9 AAA Baseball

[UFGators39052]

In case you missed it... MJ 6 Beech 0   MJ pitchers with 17 k's in 7 innings... not really a "big time matchup"  Didn't see any big time arms on that side

 

Beech has thrown 2 no hitters in 2 weeks.  Their #1 McWilliams has one, and their #2 Hall also has one.  While they may not be Vandy or SEC signees, I would say that is pretty good at this point in the season. 

I know 6 runs is an awful lot in a HS game, they must have been hitting the ball all over the park!!

 

Your D1 team Mt. Juliet may not have a "big time matchup" with anyone in the state this year according to those standards.  

 

I would say the projected top seeds on opposite sides of the district would constitute as a big time matchup, although the talent level may not be close to equal.

 

MJ will run away with the district, and I don't believe there is a more talented team in the state. Let's see how far that will take them.

[FightinIllini]

McWilliams is a good solid pitcher not what I would call a big time arm....... Have not seen Hall. MJ has the talent agreed.... but anything can happen with 16-17 year olds. 

[SOUTHERNFRIED]

What's the outlook for this season?  MJ is loaded once again and I would expect them to run away with it, but there are several good arms in the district this year.  My pre-season ranks -

 

1a. MJ - very talented as always, should be strong favorites in regular season and tournament.  Loads of D1 talent on this team.

 

2a. Wilson Central - Classy program with a long history of success and a great coach, just not sure what they have talent-wise.  No doubt they will play hard for Ford, but can they compete with MJ?

 

3a. Lebanon - returns some talent, but always tough to compete with the Wilson Co schools.  Do they have enough firepower?  Sounds like Coach Vetetoe has things going in the right direction over the last 2 years.

 

4a. Station Camp - Anyone know what is going on here?  They lost 11 seniors to graduation, best Sophomore just transferred to Ravenwood (D1 talent) and several players have already quit. With only 6 upper-classmen now on the team and a second-year coach coming off the worst record in school history, you got to wonder if something is going on?

 

1b. Hendersonville - Regardless of talent, they always compete. Congrats to Mike Hendrix on the HOF induction, him and Gilley will have the team ready. Know they have at least one strong arm (Soph I believe). Who will finish higher between them and beech?

 

2b. Beech - Know they have at least one very good arm, should they be the favorite on this side of the district? 

 

3b. Gallatin- Made a great run last year but lost some good players.  Do they come back down to earth and finish bottom half of district or can they make another run? 

 

4b. Portland - Believe they lost their 2 best players to Cumberland Univ (congrats to K. Dixon, kid plays very hard).  Are they going to be able to compete this year?

Thanks for the kudos on Kemper, he wound up going to Cumberland alone, and he loves it there, best decision he ever made he said, the other player backed out. Besides Kemper as catcher, we lost our starting fb, 2nd, third, center, left, 6 starters in all...as far as our team this year, it may be the youngest team we have ever had, least in the last 5 years I have been helping. Right now we have one senior, with some playing experience, one with none( first time the kid has played baseball, but man he is working his tail off and earned a starting spot.) We have 2 freshman starting, 2 sophomores, 2 seniors, and 3 juniors. The ones with the most playing experience in this whole group is one jr and one sophomore. We played MJ had Vandy and of course ran into a buzz saw with their pitching, they K'd 17 of ours, but our Freshmen, Soph and Jr K'd 10 of theirs. We lack depth, we are down to 14 players, lost one to ACL a week before the season, who would have been our #1 pitcher, but he will be back next year, so our young kids are getting a ton of playing time and gaining experience. They also have grit and heart, and that will be what carry's them through this season, cause it will be an up hill battle. Right now we sit 5-3. Lost to Barren County, MJ and Station Camp. SC has been the best hitting team we have played this year so far. We just did not hit against SC, BC was beatable but young mistakes cost us. and MJ just had the pitching.  Plain and simple, hitting wise against MJ they had 4 hits I think and we had 2.... But all in all we are blessed with the kids we do have, they should be a tight group by the time they graduate in a few years. Let me just say, we could not have a better bunch of young men this season to go through what we will go through. Great young men all the way around. Thanks again. Randy 

[FightinIllini]

H'ville at MJ tonight..... any predictions....?  Brown on the bump for MJ....

[mondo44]

Hville will start soph LH Hayden Mullins or soph RH Hayden Lane/ overall will start 2 juniors and 7 sophs/ would not bet against MJ this year/ best team in the state IMO

[mondo44]

Nice win for the Commandos as they defeat MJ 2-0. Sophs Hayden Mullins and Kobe Carter combined on a 3 hitter. Mullins K'd 14 in 6 2/3 and Carter finished the game with a K. Brown had 15 k's for the Bears and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits.

[AlbertPine]

9-AAA seems to be a little more open than what the TBCA is predicting: 

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/04/03/tbca-high-school-baseball-rankings/99986270/

 

It wouldn't surprise me to see Hendersonville or Wilson Central take this district especially after the loss tonight by MJ. 

[mondo44]

MJ is still the favorite IMO. Hville is really young, some days good and some days you remember a lot of sophs and freshmen. Big game tomorrow vs Lebanon. Another soph Layne will pitch. Need to keep getting better at the plate.

[AlbertPine]

With the pitch count change, it'll be interesting how things change when the playoffs start.  Historically, if you have 1/2/3 studs, you just run them out there regardless of the count.  Now, you have to take into account the count/rotation.  CPA HC has already said he'll alter his schedule next year because of the rule change.  I don't know how deep 9-AAA is per team but I'll bet it'll effect the playoffs from previous years.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/04/02/high-school-baseball-pitch-count-rule-tests-depth-may-cut-schedules/99692336/

[SOUTHERNFRIED]

Im sorry, MJ is not the best team in the state, case in point tonight. When a pitcher strikes out 15 batters and lose 2-0? It simply boils down to the fact they are not a good hitting team. Portland faced them at Vandy, they struck out 17 of ours, we k'd 10 of theirs, we lost I think on only 4 hits, we had 2. IF they get to the state tourney, it will be on their pitching, they are so blessed with these great kids, but you have to hit to score, scoring runs wins the ball games, the defense should take care of itself. The way it is looking you cant count out Beach as well. I think we have a great district this year. Specially good luck wished on all our Sumner County teams, whoop whoop! Oh and Portland won over Lebanon 8-7 in the last inning. I hope the young man in left field that got hurt will be ok. Our prayers are with him. it was one of the most fun games I have been part of in a long time. Wish Lebanon all the best the rest of the season. We could play those guys any day. Kids understand the game, act like they should act, just a great night for baseball that could have went either way. 

[MJHO]

Agreed that you have to score runs to win games, but anyone that knows baseball realizes that great pitching beats good hitting almost all the time. MJ has faced the ace of everyone's staff in every game this year with the exception of the Arlington game. They've scored 66 runs against 14 given up. I'll take those numbers along with the pitching we have and see where we stand at the end of it all. The best teams in the world lose about 60 games a year. I don't believe any team in the state will win them all. Let's just wait and see come May before we declare MJ dead just because they lost one game to an outstanding pitching performance. I tip my hat to Hendersonville, they out pitched us last night. I still like our chances when it counts due to staff depth, which is what it will take to win the marathon, because it's not a one game sprint.

[SOUTHERNFRIED]

Agreed that you have to score runs to win games, but anyone that knows baseball realizes that great pitching beats good hitting almost all the time. MJ has faced the ace of everyone's staff in every game this year with the exception of the Arlington game. They've scored 66 runs against 14 given up. I'll take those numbers along with the pitching we have and see where we stand at the end of it all. The best teams in the world lose about 60 games a year. I don't believe any team in the state will win them all. Let's just wait and see come May before we declare MJ dead just because they lost one game to an outstanding pitching performance. I tip my hat to Hendersonville, they out pitched us last night. I still like our chances when it counts due to staff depth, which is what it will take to win the marathon, because it's not a one game sprint.

Exactly, dont mis read into my comments, I think MJ is the  best team in the entire middle Tenn area, just on pitching alone. I know several of the players, and will pull for them the remainder of the season no matter what. My point, IF they get to the state tourney, the only thing I can see that will keep them from winning it this year, will be due to their hitting. IF it stays the way it is, IF it does not improve. Thats a lot of IF's with plenty of time left to correct it. Yes they have put some runs up, they put 7 up against us, but on 4 hits, and 4 errors, 4 earned, 3 unearned. BUT that was enough against us.  IF their hitting was at the same level as their pitching, MJ would be the finest team I have seen in my 50 years. Even with all the Knoxville teams and their history. Like I said, I support MJ 100% just because I know some of the players, coaches, etc. But to win the state, their hitting will have to step up, cause you will catch everyones #1 when it comes to that time of the year......now the new pitch count rule, I think actually favors MJ, since you all have so much depth. I for one cant wait to see yall there. I see we have a lot to look forward to when we play Hville and Beach. Seems like our district is ate up with pitching. That I think is awesome.