Single A Baseball

[williamjasper]

"Friendship also returns a player that missed last year due to Tommy John, he was all state his freshman year where he went 14-1. He also shut down Riverside his eighth grade year in the state tournament when we took them to extra innings."

 

I am always saddened to see someone so young have Tommy John surgery. A 14-1 record as a freshman indicates a very talented player, but a young player with a lot of pitches for the season.

[tradertwo]

That's your opinion, we all have our own. Friendship will have a better all around team then Riverside, if they are put on the same side of the bracket then I give the edge to Friendship cause Riverside will have to beat them multiple times and I don't think that will happen. Riverside has one dominant player and yes he is going to Vandy so he is pretty good, but Vandy has also showed interest in the player who sat out last year for Friendship if that tells you anything about his talent level.

Same arguement...different year.The "one player" thing has no merit,state runner-up,then back-to-back champs the last three years is impossible to do with one player(especially a pitcher).Riverside might not win one game this season,but the one player silliness has been proven false too often to even bring it up by a knowlegable fan of the game...let it go.To say the Panthers might not have won WITHOUT that player would be acceptable for debate,but is a moot point...he was there,and they won.Do I think they'll win it all again this year?It's so hard to come out on top(even if you ARE the best team)that I'll say probably not,just due to the law of averages catching up with them,but they do have the inside tract in my mind because of the competition level faced throughout the year,and the experiance gained from the post-seasons in years past(along with that one great player )!

[CommanderMan]

Same arguement...different year.The "one player" thing has no merit,state runner-up,then back-to-back champs the last three years is impossible to do with one player(especially a pitcher).Riverside might not win one game this season,but the one player silliness has been proven false too often to even bring it up by a knowlegable fan of the game...let it go.To say the Panthers might not have won WITHOUT that player would be acceptable for debate,but is a moot point...he was there,and they won.Do I think they'll win it all again this year?It's so hard to come out on top(even if you ARE the best team)that I'll say probably not,just due to the law of averages catching up with them,but they do have the inside tract in my mind because of the competition level faced throughout the year,and the experiance gained from the post-seasons in years past(along with that one great player )!

 

I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about this year. He will keep them in any game he pitches and prob every game because he is a great hitter as well. He pretty much did everything last year in the state championship for them so I would say that my argument of him being there only difference maker would definitely hold up.

[tradertwo]

I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about this year. He will keep them in any game he pitches and prob every game because he is a great hitter as well. He pretty much did everything last year in the state championship for them so I would say that my argument of him being there only difference maker would definitely hold up.

OK,just for kicks lets say (hypotheticaly) that I agree with you that Gant is great(he is),the rest of the team stinks(they don't)and he's the only reason they've won state the last two years after finishing runners-up in 09'(he's not,but I"ll bet even you can already see where this is going!),what on earth makes you think he can't do it again? Riverside or the field...I'll take the field,but single out the one program to be the odds-on favorite and Ill say Riverside!For Petes sake they run-ruled everyone they played at spring fling,how many at-bats did he have per game?I'm not even a fan of the Panthers but they're in the same dist. as "my" team,and believe me I've gotten to see more of them than I'd like the past few seasons,so no rose colored glasses wearing homer(no offense)is going to convince me of the dynamics of a team that I'm familiar with because he thinks his team will win.Good luck to Friendship,y'all have a legit chance to win it all(serveral other teams as well)...just not the "favorites",in my opinion.

[Pantherfan66]

It is laughable to hear people say Riverside only has one player. They have ALL the pitchers back (of the top 3, Gant was the only one to lose a game last year) plus they ad a freshman lefty that will win games this year. Have you seen Clint Fisher hit? Have you seen Brandon McFall hit? Have you seen Ryne Fisher hit? What about Whitwell behind the plate? Of the 5 seniors Riverside lost, 3 are playing college ball! This run has been led by Gant, but the supporting cast has been anything but average. Most importantly, we still have him!

[Pantherfan66]

It is laughable to hear people say Riverside only has one player. They have ALL the pitchers back (of the top 3, Gant was the only one to lose a game last year) plus they ad a freshman lefty that will win games this year. Have you seen Clint Fisher hit? Have you seen Brandon McFall hit? Have you seen Ryne Fisher hit? What about Whitwell behind the plate? Of the 5 seniors Riverside lost, 3 are playing college ball! This run has been led by Gant, but the supporting cast has been anything but average. Most importantly, we still have him!

 

By the way, the answer from Commander would be yes to these questions. In the last 3 years FCS has lost to Riverside repeatedly.

[swanson71]

Riverside is clearly the favorite to win the state once again. They do have a good team which I have had the priveledge of watching and they do return the best pitcher in the state, in my opinion. They have been to the state championship the last 3 years winning twice so like I said with a streak like that they are the obvious choice to be the favorite to repeat this year. However, FCS will be there and will be a better team this year than they had last year and they are always one of the better hitting teams.

[dcriverrat]

I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about this year. He will keep them in any game he pitches and prob every game because he is a great hitter as well. He pretty much did everything last year in the state championship for them so I would say that my argument of him being there only difference maker would definitely hold up.

Riverside has one of the best batting lineups in the state. Not just one player. You clearly have no knowledge of the team, other than you got beat by them.

[CommanderMan]

Riverside has one of the best batting lineups in the state. Not just one player. You clearly have no knowledge of the team, other than you got beat by them.

 

Yes I got beat by an outstanding pitcher. I hope ya'll we get put on the same side of the bracket this year. Then one of us has to beat each other twice. I have played on the team the last 4 years and I think this years team will be the best team they have had since the 2007 State Championship team.

[orangecrush]

First, let me state the obvious, and that is Riverside is the favor to win that state again in 2012. Riverside has won the last two and return their entire pitching staff, which includes the best pitcher in the state Stephen Gant. No team can play in three straight state championships and be a one man show, therefore, we know that Riverside has multiple players on the team. Secondly, I believe that the Commanders can be better this season than in 2011, which bodes well for us, but that is all speculation. The pitching staff should be better, but we need two guys to step into the lead off and clean up spots. Those are critical holes to fill and everyone knows that baseball in a funny sport when it comes to the playoffs and you never know how you will be seeded. Last, I would love to see the 2012 state championship game be Friendship v. Riverside with Swindoll and Gant both on the mound. It would be a pitcher's and fan of small ball paradise.

Edited December 12, 2011 by orangecrush

[swanson71]

First, let me state the obvious, and that is Riverside is the favor to win that state again in 2012. Riverside has won the last two and return their entire pitching staff, which includes the best pitcher in the state Stephen Gant. No team can play in three straight state championships and be a one man show, therefore, we know that Riverside has multiple players on the team. Secondly, I believe that the Commanders can be better this season than in 2011, which bodes well for us, but that is all speculation. The pitching staff should be better, but we need two guys to step into the lead off and clean up spots. Those are critical holes to fill and everyone knows that baseball in a funny sport when it comes to the playoffs and you never know how you will be seeded. Last, I would love to see the 2012 state championship game be Friendship v. Riverside with Swindoll and Gant both on the mound. It would be a pitcher's and fan of small ball paradise.

Well said...

[LeatherBalls]

First, let me state the obvious, and that is Riverside is the favor to win that state again in 2012. Riverside has won the last two and return their entire pitching staff, which includes the best pitcher in the state Stephen Gant. No team can play in three straight state championships and be a one man show, therefore, we know that Riverside has multiple players on the team. Secondly, I believe that the Commanders can be better this season than in 2011, which bodes well for us, but that is all speculation. The pitching staff should be better, but we need two guys to step into the lead off and clean up spots. Those are critical holes to fill and everyone knows that baseball in a funny sport when it comes to the playoffs and you never know how you will be seeded. Last, I would love to see the 2012 state championship game be Friendship v. Riverside with Swindoll and Gant both on the mound. It would be a pitcher's and fan of small ball paradise.

 

You guys smell it over there? About to explode into the little BA aren't you? Got Gordonsville's best player last week. That football title will get a lot of the 2nd and 3rd teamers' interest at MJ, Wilson Central< and Lebanon. And for the girls, the same thing. Congrats on your win in Cookeville. Makes region 4 look real good with TC (2 titles in last 4 seasons), Gordonsville (semi), and you guys.