Big 8 Baseball

[ArtVandalay]

Season opener @ Volunteer Tuesday the 15th and the home opener at The Fred on Wednesday the 16th vs. Central.

 

Roll Tribe

 

Did they play the game? If so... do give some highlights.

 

Roll Tribe

[The Hill]

Norris pitches a no hitter against Tennessee High tonight.

[NETFan]

No offense but D-No and Will pitched a combined no-hitter. You can't get credit for it when you get pulled with 1 out left in the game. Still a great outing for D-No, but not a no-hitter. He really had his stuff going tonight. Went deep in a lot of counts to many batters. Not many walks but still has to work on control. But still dominant. Chase had a great game also. His defense let him down.

Hear Connell had a homerun for Boone and Matthews had a triple for DB. Should be a good run at the top between SH, THS, DB and db. Was surprised Crockett got drilled like they did by Boone.

[Gabby]

No offense but D-No and Will pitched a combined no-hitter. You can't get credit for it when you get pulled with 1 out left in the game. Still a great outing for D-No, but not a no-hitter. He really had his stuff going tonight. Went deep in a lot of counts to many batters. Not many walks but still has to work on control. But still dominant. Chase had a great game also. His defense let him down.

Hear Connell had a homerun for Boone and Matthews had a triple for DB. Should be a good run at the top between SH, THS, DB and db. Was surprised Crockett got drilled like they did by Boone.

 

I believe this early in the season, SH probably has everyone on about a 90 pitch count. SH has the arms this year, how-be-it most are inexperienced. Cunningham pitched well--upper 80s occasionally touching 90, but looked a little tired about the 4th inning, throwing a lot pitches at the end. His defense did let him down early, but I believe most teams are going to need to bring their A games (pitching, defense, and offense) this year to beat Science Hill, especially when Norris pitches.

 

Norris started to get a little tired in the sixth, pitches were beginning to be elevated and didn't have the command. Still a tired Norris is better than most other fresh pitchers.

[NETFan]

I believe this early in the season, SH probably has everyone on about a 90 pitch count. SH has the arms this year, how-be-it most are inexperienced. Cunningham pitched well--upper 80s occasionally touching 90, but looked a little tired about the 4th inning, throwing a lot pitches at the end. His defense did let him down early, but I believe most teams are going to need to bring their A games (pitching, defense, and offense) this year to beat Science Hill, especially when Norris pitches.

 

Norris started to get a little tired in the sixth, pitches were beginning to be elevated and didn't have the command. Still a tired Norris is better than most other fresh pitchers.

No disagreement here. He looked good and will be there. I would take Norris over any other pitcher right now. Would love to see Norris and Connell together on a staff like they were with the Jr. Toppers. That team would be deadly now. Watched Kevin last night. STill getting baseball legs under him after basketball season. Pitched 3 innings of relief and had 5 or 6 k's. Not there yet but had good form and was upper 80's. Playing basketball limits him and others from their full potential but you are only a high school player once. He did what he wanted to do and became the only player to start at least one game in all four years in football, basketball, and baseball at Boone. Some times you have to live for yourself and do something you have to give up something. He will be there in a few weeks full speed.

I believe 90 is a lot of pitches this early. I know they have been throwing but still too many pitches for me. Not bashing Edwards or DaHill. Just my thought, everybody has a different level of pitch count at this point in the game. I believe the weather being cold also should limit the pitches, especially when you have the arms SH has. It would have been hard to pull him that close to the no hitter. I'm glad Edwards did. I was one that thought Norris pitched too many in a week at the end of last season.

Edited March 18, 2011 by NETFan

[Gabby]

No disagreement here. He looked good and will be there. I would take Norris over any other pitcher right now. Would love to see Norris and Connell together on a staff like they were with the Jr. Toppers. That team would be deadly now. Watched Kevin last night. STill getting baseball legs under him after basketball season. Pitched 3 innings of relief and had 5 or 6 k's. Not there yet but had good form and was upper 80's. Playing basketball limits him and others from their full potential but you are only a high school player once. He did what he wanted to do and became the only player to start at least one game in all four years in football, basketball, and baseball at Boone. Some times you have to live for yourself and do something you have to give up something. He will be there in a few weeks full speed.

I believe 90 is a lot of pitches this early. I know they have been throwing but still too many pitches for me. Not bashing Edwards or DaHill. Just my thought, everybody has a different level of pitch count at this point in the game. I believe the weather being cold also should limit the pitches, especially when you have the arms SH has. It would have been hard to pull him that close to the no hitter. I'm glad Edwards did. I was one that thought Norris pitched too many in a week at the end of last season.

 

I don't know about overpitching. He looked tired to me, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they hadn't let him come out in the seventh.

 

Regardless, I have a lively debate with my son. Which is the better pitcher: Pfeiffer (16-1) or Norris (8-0? That why coaches make the big bucks. Of course, as a high school coach, you've got to develop your talent for the conference, district, substate, and state tournaments as well as have something for next year.

 

It is hard to win the conference with one pitcher, much less state. To be a state contender, you've got to have two solid pitchers and a good A-/B+ pitcher. Norris can win about anytime he throws his glove out there. If you pitch him too much, he may run out of gas during the tournaments and your number two or three may not have any confidence when you need them most. In order to succeed, you've got to fail once in a while. The secret is not to fail too often.

[NETFan]

I don't know about overpitching. He looked tired to me, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they hadn't let him come out in the seventh.

 

Regardless, I have a lively debate with my son. Which is the better pitcher: Pfeiffer (16-1) or Norris (8-0? That why coaches make the big bucks. Of course, as a high school coach, you've got to develop your talent for the conference, district, substate, and state tournaments as well as have something for next year.

 

It is hard to win the conference with one pitcher, much less state. To be a state contender, you've got to have two solid pitchers and a good A-/B+ pitcher. Norris can win about anytime he throws his glove out there. If you pitch him too much, he may run out of gas during the tournaments and your number two or three may not have any confidence when you need them most. In order to succeed, you've got to fail once in a while. The secret is not to fail too often.

Gabby, What happened to SH this weekend. Did not get to go. I know it was good teams they were playing but they got blasted twice. Was the SH pitching not equal or fielding. i thought SH would put runs up on most teams.

[Gabby]

Gabby, What happened to SH this weekend. Did not get to go. I know it was good teams they were playing but they got blasted twice. Was the SH pitching not equal or fielding. i thought SH would put runs up on most teams.

 

I wasn't able to go either, so what I have to say is all second hand. First game (St. Benedicts out of Memphis--loss 7-1), SH came out a little flat offensively and defensively. I think they had 3 or 4 errors, got behind 5-1 and just couldn't claw their way back. The second game (Soddy Daisy--win 8-2), Andrew Sweeney gave up a home run in the first inning, then he dominated the rest of the game.

 

Against Faragut (loss 18-7), it was a close game with Farragut ahead 6-4 until about the fourth inning. Faragut scored a couple of runs. SH got two outs, and Will Craig had a 3-2 count on the batter. The batter walked, and the flood gates opened--Farragut scored 8 runs that inning. SH came back and scored three. Then SH gave up a five run inning. So minus the two innings where Faragut scored 13 runs, it would have been a closer game.

 

In the last game, Baylor (loss 18-3) scored 12 runs in the first inning.

 

Good experience for SH, giving the coaches some opportunities to put players in certain situtations and see how they perform. Not everything was bad. Some players shone: Sweeney pitched well, Zack Thompson had several hits, Kevin Nelson had a few homeruns, and Geoff Smith got some hits. Others have seen where they need to improve.

 

Early in the year, the objective is always to keep improving. Fortunately, SH has Norris who can stop a lot of losing streaks.

[NETFan]

How did SH do yesterday in the tournament? What were D-No's numbers?

[NETFan]

How did SH do yesterday in the tournament? What were D-No's numbers?

Found it on Houston Site. Lost 4-2 Looks like D-No must have had control problems again. 7K's but 6 W's in 4.2 innings.

Someone give us the scoop.

[Gabby]

Found it on Houston Site. Lost 4-2 Looks like D-No must have had control problems again. 7K's but 6 W's in 4.2 innings.

Someone give us the scoop.

 

Science Hill lost to Mount Juliet 2-1. Zack Thompson hit a lead off home run for Science Hill's lone run. Andrew Sweeney pitched another good game. Will Craig relieved in the sixth I believe. In the seventh, the lead off hitter hit a triple. Science Hill walked the next two batters intentionally. Unfortunately, Will Craig walked the next batter giving the win to Mount Juliet.

 

Science Hill lost of Houston, 4-2. Good post of the game can be found at:

 

http://www.gamechanger.io/game-2632898/boxscore?src=scoreboard

 

 

It was cold and windy, D-No didn't have command of off speed. Had to rely on fast ball for strikes. Houston hitter caught up to a high fast ball and got it into the wind for I believe a three run home run. Science Hill came back and got a run. Houston scored another run on a sacrifice fly. Science Hill scored in seventh and had runners on second and third when Zack Thompson made the last out.

 

Right now Science Hill isn't hitting that well. Even against Sullivan Central, Science Hill didn't hit the ball that well after the 1st inning. Zack Thompson and Kevin Nelson are hitting real well, and Geoff Smith and Heath Lloyd are getting their hits. D-No is hitting for average by hitting ground balls that no one can throw him out on. Right now there are a lot of outs in the line up, and it's hard to sustain a rally with more outs than hits in the line up.

 

I think the coach is starting to shuffle the line up a bit to see if he can find some hits. And everyone knows that some of these guys will start hitting. So you better get Science Hill now while they're down. When the hitting starts catching up with their pitching, SH will be tough to beat.

[Gabby]

Today is one of the best days of the baseball season. Every team is a possible contender. Hope is eternal. By Thursday, some teams will be schuffling. Some contenders will be pretenders, and some teams will be surprises! But overall, there is nothing like the opening of baseball season. Enjoy it! Each of us would trade everything to be able to play one more season.

 

Plowboy,

 

Not many comments from anyone about last nights baseball game between Science Hill and Dobyns Bennett. It had just about everything from a pitching duel between Vessie and D-No to late game theatrics with both teams coming from behind to get leads. I thought it was one of the most exciting games I have seen this year. Either team could have won. There were controversal plays at the plates. Science Hill was fortunate to have the last at bat.

 

Both teams should be proud. DB hit D-No about as well as any team in four years. Only major gafts I saw was DB runner seemed to hesitate trying to score from third, and the SH runner getting picked off at second.

 

Things have changed since I played. In my day, we were told not to make the first out at home, although I believe the DB player would have scored if he ran on contact. Nevertheless, I would have had to see ball get through before I would have run. When I played, I knew that if there was a runner on second and there was a bunt attempt, that it was automatic that the catcher was throwing to second. But these are still young players playing the game, and I see major leaguers making the same mistakes.

 

Overall, it was one of the better high school games that I have seen!!!