PreSeason Big 9 Predictions

[tnKNOWLEDGE12]

Science Hill should easily win thier conference this year. They should have a very solid team this year. They will have N. Patterson who is a great defensive player and consistent hitter. Ben McKinney who will help them out greatly with their pitching, also there pitcher Lucas Anderson will be a great asset that will help them out this year. Caleb Mancuso is a strong competitor and has a cannon for an arm. Derek Feiffer is also a very sound defensive player and a decent hitter. Also Lance Reed is a great athlete and is very well taught. Another player is Devon Muse who Is a very powerful player at the plate and has a strong arm, withthe right mindset he could find himself doing damage on the field. Also Aaron Ferrel who is a lefty for science hill will help the team out if his control has settled down he will be a sound pitcher. Also Daniel Sharp, Caleb Mancuso, and Nathaniel Patterson will serve as threats this year on the mound. Also andrew sims is good defensive player and solid at the plate. There are many other players and attributes to players that i have not named. I only have limited knowledge on the baseball club, but all around they are a very solid team offensively and definsively and could find themselves at State this year.

[DBWATCHDOG]

DB is playing their games away untill April 1st season opener at J Fred.The field will not be ready by then by the slow pace construction is going.Hunter Wright is leased out each year by Gate City High School if you can believe that and will not be available for DB.Yes that is a nice facility for the Mets and AAU teams when they come to town.Definitely underutilized by local teams.It is going to be interesting to see what happens.

 

For Ritz, the chickens have come home to roost! This year will be the beginning of a new streak for DB baseball. Ritz is making excusses they dont have a place to practice and the Domtar field has been to wet and muddy. That all they have been able to do is practice inside. INSIDE? It has been raining on the other high schools too. How many high schools have the indoor facilities that DB has? The bottom line is Ritz has for years put all his chips on a class of boys and that is all he focuses on. Several years ago he only had 2 seniors on the team. He shows no interest in the feeder programs or tries to improve the middle school teams. The middle school teams were only good because kids having played travel ball growing up. They get zero coaching in middle shool. One middle school has a coach that never played baseball and the other saw his best years 25 years ago when he could remember his name. DB baseball will be weak for several years until some changes are made at all levels. Thank goodness Overcast moved to Kingsport. Chase has historically had elbow problems that is why is has no varsity experience. Crawford can pitch but NOBODY can play SS especially with a short 1B. If DB's probable line up includes only 2 players that have played varsity it will be a long year. With some luck, fourth will be the best they can do this year. I said last year it was time for Ritz to retire and get new life in DB baseball. It will take several years of down DB baseball, but the school and Ritz will eventually get the hint. Time for him to head to the golf course and the river to fish!

[Honky Tonk Man]

While it may be a rebuilding year at DB, Ritz is still a very capable coach. He is the only one around ranked on a national level. Over the past couple of years very few times do I remember seeing any of the local HS coaches at the Middle Schools during the season. Most of the time it was their assistants .. Why?? It's the same as every other coach in the area their team is either practicing or playing. (BTW most all of the coaches are buddies and they do keep up with what is going on)... so watchdog if you got a chip on your shoulder about Ritz pick another angle. DB is expected to be #1 or #2 every year and if not then something must be wrong. Not the fact that baseball as a whole is having a tougher time year after year funneling more kids in to the sport.

This current group of players @ DB will do well over the next couple of years. They are young and do have some injuries needing to heal. Given them time on the road the first 1/2 of the season then a chance to build some confidence at home and they will do fine.

[DBWATCHDOG]

While it may be a rebuilding year at DB, Ritz is still a very capable coach. He is the only one around ranked on a national level. Over the past couple of years very few times do I remember seeing any of the local HS coaches at the Middle Schools during the season. Most of the time it was their assistants .. Why?? It's the same as every other coach in the area their team is either practicing or playing. (BTW most all of the coaches are buddies and they do keep up with what is going on)... so watchdog if you got a chip on your shoulder about Ritz pick another angle. DB is expected to be #1 or #2 every year and if not then something must be wrong. Not the fact that baseball as a whole is having a tougher time year after year funneling more kids in to the sport.

This current group of players @ DB will do well over the next couple of years. They are young and do have some injuries needing to heal. Given them time on the road the first 1/2 of the season then a chance to build some confidence at home and they will do fine.

 

Camper, no chip, just the truth and your comments only support what I wrote. They are not picked #1 or #2 this year, 4th or worse by several. The team is young and inexperienced and that should not be happening at a school with 3 teams and training faciliites equal or better than small colleges. "DB will do well over the next couple of years". It should not take a couple of years to get back to being a top team. The Kpt rec has had a record number of kids playing baseball. They finally have great fields to play and practice. There is a disconnect around middle school and that needs to be fixed. It starts with the HS head coach showing an interest in his/her feeder program. If you dont believe me, ask the coaches that our successful how much interest they show in feeder programs. SH will rock DB in baseball for the next several years.

[plowboy2]

For Ritz, the chickens have come home to roost! This year will be the beginning of a new streak for DB baseball. Ritz is making excusses they dont have a place to practice and the Domtar field has been to wet and muddy. That all they have been able to do is practice inside. INSIDE? It has been raining on the other high schools too. How many high schools have the indoor facilities that DB has? The bottom line is Ritz has for years put all his chips on a class of boys and that is all he focuses on. Several years ago he only had 2 seniors on the team. He shows no interest in the feeder programs or tries to improve the middle school teams. The middle school teams were only good because kids having played travel ball growing up. They get zero coaching in middle shool. One middle school has a coach that never played baseball and the other saw his best years 25 years ago when he could remember his name. DB baseball will be weak for several years until some changes are made at all levels. Thank goodness Overcast moved to Kingsport. Chase has historically had elbow problems that is why is has no varsity experience. Crawford can pitch but NOBODY can play SS especially with a short 1B. If DB's probable line up includes only 2 players that have played varsity it will be a long year. With some luck, fourth will be the best they can do this year. I said last year it was time for Ritz to retire and get new life in DB baseball. It will take several years of down DB baseball, but the school and Ritz will eventually get the hint. Time for him to head to the golf course and the river to fish!

WatchDoggy my hat is off to you again.Alot of truth in your statement especially about the lack of coaching in middle schools.I too believe that DB baseball will be down for a few years.But I will still go to the games and support the Tribe.

[Honky Tonk Man]

Dogg...

Who has won the middle school tourneys over the past few years??

When Crawford was in the 8th grade Robinson had the best record, again the next year Robinson had one of the best records in the district , then the following year Robinson was put out of the 1/4 finals by eventual champs Science Hill. This year again Robinson does have a very good team. I do not dispute the coaching abilities in the middle schools but there are some players in the current group and comming up. DB lost 2 key players to Basketball this year that had been expected to play this spring. With only 3 Seniors this year...they may be down but not out.

 

Regardless of the indoor program, with no field they are extremely limited. Especially practicing situational plays. But hey man the turf will be awesome when done.

 

No doubt Science Hill has a great program and excellent pitching. And a very good system in place.

As far as rec ball goes and record numbers of players there is lot to be said about the development of talent. Kelly and Lance are doing a good job down there but all and all the better athletes tend to end up playing basketball or football. Time will tell.

[DBWATCHDOG]

Dogg...

Who has won the middle school tourneys over the past few years??

When Crawford was in the 8th grade Robinson had the best record, again the next year Robinson had one of the best records in the district , then the following year Robinson was put out of the 1/4 finals by eventual champs Science Hill. This year again Robinson does have a very good team. I do not dispute the coaching abilities in the middle schools but there are some players in the current group and comming up. DB lost 2 key players to Basketball this year that had been expected to play this spring. With only 3 Seniors this year...they may be down but not out.

 

Regardless of the indoor program, with no field they are extremely limited. Especially practicing situational plays. But hey man the turf will be awesome when done.

 

No doubt Science Hill has a great program and excellent pitching. And a very good system in place.

As far as rec ball goes and record numbers of players there is lot to be said about the development of talent. Kelly and Lance are doing a good job down there but all and all the better athletes tend to end up playing basketball or football. Time will tell.

 

I think you need to recheck your facts about RNR. Best record? Maybe better than Sevier, but not other area middle schools. The field excuse that you and Ritz keep saying is not true. They can use Domtar, it has 2 regulation highschool fields (that is one more than DB has.) Centerfield is 350, not the same as DB, but certainly on par with other area high schools. I will admit, perhaps it is the century old feud between Kpt Parks and Rec and city schools (that is another story) that is preventing Ritz from getting on the Domtar fields as much as he would like, but Kingsport has fields. If that is the case, then somebody needs to say it. To spend that kind of money for a place for geese to feed and nest is a waste. The fields were delayed an extra year in order to have the proper turf to handle extra play. With 2 regulation fields they can practice 2 teams and even put the Freshman team on a small field for practicing game situations. After this weekend the "2 key players" can play baseball. 4 played football and then played basketball this year. It takes a while to adjust, but the end is what counts. Just ask SH last year. I dont think the Tribe nation will wait for time to tell. They dont in basketball, they didnt in football and they didnt in baseball. If he doesnt turn it around in 2 years you will find him on the river fishing.

[bubbydean]

Dogg...

Who has won the middle school tourneys over the past few years??

When Crawford was in the 8th grade Robinson had the best record, again the next year Robinson had one of the best records in the district , then the following year Robinson was put out of the 1/4 finals by eventual champs Science Hill. This year again Robinson does have a very good team. I do not dispute the coaching abilities in the middle schools but there are some players in the current group and comming up. DB lost 2 key players to Basketball this year that had been expected to play this spring. With only 3 Seniors this year...they may be down but not out.

 

Regardless of the indoor program, with no field they are extremely limited. Especially practicing situational plays. But hey man the turf will be awesome when done.

 

No doubt Science Hill has a great program and excellent pitching. And a very good system in place.

As far as rec ball goes and record numbers of players there is lot to be said about the development of talent. Kelly and Lance are doing a good job down there but all and all the better athletes tend to end up playing basketball or football. Time will tell.

When DB's current group of JR's where in the 8th grade, Science Hills 8th grade team went undefeated , and won the conference tournament .

[plowboy2]

When DB's current group of JR's where in the 8th grade, Science Hills 8th grade team went undefeated , and won the conference tournament .

I think they even won the state.SH is loaded for the next few years,but they will have a down cycle.The players seem to come in groups in certain years.DBs juniors are a good bunch of kids but alot of them have gone in different directions.DB does not have a freshman team this year,only a jv.There is not much practing going on at Domtar for whatever reason and it is showing up as it did last nite at East.Being on a field makes a big difference than hitting in a building.Live pitching is alot better than a machine.Who cares if SH wins it all.It is about all they are good at anymore is baseball.I heard their coach was at East last nite scouting with his little scorebook.Hey its only a game.

[EHSPatsFan23]

I think they even won the state.SH is loaded for the next few years,but they will have a down cycle.The players seem to come in groups in certain years.DBs juniors are a good bunch of kids but alot of them have gone in different directions.DB does not have a freshman team this year,only a jv.There is not much practing going on at Domtar for whatever reason and it is showing up as it did last nite at East.Being on a field makes a big difference than hitting in a building.Live pitching is alot better than a machine.Who cares if SH wins it all.It is about all they are good at anymore is baseball.I heard their coach was at East last nite scouting with his little scorebook.Hey its only a game.

 

 

Well SH's basketball team has went to sub-state the past 2 years, so I wouldn't say that baseball is their only good sport. However, baseball is by far their best sport this year.

[DBWATCHDOG]

I think they even won the state.SH is loaded for the next few years,but they will have a down cycle.The players seem to come in groups in certain years.DBs juniors are a good bunch of kids but alot of them have gone in different directions.DB does not have a freshman team this year,only a jv.There is not much practing going on at Domtar for whatever reason and it is showing up as it did last nite at East.Being on a field makes a big difference than hitting in a building.Live pitching is alot better than a machine.Who cares if SH wins it all.It is about all they are good at anymore is baseball.I heard their coach was at East last nite scouting with his little scorebook.Hey its only a game.

 

The Kpt city rec league is not conducive for a traveling team. If it were not for the Kpt Boys Club's traveling teams there would not be a feeder program. The middle schools dropped their 7th grade teams and and now no Freshman team at DB. It seems baseball has gone backwards over the past years. When other DB coaches have been doing everything they can to build feeder programs (girls basketball, soccer, wrestling, even bowling to name a few) baseball went the opposite direction. Coaches have hosted tournaments to put money in their programs, but DB baseball has not shown the same energy. DB baseball is at an all time low when it is not on the radio and getting thumped by 10+ (and it would have been worse). Simply put DB baseball will not get better until they have a coach that has some energy for the game and the boys playing. Ritz had his glory days, but the disappointment from last year will sour with him for a while. He hung his hat on that group for 3 years. Ryan Wagner is the man for the job. Yes, everything has cycles, but you have to be proactive to break a cycle and until DB makes a change, this is going to be one long cycle.

[bubbydean]

I think they even won the state.SH is loaded for the next few years,but they will have a down cycle.The players seem to come in groups in certain years.DBs juniors are a good bunch of kids but alot of them have gone in different directions.DB does not have a freshman team this year,only a jv.There is not much practing going on at Domtar for whatever reason and it is showing up as it did last nite at East.Being on a field makes a big difference than hitting in a building.Live pitching is alot better than a machine.Who cares if SH wins it all.It is about all they are good at anymore is baseball.I heard their coach was at East last nite scouting with his little scorebook.Hey its only a game.

 

Most High School athletes who are serious and passionate about their sport dedicate many hours preparing for their upcoming season . For the baseball guys impeticular , they make alot of personal sacrifices with their time ,especially in the summer to get better . I believe these kids deserve coaches who are just as serious and passionate about their sport . If SH's new coach was scouting at East the other night , it shows me he has alot of dedication to his team and he must love the game . I'd say SH hired thr right man for the job .