diamond<>cutter

Just out of curiosity, what's happened to Crocker's arm strength? Last 2 or 3 games he's pitched, he hasn't gotten over 83! Is there some underlying things as far as arm problems, I mean I've heard he's been clocked at 88 and that's a far stretch from the 83 I've seen on the guns here lately! I've heard he's had arm problems his whole life, and even gotten some cortizone shots at an early age...

So where's this poll at? We're still waiting to see where you put yourself after getting beat 2 out of 3, and should have been swept. Plus how solid do you think the other 2 TSAC teams will fit in this poll since they got swept by BC as well...Crichton is taking the #8 seed in the TranSouth as well. So let's just post it and see what everyone has to say. This wouldn't be posted if you hadn't tried to slap all of us Bethel people in the face by saying our team is lower, congrats on looking like the smartest guy on Coach T.

how could you say lambuth and union are better since they both got swept? and surely you don't think jackson state is better considering they only have a handful of solid players that will go on to play beyond jscc. i like jscc's program but their not even upper half of junior college baseball in the state. Dyersburg state is the best team you mentioned there and the games were split in the fall between the two teams. Crichton isn't better they just happened to win the rubber match in extra innings and had the first win given to them. Southwest is about the same level as jscc, then clearly you guys are a very solid team. i've been impressed with what you guys have done this year, but at no time do you read where it's a coach that is running down any of other schools unless provoked by them first (in this case). the people you were talking were also being honest, they are not coaches, rather only defending us as we fail to get any respect and are trying set feet on solid ground and work our way up!

you must be one of those from Freed Hardemen... haha you guys are real great too, You have to be from there since you said you'll see them in a week. However from what I looked at historical past in the past 5 years that you say they haven't improved they've owned FHU! Also from what I hear about playing at FHU is the fact that you get homecooking every homegame you guys have. I mean it's ok, make fun of what you want to, you're entitled to do the traditional Freed ways and run down every other program that is on the rise in west tenn... sounds like some insecurity issues by walkoff. why don't you try to show a little class and act like a respectable player and not speak that way about an opposing program cuz if you do happen to beat them then it sounds more respectable. However, with your comments about one of their players I've seen the kid play, and I'm pretty sure I've seen you play, and there's no one on FHU's team that hits like the Keck kid. For christ's sake the kid's only a freshmen! Just please have some class and respect all programs as they were trying to be respectful towrds you!

Can the NAIA get some love on that site already???

I noticed your name said eagleville, what are they looking like this year? I hear they have a few good players! who are the standouts on that team?

Is the Davis Pearce kid any count? I've heard a few good things about him offensively and the size is there.

Keck's not a catcher, he's either at 1b or the OF. Now with that said, that's not to say Odle won't put him back there if that's his best athlete and after what they lost last year HE IS! I still don't see him playing all that much catcher, they had some other backups last year behind the loss of Byrd to Lambuth. Even if Keck was playing catcher, he's not the catcher Drew Brown is. You don't catch a MLB draftee without being legit behind the dish, not only that I've seen the kid play and he's tough back there. Blocks the ball very well, has an ok arm, but very accurate with it. His offensive struggled at times but you have to remember he was just a sophomore, he's still got a lot of room to grow. Now with that said, IF! billy is catching at lexington, he's still not the best catcher, but he's certainly the best hitting catcher! however, i just find it hard to believe he'll be the starting catcher since he'll be their ace, #3 hitter, etc etc etc... so whoever catches the ace is surely good enough to catch the rest of the staff. otherwise, it'll be hard for him to throw it as hard as he does and run back there an catch it. i'm only kidding by that remark, and not trying to be a smart ellic, but hands down Brown is the better catcher, and I doubt Keck does much catching in l-town. I'd also throw Brown in there as the best catcher in west tenn this year as a jr, if his offensive numbers come up then he is hands down. I dont know enough about the catchers across the state, but he's top 10!

Hayes signed at Bethel College he was a senior last year. He's already got a win and hit 2 hr's for the Wildcats in just 7 games.

i'd honestly say you have to give the nod to Huntingdon. Reason being the returners that they bring to the table. McKenzie will still be a solid team don't get me wrong, but their only returning 2 starters I believe plus they won't be able to run Hayes out there every day. McKenzie does have kids that have played together for a long time I keep hearing, but how much value can you put into that? What is the area they are playing in? Is it very compettive, or lacking? And then you have to ask yourself, was that coming from a kid who was bigger than everyone else and hit his celing and is still the same size and simply just not that good. Huntingdon also returns talent with what they bring back, they have Clifft, McAdams, and Crocker a very big 3. I think their pretty deep (as what you would consider deep in h.s. 2-4) pitching wise. Their certainly going to put up some offensive numbers, and in h.s. it usually is offense will get you wins, until state time and you have to have guys on their game to get you wins there. It just turns into a pressure thing at that time! As always there were probably be some very good games to watch here, but I'd say nod to goes to H.H.S.

that's funny.. no one on that team tops out over 85... and i'd almost say no one tops out over 83. but i'd say Carr probably would since he was the Q.B. and maybe this bugs kid since he apparently has a little bit. but i assure all you readers, no one on that team throws anything close to 90!

I'd say McKenzie has a straight shot to Murfreesboro, IF they don't blow a game... they've got the monkey off their back, beating Huntingdon. It looks good for the Rebels to at least have a shot going back to state in single A athletics back to back years. Baseball last year, Football this year.

What programs/schools are still looking for a coaching position at the high school and college level? There are several coaches still looking for jobs, and I thought I'd help them out if I could find out which ones are still open.

Adam would be a great fit for that program. He's a close friend of mine, and has fire and doesn't accept losing well, just as the Lexington faithful. Adam has a lot of knowledge about the game, and hopefully he's put in an application.

I'm just telling you what the Diamondbacks told him! Neither, close but no Cigar, but whoever you are thanks for calling out their names. You're an idiot, thanks for ruining it for everyone.

it doesn't matter what they drafted him as, he'll pitch. rest assure anyone who throws 94 mph, with the array of pitches he has will not play Ss at that level. Rookie league is almost over is why they wouldn't send him there. They want to see what he can give them now, I honestly don't think he'll go anyway. But he's playing for me in a wooden bat league this summer, and he's breaking bats all over the place. Either way, he's going to college on about a 75% sureness level.

do you really think that i would make something like that up? i mean i talk to the kid everyday, i'm pretty sure i know.

They have offered him a deal to go to single A next week and start pitching immediately. Not sure about the figures they're offering him. No word yet on what he's going to do, but I'm figuring he'll still go to college.

It's probably in the guidelines and rules section on the website. TSSAA

Yeah I quickly realized that, just after pressing submit. I felt like I'm an idiot....You guys have Drew Brown nailed for sure, this kid is tough. He calls the games, and even did that last year as a freshmen. He has a great grasp on the game, and has 2 big years left in his h.s. career, he will be a fun one to watch. That team is going to be solid in the next few years, and will certainly make a run at another state title in the next 2 years.

Why even reply, everything was done as everyone seen how much you know. LHS basketball barely supports itself. Football at Lexington is the major draw. Basketball, or Baseball aren't even a close second as far as income, but LHS is one of the few baseball programs in the area that charges to even get in the gate, and enough is seen once you enter the park as their side is PACKED, and the visitor side usually at least half full of LHS fans, not to mention the visiting crowd..... And the reason most DI schools aren't in favor of signing seniors in h.s is because at the DI level, if they are a program in contension of making a run, they have to reload every year with capable players via junior college. They have to have battle tested players ready to play immediately, h.s. players generally have 2 years of growing and adjustment before they begin to prosper. Only the most prolific high school players are signed at the DI level, and even then those DI programs consider them "projects" at best. There is so much pressure to win now in the college ranks, as you can see where it has begun to trinkle down into the NAIA ranks, who is quickly rising on the competitive level and will continue to in the near future. Baseball is such a slower developing sport. By that I mean, is from a professional stand, where as you have to spend so much time below the major league level, developing, maturing, adjusting, learning, etc...and doing it over and over. As opposed to football where you go straight from college to NFL, and basketball the same way. Seeing athletes go straight from h.s. is very rare in those two sports, and really non-existant in football. But it's a basically, go to college, succeed to a level of the athlete's potential expectation, and then go. In baseball, it's all the previous steps, then repeat until desired skill assessment is reached> then go.

Brown signed with Bethel to play golf.

As it goes, it shows you are like many of the other people that dog that school. They are now in our conference and they are a very respectable team and program. I have a lot of respect for the coaches and players, they are a fun team to be around. They are now in our conference, which will be the #1 conference in the country in NAIA. As much as I hate to say it, if he goes there that makes them an automatic contender for top spot. So i'd say that would be graciously winning, and so would everyone else. Besides just because you go to a DI school, doesn't mean that you are a better athlete, it just means you get more tv time, and you get more free apparel, but if you've got talent, the scouts will find you, especially a kid like that, as to who's already on the radar anyway. And as far as Minor throwing 97, that's the biggest crock of B.S. i've ever heard in my life, i sat there and watched him top out at 88 on a stalker sport gun with Rodney Henderson who is with the Mets. I saw the same gun get Hayes at 95....argument solved. If you don't know what you're talking about, it's ok you don't have to make something up.

Yes it was the Stalker Sport guns since it was pro scouts there, so I'd say it was pretty reliable. I'd say it's a shootout as to who's better, you can't argue in baseball who's better than one other unless it's just a far distinction, but in baseball you can be beat on any day. And every DI school has looked at Hayes, he's told the majority of them no with the exception of Vanderbilt and Birmingham Southern and Bethel. And the director of major league scouting has been down to see him and give him the test already, so I'd say that qualifies him as being drooled over. And I'm just telling you what the scouts were telling me, as he has only touched 90 one time this year on their guns. Forrest is a great team, and Minor is a phenomenal player, but I still believe he's 2nd best.

I'd definitely say that Minor will be a lower 1st, or higher 2nd round pick. I believe that Hayes will actually be the first pitcher drafted. If Minor is, it will be because he's left handed. Their were several scouts there today, Minor topped out at 88, as the Hayes kid at 95 and 5 or 6 times at that, then 94 10-12 times. I've also heard that Minor has only hit 90 once this year on a scout guns where as to a lot of posters on this site have said that he stays 92-94....just a thought as to how much people really know on a site sometimes.