SOUTHERNFRIED

For those interested, Coach Parker stepped down a week or so ago to be able to watch his daughters play high school softball. Justin Martin has since been hired to be the new head coach. Please welcome him to the district whoop whoop : https://www.facebook.com/GoodMorningPortland/photos/a.641160359237891.1073741828.627648447255749/1538309189522999/?type=3&theater

High school sports here in Middle Tennessee are cyclical. We played all the Wilson County schools this past season. Mt Juliet, Lebanon, Wilson Central and Watertown. All four schools had solid teams, and outstanding facilities. I have not seen a bad facility yet at a Wilson County School, in any sport. Give them a couple of years, and they will all be very close to one another. MJ is the largest of them all, and all the facilities pretty much rank with the size of the school. Honestly, they are all solid in my opinion, better facilities than any we have in Sumner at the schools. Hville has a turf field that is nice, but its not at the school......now the education part, I have no idea, I dont teach lol.....depending on timing, are they not building a new school in Wilson County?

Yes he is, be happy for him, Coached baseball for 19 years, #31 in wins for baseball coaches in TN. Leaving on his terms, to watch his kids. His coaching days arent over, just for now, baseball is. Maybe my fault, I told him at the beginning of the season if someone had told me I couldnt watch my son play high school sports, Id never forgive myself. He agreed...good stuff all the way around.

Yes he did. His daughter and step daughter are both softball players. The same reason I cant be there 100% of the time next year. We both want to watch our kids play. My son plays at Cumberland, and his daughters are a Fr/So in high school. Your kids are only in high school and college once. You can coach till ya die, but this is the only time they are this age. Mr Woods, just posted his opening this past week on TSSAA bulletin board. I will still help when I can, just wont be full time.

Agreed, been a pleasure coaching against him and the rest of the district. As most know, I may or may not be back next year. I know I wont be back 100% full time. The rest will be up to the new head coach, and it should be....Keith, I wish you all the luck in the world brother in yalls play this weekend. . You have a nice bunch of boys, and it was a pleasure playing yall. I had some of the best conversations I have had this year with your first baseman lol Nice young man.

Exactly, dont mis read into my comments, I think MJ is the best team in the entire middle Tenn area, just on pitching alone. I know several of the players, and will pull for them the remainder of the season no matter what. My point, IF they get to the state tourney, the only thing I can see that will keep them from winning it this year, will be due to their hitting. IF it stays the way it is, IF it does not improve. Thats a lot of IF's with plenty of time left to correct it. Yes they have put some runs up, they put 7 up against us, but on 4 hits, and 4 errors, 4 earned, 3 unearned. BUT that was enough against us. IF their hitting was at the same level as their pitching, MJ would be the finest team I have seen in my 50 years. Even with all the Knoxville teams and their history. Like I said, I support MJ 100% just because I know some of the players, coaches, etc. But to win the state, their hitting will have to step up, cause you will catch everyones #1 when it comes to that time of the year......now the new pitch count rule, I think actually favors MJ, since you all have so much depth. I for one cant wait to see yall there. I see we have a lot to look forward to when we play Hville and Beach. Seems like our district is ate up with pitching. That I think is awesome.

Im sorry, MJ is not the best team in the state, case in point tonight. When a pitcher strikes out 15 batters and lose 2-0? It simply boils down to the fact they are not a good hitting team. Portland faced them at Vandy, they struck out 17 of ours, we k'd 10 of theirs, we lost I think on only 4 hits, we had 2. IF they get to the state tourney, it will be on their pitching, they are so blessed with these great kids, but you have to hit to score, scoring runs wins the ball games, the defense should take care of itself. The way it is looking you cant count out Beach as well. I think we have a great district this year. Specially good luck wished on all our Sumner County teams, whoop whoop! Oh and Portland won over Lebanon 8-7 in the last inning. I hope the young man in left field that got hurt will be ok. Our prayers are with him. it was one of the most fun games I have been part of in a long time. Wish Lebanon all the best the rest of the season. We could play those guys any day. Kids understand the game, act like they should act, just a great night for baseball that could have went either way.

Thanks for the kudos on Kemper, he wound up going to Cumberland alone, and he loves it there, best decision he ever made he said, the other player backed out. Besides Kemper as catcher, we lost our starting fb, 2nd, third, center, left, 6 starters in all...as far as our team this year, it may be the youngest team we have ever had, least in the last 5 years I have been helping. Right now we have one senior, with some playing experience, one with none( first time the kid has played baseball, but man he is working his tail off and earned a starting spot.) We have 2 freshman starting, 2 sophomores, 2 seniors, and 3 juniors. The ones with the most playing experience in this whole group is one jr and one sophomore. We played MJ had Vandy and of course ran into a buzz saw with their pitching, they K'd 17 of ours, but our Freshmen, Soph and Jr K'd 10 of theirs. We lack depth, we are down to 14 players, lost one to ACL a week before the season, who would have been our #1 pitcher, but he will be back next year, so our young kids are getting a ton of playing time and gaining experience. They also have grit and heart, and that will be what carry's them through this season, cause it will be an up hill battle. Right now we sit 5-3. Lost to Barren County, MJ and Station Camp. SC has been the best hitting team we have played this year so far. We just did not hit against SC, BC was beatable but young mistakes cost us. and MJ just had the pitching. Plain and simple, hitting wise against MJ they had 4 hits I think and we had 2.... But all in all we are blessed with the kids we do have, they should be a tight group by the time they graduate in a few years. Let me just say, we could not have a better bunch of young men this season to go through what we will go through. Great young men all the way around. Thanks again. Randy

Its out http://www.coacht.com/tennessee/article.cfm?id=570344

Right we were up 3-1 in the 3rd, and our pitching ran out....The kid we threw tonight got his second varsity start on the mound. He actually threw really great. The score was not indicative of how we played tonight. 2 errors in the outfield at a bad time, and we just dont have enough to over come it. Great attitudes though, and MJ has by far the nicest field in our district. Coach P has done a great job with it.

From the meeting yesterday on the south side. Friday you have Leb playing Beech at 4pm, at 7pm Portland plays MJ. Now Saturday due to Portland and Leb having the prom. If Beech and MJ win, they will play Saturday at 7pm. If Leb loses and Portland loses then they play at 12pm, IF Portland wins they will play the winner of Leb or Beech at 3pm. The same goes for Leb, if they win they play at 3 against MJ if MJ wins against Portland. If Leb beats Beech and MJ beats Portland then Portland and Beech play at 12pm. lol I hope my notes are right....on the North side, they were at the end of the table lol and I didnt hear, except Gallatin has the prom Sat as well, and they will be accommodated. After that my brain hurt lol ....Tickets are 5 per person and kids 8 and under are free....or is it 12 yrs old.........

LOL Parker thought youd like that, whoop whoop!

I sent Logan a link, Farragut is looking for one........... Ya think they will split concessions as well? hahahaha See ya Wednesday Coach

Mondo44 here are the photos from the Hville vs Portland series, please pass them on to any Hville parent. https://www.facebook.com/randy.dixon.35/media_set?set=a.10206362332912436.1073742074.1090911915&type=3&pnref=story bigcheif here is the Portland vs East Nashville https://www.facebook.com/randy.dixon.35/media_set?set=a.10206218559838199.1073742067.1090911915&type=3 Our season as most know has took a turn. Against Hume Fogg, we had 3 sr starting and 6 Sophomores and Freshmen playing, we have also lost two for the season last week due to injuries. Will be interesting to see how they respond. Good luck to the rest in our district.

over a decade, they were bumped up 2-3 years after winning the state in football. Football dropped down last year, we hear it may be a year or two before the other sports get to. We have right at 1000 kids in the school 9-12. It is what is. Still have to play. We have 22 total players, Freshman, JV, and varsity.....