number1baseballfan

Zach Stephens Soddy Daisy has 5

Thanks for your sarcasm. I appreciate it. I did not say he played 3 then 4 innings. I said CSAS starters (meaning 8 position players that will be starting together on Monday) played 3 innings together. Thats not to say a starter wasn't still on the field. In fact I said Phillips played 4 innings and not at the end b/c he didn't play at the end! He would tell you he didn't as well. What's the purpose of exagerating it? I was very factual in stating the weaknesses and strengths of both teams and of CSAS in particular. Does sarcasm make you feel as good as typing makes me feel? Or am I now being sarcastic? Really meant no harm- All these single A teams are in the same boat. I was "merely pointing it out."

Sorry no offense. It may never happen that way again. Phillips can go 7 once a week at best if he has to throw 20 extra pitches b/c of defensive errors. On the other hand if he can stay ahead in the count and keep the pitch count at 100 or so he can pitch on 3 days-preferably 4 though. The other guys ( not Dickson) only ate up innings against whutwell, s. ptt, sale creek and poor richard hardy. Phillips and Dickson pitched the other games. Phillips didn't even pitch against LV but once. No point when they'd beat the crap out of CSAS anyway. I think someone can eat up those innings though. I hope. Position players we have will work ok. Physically capable but need to work on the baseball instinct/sense awareness of play situations. Such is class A

Those will be huge games! Pitching wise RB w/ Walden & Atkins will be great. Ooltewah also has very good pitching in Garret Baugh who is a junior. I'm sure they have someone else but i couldn't name another pitcher. Juniors Brady Reed and Andrew Mayfield are great hitters and Zarzour is an excellent fielder/player. Good luck 2 both

What was lost was a lefty who played every game and pitched, a lefty who played and pitched but missed 2/3 of season with leg/ankle problems or sore arm, a lefty part time 1st baseman who threw occasionally. I call that losing 1 starter. The pitching that was tough for people to handle is still there now. CSAS just needs someone else to step up and pitch w/ him. I swear I can't think of any other player lost from last year that played. After 2006 CSAS lost Sam Kavkewitz, Ian Phillips, John Greer, Matt Allison. After 2007 CSAS lost Matt Jones, Nick Peppers, Josh Hamill. After 2008 they lost James Dickson and Lance Snyder who was hurt alot of the year. If I've forgotten any contributors from these years sorry. randomly typing. The hard to handle pitching struck out 14 Grace hitters in region semis last year-in relief (6 innings) I look forward to the two playing this season as well.

I was there and know #8 very well. He didn't play the entire game. He was nearly killed by a stray throw from a freshman at shortstop warming up for CSAS between innings. He was out of the dugout talking to me some as well. He played 4 innings. The infielders did change after the 3rd inning. When I said starters didn't play I was simply saying that after the game began many positions were switched. # 8 didn't even bat when scheduled the last time he was to be up. Zach was 1 for 3. As far as what CSAS lost the combined batting avg was around .250 at best. CSAS was short a starting pitcher last year and now they're short two! I'm not saying they're better than last year. It should just be clarified that these scrimmages are not real measurements of where a team is at when one inning your 8 position players that start are in and one by one or more are swapped out to see if someone special has been missed. If a player can't start at CSAS or Grace or any of these class A teams by junior year they should find another sport to play. I don't think CSAS or Grace should look beyond district much less region. It takes depth, talent and a little luck to get to the Fling. I can't see either team beating the Friendship Christain's etc. of class A. But ya never know! Zach's dad wishes he'd be benched! That would mean CSAS had 9 better players and we wouldn't be discussing what team was what. I hope each team has a good season.

Traditionally Lookout Valley owns this district. Is that what this year has in store? Will CSAS be the runner up for a 3rd straight year? Will the newcomer Signal Mtn change it all? What about South Pitt? Whitwell? Sale Creek???? It should be interesting to see what happens. Besides Crowley at LV what are the pitchers names? Does younger O'Dell pitch? LV's best player? Who will step up and pitch for CSAS after Phillips? He can't pitch 30 games! I don't know the best players at Signal. I do know that at least one 8th grader is playing up and he's good. They should be competitive- always were in middle school. Didn't South Pitt get new coach? So did CSAS. Who else? Signal and CSAS play Monday/Tuesday 9th & 10th. First games for both. First ever for Signal.

today CSAS scrimmaged Silverdale at beautiful EBYA. I know they can't wait for their new field! Anyway # 1 starter for CSAS pitched 3 innings- 6 k's no BB 2 hits no runs. CSAS was ahead 1-0 till 4th when pitching audition began again. The kid did a good job but was hindered by an error and a couple of passed balls. Some kid hit a 2 run HR for Silverdale too. Same story though- with starters in CSAS was competitive and ahead. Silverdale had some big players! They (Silverdale) did play subs some and used I think 3 pitchers) 5-A will be between Grace and Silverdale unless DB has something. 6-A should be LV but CSAS and Signal Mtn could suprise

CSAS only pitched the players who never had-even in a scrimmage - against Grace. The 1 and 2 never stepped on the mound. Not to take anything from Grace. They looked okay. If Grace pitched their best which I dunno if they did, their 1 & 2 are no better than CSAS's. CSAS lacks relief pitching and 2 starters. Every scrimmage has been an audition and an adventure. On the field defensively the eight position players that will start will compete in class A- even a couple of bright spots. CSAS only lost 1 starter from last year and more importantly a professional coach in Greg Grall who got the most out of what he had to work with. The new coach will do fine but 3 coaches in 4 years is hard to develop a system. BTW CSAS starters only played 3 innings in that scrimmage minus a basketball player who returned today and the score was 2-1 or 2-2 at that point. After that the dam burst and the walk merry go round happened for both teams. It was quite boring actually. An exercise in futility! Very ugly and monotonous. Real games will be better for both teams.

Garret Baugh at ooltewah is a very talented pitcher. He's a junior

oops! forgot david brainerd,temple,and copper basin

5-A is as sad as 6-A! I have a personal stake in these two districts but the reality is it will be hard for a team from either district to get past a sectional game- even though Lookout Valley did it last year. Coach Dinger will be competitive b/c he knows how to coach but LV lost a ton from last year! There are a handful of players in region 3-A that would start at much bigger schools. But thats it-a handful. This is not condemnation of the schools but just a reflection of athletics at a small school. Some years you're loaded (Lookout Valley last year) most years its filling holes and hiding weaknesses. Its very trying on a coach (I'm not a coach) Hats off to them. Ranking teams in 3-A districts 5 & 6 I'd list them this way- 1. Lookout Valley will always be successful destroyed CSAS last 2 years in region championship 2.Signal Mtn. first year program 2. Arts & Sciences hanging by a thread w/ a chance of not reaching region for first time in 4 years 4. Grace- CSAS destroyed them in region semis each of last two years 5.Whitwell 6. South Pittsburg 7. Silverdale 8. Sale Creek 9.whoever is left and then Richard Hardy 100. Richard Hardy And yes Grace will probably win 5-A.

that aussie kid musta matured alot to be able to control a game-i hope he has-he does have talent . talent + temper= /sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />

Zach Phillips-CSAS- Chattanooga State Alan Walden-Red Bank- UT Hunter Atkins-Red Bank-MTSU Anymore Chattanooga?

In 3-A District 6 there isn't very much. Tyler Crowley at Lookout Valley and Zach Phillips at Arts & Sciences are standouts. Phillips has signed at Chattanooga State