example. Personally I think that was in bad taste, naming and kid specifically, but thats just me. As for Prestonsburg program they have a new coach and some support. I have also heard that the schedule has been constructed to have the team playing in the Lexington area at every oppotunity. Prestonsburg has alot of yong talent and a few older kids that have the ability.

As for other programs in the area. E. Ky. is slowly becoming a stronger baseball area. Look at some of the teams that are making some noise. Pikeville was very competitive in the State Tournament and you have other teams that will be making some noise soon.

which other teams are you referring too? I agree Pikeville had a good run two seasons ago, but it only happens once every 5 or 10 years. There is no consistency in the mountains, and that is why kids are not getting recruited by D1 or even NAIA schools? When they get there they are not ready, and I would say 95% do not make it passed their freshman year, and that is based off of the lack of knowledgable coaches, and also they never get any better playing the competition they play? It's impossible to get any better playing teams worse than you, and I hope everyone will agree with that? Prestonsburg has already listed their 2012 schedule and you are very wrong about their schedule. They are going to lexington, but only once and they are playing lafayette, and they lost in the first round of the district tournament? Personally, I think if you make it a point to have Phelps and those teams on your roster, then that is not that big of an effort? I wish Pburg luck I really do, but reality is reality. This goes back to what I was saying about, and all you did by bringing up their schedule was prove exactly what I was saying? Your rebutal could very well be that you are also playing ?Scott County, but if you'll look and see, Scott lost 22 games last year, and the majority of those losses were by a mercy rule? If those are the 11th region schools your talking about, then you might as well stay at the house?








Mar 15, 12 Belfry away 6:00 PM
Mar 19, 12 Hazard away 5:30 PM
Mar 24, 12 Boyle County away
Mar 24, 12 Mercer County
Mar 24, 12 Letcher County Central 1:00 PM
Mar 26, 12 Paintsville away 6:00 PM
Mar 27, 12 Betsy Layne home 5:30 PM
Mar 29, 12 Letcher County Central home 6:30 PM
Apr 9, 12 Johnson Central away 6:00 PM
Apr 10, 12 South Floyd away 6:00 PM
Apr 13, 12 Lafayette away 7:00 PM
Apr 14, 12 TBA 3:30 PM
Apr 14, 12 Calloway County 1:00 PM
Apr 16, 12 Allen Central home 6:00 PM
Apr 17, 12 Magoffin County home 6:00 PM
Apr 19, 12 South Floyd home 6:00 PM
Apr 20, 12 Man, WV 8:00 PM
Apr 20, 12 Pikeville 6:00 PM
Apr 24, 12 Lawrence County away 6:00 PM
Apr 26, 12 Betsy Layne away 5:30 PM
Apr 27, 12 Letcher County Central away 6:00 PM Coach Buddy Roe Invitational
Apr 28, 12 Harlan County at Letcher County Central 4:00 PM Coach Buddy Roe Invitational
Apr 28, 12 Scott County at Letcher County Central 1:30 PM Coach Buddy Roe Invitational
Apr 30, 12 Allen Central away 6:00 PM
May 1, 12 Magoffin County away 6:00 PM
May 3, 12 Hazard home 5:30 PM
May 4, 12 Belfry home 6:00 PM
May 7, 12 Paintsville home 6:00 PM
May 10, 12 Lawrence County home 6:00 PM
May 14, 12 Phelps home 6:00 PM
May 15, 12 Johnson Central home 6:00 PM
May 19, 12 Ashland Blazer away 1:00 PM

[bcats12]

I never said that they would be playing every game there and wasn't trying to incinuate that. what I am trying to say is give these re-vamped programs a chance. I know you were talking historically and can not argue against anything you said about the past. But i have been wacthing E. Ky. baseball and the kids are becoming better individually and as teams, overall. And to be more specific I wasn't talking about some miraculous 1 year turn around. I am just saying it's improving.

As for Prestonsburg schedule, it's getting stronger............just give them and all the other programs a chance. E. Ky. baseball is improving....

[JackRabbitSlim]

I never said that they would be playing every game there and wasn't trying to incinuate that. what I am trying to say is give these re-vamped programs a chance. I know you were talking historically and can not argue against anything you said about the past. But i have been wacthing E. Ky. baseball and the kids are becoming better individually and as teams, overall. And to be more specific I wasn't talking about some miraculous 1 year turn around. I am just saying it's improving.

As for Prestonsburg schedule, it's getting stronger............just give them and all the other programs a chance. E. Ky. baseball is improving....

I am giving them a chance. What you are confusing my posts with is that I am somehow against them? There is no bigger supporter than me, but being a supporter doesn't mean you take on a "get em next year" type attitude. I would hope if you really supported something you'd do your part to help and fix the stigma that has plagued the area? When you say that kids are getting better individually, I think that shows the problem right there? Parents are getting fed up with the coaching situations in eastern kentucky and they are taking their sons to other people for lessons and fall and summer. However, what does that truly do for the area? One or two kids going division 1 every 3 or 4 years is not consistent enough to take the stigma away? There has to be kids being recruited every year out of the area. There has to be coaches who know what they are doing and can bring colleges in for showcases and other camps to make their "teams" and players visible. Until these colleges are coming into eastern kentucky on a yearly basis looking for talent, then nothing will change, and they won't come until what I said in my previous posts happens? Right now, with the exception of 3 or 4 schools, if a coach from eastern kentucky picked up a phone and called Kevin O'Sullivan at the University of Florida and said hey i've got a catcher with a 1.7 pop time and hit .580 last year as a freshman. That coach is never going to give that kid a look, and it is simply based on the fact that eastern kentucky has a reputation of high school coaches boosting stats for kids to get them into school, and when the kid shows up and realizes he's out of his league, and then he quits. That coach will never recruit from that high school again, and so starts the domino effect once again. He tells his friends who are coaches and then eastern kentucky once again gets the same stigma. Kids like Shepherd, the lefty from Paintsville a few years back who has done awesome at Walters State, and also Steve Blevins who is with the Twins. Those are the kids that will slowly change that stigma. As it stands the option for eastern kentucky kids is your basic NAIA schools. Whether it be Pikeville, Alice Lloyd, Cumberland, etc, it really doesnt matter because they all do the same thing. Those schools with the exception of Alice Lloyd are really expensive, and when they get there and realize they can't even cut it at the NAIA level, when people his whole life have told him he can play division 1 baseball, their ego gets bruised and they go back home. Then once again the stigma happens, and thats part of the reason every time Coach Shelton at Cumberland gets an eastern kentucky kid he automatically puts him on the JV team because he knows 9 out of 10 eastern kentucky gets will drop out after the first semester, and that is not my opinion, those are hard facts.

All I was saying about the lexington schools is if your going to spend the money to travel there atleast play one of the elite teams?

[Bob Seger]

Not one person has gotten around to talking about the other tangibles that determine a kids ability to play at the college level. The debate seems to be confined here to "our local boy can hit just as well as the kid from downstate". Whether they "can" or "cannot" is all null and void if they dont have a few other very important attributes. If they are going as a position player they not only have to have a respectable glove in the field, they also have to be able to run like a deer and have a cannon on their shoulders. There are basicly four components to the equation. Hitting ability, fielding ability, arm strength, and speed. Wait, let me add one more thing more important than all of the others. They first have to have the GRADES. Bottom line if you are going to play a position (especially up the middle), you must be able to run a sub 6.8, and be able to throw across the diamond in the 85-90 MPH range. Otherwise, you are a deemed a liability. If you dont qualify at all phases, you dont have a prayer. So, local boy better be able to do what his down state counterpart can do, (and do it better) to ever get a fair shot. I can only think of two players out of the 15th region in the last 10-12 years that have been able to make it at the D1 level, and that is Daniel Pugh and Shane Simpkins,. We have had a few pitchers be able to go that route , but it is very difficult for a 15th region player to make it as a position player, regardless of how well they are able to hit. You have to have the whole package, and most people do not realize how fast a 6.8 really is and how stout 85-90 is. DHers and players that have to be DHed for are a dime a dozen. That is just the reality of it.

[Bob Seger]

I never said that they would be playing every game there and wasn't trying to incinuate that. what I am trying to say is give these re-vamped programs a chance. I know you were talking historically and can not argue against anything you said about the past. But i have been wacthing E. Ky. baseball and the kids are becoming better individually and as teams, overall. And to be more specific I wasn't talking about some miraculous 1 year turn around. I am just saying it's improving.

As for Prestonsburg schedule, it's getting stronger............just give them and all the other programs a chance. E. Ky. baseball is improving....

Then all I can say is you havn't been watching for very long or very closely. I think the region overall right now is extremely weak. This region is way down from just 5 or 6 years ago.

[Panther Thunder]

Then all I can say is you havn't been watching for very long or very closely. I think the region overall right now is extremely weak. This region is way down from just 5 or 6 years ago.

Other than Pikeville's last 2 teams and Lawrence for 2-3 years, it has been very weak. Paintsville and JC have both been down from those teams you mentioned. And those teams probably were not as good as some of the teams in the 90's.

[JackRabbitSlim]

Other than Pikeville's last 2 teams and Lawrence for 2-3 years, it has been very weak. Paintsville and JC have both been down from those teams you mentioned. And those teams probably were not as good as some of the teams in the 90's.

The 1999 Pikeville team was pretty dominant, and the 98 team as well. If John Bevins would have played at Pikeville instead of Pike Central Pikeville could have won a state title one of those years?

The region is extremely weak, and your right, with the exception of two or three teams, it's been like that for awhile. People stopped caring about baseball. Even the JC team that made it to the state tournament in 2007 was not that good? If Fyffe wasn't on the mound they were not dominant at all, and I think it showed when they went to Applebees that year and got a no-hitter thrown against them by the #3 guy. There was one game that Fyffe actually threw a no-hitter and lost, and that is crazy to me? However, I do think JC has a good enough coach to where regardless of the talent, they'll be able to compete in the region, not the state, region. Pikeville will be down this year, LC will be way down this year, Paintsville lost the only kid that gave them a shot, and a team like Belfry could very easily win the region this year, which is crazy to me.

I want to know what happened to Pike Central? I know after Rob Taylor was let go they started on a downward path, but they use to be able to play a little bit there. Not only that but they let their field go as well. If people would stop for a second and think back on why those teams were successful, it all revolves around one thing, passion. In the late 90's there was a passion for baseball from the community as well as the players, parents and the coaches. Because of that, they put 110% into everything they did when it came to baseball. I think Chad Roberts was the starting pitcher for the East all-star team that year? That is good publicity for eastern kentucky. Now it all depends on who is coaching the East team whether or not you get to play? If your coach is coaching it, he's probably going to take you whether you deserve it or not, and that is another reason we get a bad rep? You see Zach Cox ripping balls all over the field on one team, and then you see a kid get up who can barely tie his shoes, and he strikes out, and because his coach is helping with the East team, he gets to be there. So automatically, everybody is thinking that is a what the entire eastern kentucky plays like, and even worse, they are thinking that is the best out of the area? So of course, any college coach that is attending the East/West game is not going to recruit in eastern kentucky because they assume that is the type of talent that is there? I don't know a quick way of fixing this problem, but I do think finding quality coaches with quality programs is a great start, and with the shape it's in now, they aren't going to come cheap. The 3 or 4 coaches that we do have that are quality, we need to keep. There is a reason JC will always be competitive. There is a reason LC will always be competitive, and there is a reason Belfry will always be competitive in the region, and it's based on the simple fact they put in the work in the off season when most coaches in eastern kentucky do not start until February.

[Bob Seger]

The 1999 Pikeville team was pretty dominant, and the 98 team as well. If John Bevins would have played at Pikeville instead of Pike Central Pikeville could have won a state title one of those years?

The region is extremely weak, and your right, with the exception of two or three teams, it's been like that for awhile. People stopped caring about baseball. Even the JC team that made it to the state tournament in 2007 was not that good? If Fyffe wasn't on the mound they were not dominant at all, and I think it showed when they went to Applebees that year and got a no-hitter thrown against them by the #3 guy. There was one game that Fyffe actually threw a no-hitter and lost, and that is crazy to me? However, I do think JC has a good enough coach to where regardless of the talent, they'll be able to compete in the region, not the state, region. Pikeville will be down this year, LC will be way down this year, Paintsville lost the only kid that gave them a shot, and a team like Belfry could very easily win the region this year, which is crazy to me.

I want to know what happened to Pike Central? I know after Rob Taylor was let go they started on a downward path, but they use to be able to play a little bit there. Not only that but they let their field go as well. If people would stop for a second and think back on why those teams were successful, it all revolves around one thing, passion. In the late 90's there was a passion for baseball from the community as well as the players, parents and the coaches. Because of that, they put 110% into everything they did when it came to baseball. I think Chad Roberts was the starting pitcher for the East all-star team that year? That is good publicity for eastern kentucky. Now it all depends on who is coaching the East team whether or not you get to play? If your coach is coaching it, he's probably going to take you whether you deserve it or not, and that is another reason we get a bad rep? You see Zach Cox ripping balls all over the field on one team, and then you see a kid get up who can barely tie his shoes, and he strikes out, and because his coach is helping with the East team, he gets to be there. So automatically, everybody is thinking that is a what the entire eastern kentucky plays like, and even worse, they are thinking that is the best out of the area? So of course, any college coach that is attending the East/West game is not going to recruit in eastern kentucky because they assume that is the type of talent that is there? I don't know a quick way of fixing this problem, but I do think finding quality coaches with quality programs is a great start, and with the shape it's in now, they aren't going to come cheap. The 3 or 4 coaches that we do have that are quality, we need to keep. There is a reason JC will always be competitive. There is a reason LC will always be competitive, and there is a reason Belfry will always be competitive in the region, and it's based on the simple fact they put in the work in the off season when most coaches in eastern kentucky do not start until February.

While I agree that the '07 team was not a real strong team, I wont go so far as to agree with that part. They had another pretty good pitcher as well to go along with him. Offense and defense in the field was their weaknesses.

Fyffe did not throw a no hitter that year. He had 20 strikeouts against Rowan Co., and lost but gave up one, maybe two hits. Blanton followed the very next game against Paintsville, had 15 strike outs and lost as well. So they had 35 strikeouts in back to back games and lost both of them.

[JackRabbitSlim]

While I agree that the '07 team was not a real strong team, I wont go so far as to agree with that part. They had another pretty good pitcher as well to go along with him. Offense and defense in the field was their weaknesses.

Fyffe did not throw a no hitter that year. He had 20 strikeouts against Rowan Co., and lost but gave up one, maybe two hits. Blanton followed the very next game against Paintsville, had 15 strike outs and lost as well. So they had 35 strikeouts in back to back games and lost both of them.

The game I was talking about was the Rowan County game. Somebody told me it was a no-hitter, but other than that I have nothing to go on, I just know they lost that game, and he had 20 k's.

Their defense that year was flawed, but their hitting was definetely their overall downfall.

The Fyffe comment didn't mean they had no other pitchers? All I was meaning was the hype that was on that kid was so spectacular that around the state you would've thought that he was Roger Clemens. He did throw hard i'll give him that, and he was a very good high school pitcher.

You brought up a really good point though. I mentioned in one of my other posts that Cumberland was really bad to put eastern kentucky kids straight to JV level regardless of what they did in the fall, and the #2 pitcher on that 2007 JC team was a victim of that as well. He did a lot of good things, and was a quality kid, but I really think that eastern kentucky stigma hurt him?

The main reason I brought up Fyffe, and maybe I shouldn't have, but I wanted to give an example of people around the state hearing hype, and then when it's time to show them the hype it doesn't happen, and then the stigma stays. I think it was Dunbar that threw a no-hitter against them, and they didn't even use their #1 or #2. Dunbar was very good that year and actually won the state tournament, but the people in attendance were still left wondering about the hype? I think that's what will happen with the Wolfe County kid? Fyffe and him are completely different talent wise as well as one was a pitcher and one is a position player, but the stigma is still the same.

[Bob Seger]

The game I was talking about was the Rowan County game. Somebody told me it was a no-hitter, but other than that I have nothing to go on, I just know they lost that game, and he had 20 k's.

Their defense that year was flawed, but their hitting was definetely their overall downfall.

The Fyffe comment didn't mean they had no other pitchers? All I was meaning was the hype that was on that kid was so spectacular that around the state you would've thought that he was Roger Clemens. He did throw hard i'll give him that, and he was a very good high school pitcher.

You brought up a really good point though. I mentioned in one of my other posts that Cumberland was really bad to put eastern kentucky kids straight to JV level regardless of what they did in the fall, and the #2 pitcher on that 2007 JC team was a victim of that as well. He did a lot of good things, and was a quality kid, but I really think that eastern kentucky stigma hurt him?

The main reason I brought up Fyffe, and maybe I shouldn't have, but I wanted to give an example of people around the state hearing hype, and then when it's time to show them the hype it doesn't happen, and then the stigma stays. I think it was Dunbar that threw a no-hitter against them, and they didn't even use their #1 or #2. Dunbar was very good that year and actually won the state tournament, but the people in attendance were still left wondering about the hype? I think that's what will happen with the Wolfe County kid? Fyffe and him are completely different talent wise as well as one was a pitcher and one is a position player, but the stigma is still the same.

Maybe to some degree, but he had his opportunities. He just lost focus on baseball, and focused on that thing that is the most dangerous of all when it comes to destroying a baseball career. A female that was back home. He just wanted that more than baseball.

[JackRabbitSlim]

Maybe to some degree, but he had his opportunities. He just lost focus on baseball, and focused on that thing that is the most dangerous of all when it comes to destroying a baseball career. A female that was back home. He just wanted that more than baseball.

haha! been there

[PatriotFan]

[QUOTEI mentioned in one of my other posts that Cumberland was really bad to put eastern kentucky kids straight to JV level regardless of what they did in the fall, and the #2 pitcher on that 2007 JC team was a victim of that as well. He did a lot of good things, and was a quality kid, but I really think that eastern kentucky stigma hurt him?

][/QUOTE]

Most freshman end up playing some junior varsity at Cumberlands, not just those from Eastern Kentucky. Very few freshmen are ready to play in the Mid South Conference. It is dominated by junior college and Division I transfers. There have been several player's from Eastern Kentucky over the past few seasons that have been varsity contributors at Cumberlands. Brandon Williams (Ashland) and Adam Blanton (Johnson Central) threw a lot of innings in their careers and were front line starters in the MSC.

[JackRabbitSlim]

[QUOTEI mentioned in one of my other posts that Cumberland was really bad to put eastern kentucky kids straight to JV level regardless of what they did in the fall, and the #2 pitcher on that 2007 JC team was a victim of that as well. He did a lot of good things, and was a quality kid, but I really think that eastern kentucky stigma hurt him?

]

Most freshman end up playing some junior varsity at Cumberlands, not just those from Eastern Kentucky. Very few freshmen are ready to play in the Mid South Conference. It is dominated by junior college and Division I transfers. There have been several player's from Eastern Kentucky over the past few seasons that have been varsity contributors at Cumberlands. Brandon Williams (Ashland) and Adam Blanton (Johnson Central) threw a lot of innings in their careers and were front line starters in the MSC.[/QUOTE]

Ashland is not really eastern kentucky, and Adam Blanton was not really given the opportunity he deserved either, at all. The Mid-South Conference has a whole lot of freshman seeing varsity time. Coach Shelton has gotten comfortable with putting the junior college and transfers on his varsity and then putting all the eastern kentucky kids on the jv to make it look like he's staying local? In reality, he has no intention of playing them, but it is away to keep scholarship money flowing in. I can see why he does it though? It's a smart business move. I know several kids who have left Cumberland because of never getting off the junior varsity, and the reality is some of them didn't deserve too? Most leave the Mid-South to go to Alice Lloyd to play, and because of that Alice Lloyd has gotten progressively more competitive over the years. They have like 60 kids on their roster? Alice Lloyd, the past 5-7 years, has become the chosen school over Pikeville. I remember a time when Pikeville College mercy ruled Alice Lloyd every single year, and now it has completely flipped flop, and why? Consistency!

[PatriotFan]

Adam Blanton was not really given the opportunity he deserved either, at all.

Not sure I agree with that. I went back and looked at his stats. He led the team in appearances his Sophomore (15) and Senior seasons (14) and was second (12) in his junior year. His freshman year he had 9 appearances and a 4-2 record. He had a career record of 16-7 with a couple of saves. That looks like a lot of opportunities and a guy that was a big contributor.

[PatriotFan]

The Mid-South Conference has a whole lot of freshman seeing varsity time.

Not sure about the teams from the east, but Georgetown, Campbellsville, Cumberlands, Saint Catharine and Lindsey Wilson had very few freshmen who played significant innings last year. Schwoebel started at C-Ville in the outfield and Jared Martin was Cumberlands' shortstop. I think they are the only freshmen that started in the MSC west. I don't know about pitchers, but Cumberlands had a freshmen lefty that pitched a little.

I think Pikeville started several freshman, not sure. I don't really know about the other teams like UVA-Wise or Shawnee State.

You are right that Alice Lloyd has really gotten better. They have some good players.

I agree that lots of transfers play at Cumberlands. That's what the top NAIA programs do in most sports besides football. UC has some good looking transfers for the basketball team as well.

[JackRabbitSlim]

Not sure I agree with that. I went back and looked at his stats. He led the team in appearances his Sophomore (15) and Senior seasons (14) and was second (12) in his junior year. His freshman year he had 9 appearances and a 4-2 record. He had a career record of 16-7 with a couple of saves. That looks like a lot of opportunities and a guy that was a big contributor.

His innings increased while he was there, and you may be right on getting his innings, and I think what I was getting at was I didn't feel he was used as much as he should have been in the post season?