District 3 AAA

[TSpoon]

Here's my take on it...for what it's worth.

 

I think it will be a dog fight between AC, Halls, Powell, HV, and OR.

Karns and Clinton are very young but might upset somebody.

Central is still several years away and I know absolutely nothing about Campbell Co.

 

It's time to start talking about some baseball!

[Soxfan1]

Here's my take on it...for what it's worth.

 

I think it will be a dog fight between AC, Halls, Powell, HV, and OR.

Karns and Clinton are very young but might upset somebody.

Central is still several years away and I know absolutely nothing about Campbell Co.

 

It's time to start talking about some baseball!

T, I don't think it will be close. Powell is loaded. As long as they keep their heads on they should probably win every game in district play. Their pitching will blow most young hitters away. AC and Halls will be second and third. HV is good but pitching will be a problem. They have solid kids but no "shut down" speed in any arm on that staff. OR and Karns are about even. Karns is super young and will either be better at the end or fall apart from lack of early success (they play HVA and Powell in the first two weeks). Campbell Co. was improved last year as was Clinton. They will beat one or two of the 4-5 teams and mess up seeding. Central will have a tough time.

[ORbaseball]

Powell has to be the favorite with all the talent they have. After that, it will be good competition for runner-up between Halls, Karns, HV, and OR. Last years 3AAA district tournament showed that it's not how you start or are ranked pre-season, but how you rise to the occasion and finish. HV took hard work and sound fundamentals and surprised a lot of people; they will not be taken for granted this year, and certainly won't surprise anyone with another strong season. When Hill pitches for Karns, he can shut down anyone in the district if he's on his game with location, movement, and speed changes. Halls is, well...Halls. They're a strong baseball school, and should be competing for top spot in 3AAA for years to come. Oak Ridge is a Junior/Sophomore dominated team and will compete with any team in 3AAA when Lane pitches, but errors and lack luster offense need to improve significantly over last year's team if they want to build on their runner-up finish in the district tourney. Clinton will improve through the season and get some upset victories over these other contenders, but I don't see them finishing in the top four. Should be a good competitive season all around.

[ORbaseball]

Powell has to be the favorite with all the talent they have. After that, it will be good competition for runner-up between Halls, Karns, HV, and OR. Last years 3AAA district tournament showed that it's not how you start or are ranked pre-season, but how you rise to the occasion and finish. HV took hard work and sound fundamentals and surprised a lot of people; they will not be taken for granted this year, and certainly won't surprise anyone with another strong season. When Hill pitches for Karns, he can shut down anyone in the district if he's on his game with location, movement, and speed changes. Halls is, well...Halls. They're a strong baseball school, and should be competing for top spot in 3AAA for years to come. Oak Ridge is a Junior/Sophomore dominated team and will compete with any team in 3AAA when Lane pitches, but errors and lack luster offense need to improve significantly over last year's team if they want to build on their runner-up finish in the district tourney. Clinton will improve through the season and get some upset victories over these other contenders, but I don't see them finishing in the top four. Should be a good competitive season all around.

 

Sorry, but I left off AC. Durand will be strong, but not sure about team pitching after that. Roberts will need to have a season closer to his Sophomore year's performance, and their Sophomore class will need to step it up to finish in that #2 spot behind Powell.

[TSpoon]

Who are everybody's returning starters? I am very familiar with Powell and Halls so I will start there and everyone can add to it. Returning starters only please....not projected starters...LOL.

 

Powell - D.Owenby, Skeen, H.Owenby, Ledbetter, Conner, Payne, Weaver, Kidd, and Long

 

Halls - Smith, Painter, Corcione, Galyon, Whetsell, Davis, Hardy, and Thomas

 

[Soxfan1]

Who are everybody's returning starters? I am very familiar with Powell and Halls so I will start there and everyone can add to it. Returning starters only please....not projected starters...LOL.

 

Powell - D.Owenby, Skeen, H.Owenby, Ledbetter, Conner, Payne, Weaver, Kidd, and Long

 

Halls - Smith, Painter, Corcione, Galyon, Whetsell, Davis, Hardy, and Thomas

 

Karns: Hill, Roberts, Friar, Kennedy

[ManU4Life]

HVA returns: Whitt in RF, Gambuzza in CF, Barnett in LF, Fieldin @ 3b, Denton @ SS, Kirk @ 1b. Also pitcing they return Weiler, Kirk, and Brill. They have some very talented freshman starting with Hunt and Neely.

[5ozBalls]

HVA returns: Whitt in RF, Gambuzza in CF, Barnett in LF, Fieldin @ 3b, Denton @ SS, Kirk @ 1b. Also pitcing they return Weiler, Kirk, and Brill. They have some very talented freshman starting with Hunt and Neely.

I figured HV would have quite a few good players coming back......don't know much about the freshman you speak of, but unless you are Coach Renegar.....how could you know they are going to be starting? Has HV been practicing somewhere down south that we don't know about? I'd say that most h.s. coaches aren't sure at this time who all their starters will be...although they might have a good idea. I'm sure those freshman are very good, and I hope that they work very hard for their starting position. You guys are very lucky to have such a good coach in Kirk Renegar.

Good luck to HV.

[ManU4Life]

Based off last years starters.

[ORbaseball]

Who are everybody's returning starters? I am very familiar with Powell and Halls so I will start there and everyone can add to it. Returning starters only please....not projected starters...LOL.

 

Powell - D.Owenby, Skeen, H.Owenby, Ledbetter, Conner, Payne, Weaver, Kidd, and Long

 

Halls - Smith, Painter, Corcione, Galyon, Whetsell, Davis, Hardy, and Thomas

 

 

Oak Ridge returns Lane (SS, 2B, 3B), McDaniel ©, Cox (1B), Steen (2B), Hull (CF), O'Neal (LF), and May (SS).

 

Returning starting Pitchers are Lane, Steen, Roberts, Elwood, and O'Neal.

[ORbaseball]

I figured HV would have quite a few good players coming back......don't know much about the freshman you speak of, but unless you are Coach Renegar.....how could you know they are going to be starting? Has HV been practicing somewhere down south that we don't know about? I'd say that most h.s. coaches aren't sure at this time who all their starters will be...although they might have a good idea. I'm sure those freshman are very good, and I hope that they work very hard for their starting position. You guys are very lucky to have such a good coach in Kirk Renegar.

Good luck to HV.

I thought we were "..down South?" I'm not associated with HVA, but I drive by their school quite a bit in the 4-6pm time frame, and I can honestly say that I have not driven by there once since school started back in August that there wasn't multiple players on their field working out (no caoches, of course). It's been a very mild Fall and Winter thus far, which should improve the quality of play early on for those that work at baseball year-round and have taken advantage of the good weather.

 

As for their Freshmen that are projected starters for HVA, sometimes you just know that's the case based on a kids size and playing ability. It was evident with Lane when he came up for Oak Ridge two years ago, and it was obvious that H. Owenby would do likewise for Powell last season. When you see some of these kids in Middle School and travel ball, and you know the current talent level of the high school, a decent judge of talent can make a fairly confident statement. The wild card with H.S. baseball is that all kids mature and progress at different rates, and sometimes that talent comes on late, and a kid comes out of no where during their Junior or Senior year to be a major contributor. That's the aspect where the coaches have to wait and see what they've got at season's start.

[5ozBalls]

The wild card with H.S. baseball is that all kids mature and progress at different rates, and sometimes that talent comes on late, and a kid comes out of no where during their Junior or Senior year to be a major contributor. That's the aspect where the coaches have to wait and see what they've got at season's start.

That's exactly what I was referring too when I said most h.s. coaches don't know who all their starters are right now, but they have a pretty good idea....I would say that the HV poster knows what he's talking about and those freshman are great players that will contribute right away, but nothing is set in stone.