SoutheasternOhioPreps.com

Thoughts on 1 and 2

In NO PARTICULAR ORDER: SOC II

1. Wheelersburg- lost one player off the varsity team.
2. Minford- Farmer and Cook back for final season from the mound. Oesch, gives them another good arm for three solid pitchers.
3. Valley- Coach Schuler's team made tremendous progress over the course of last season. They looked like two different teams from the start of the season to the end.
4.Waverly- her because I dont know that much about them. Hopefully, a Tiger poster can let us know more about them.
5. Northwest- Dettwiller & Powell will work the Mohawks hard and you will see improvement with them.
6. West- a team that needs to have some stability and direction.

The Burg will be one of the best D3 teams in the state in 2008. This is the year that Minford has been waiting on for awhile with tons of experience returning.

Can't wait for those SOC vs. SVC battles in the District Tournament this spring.

I agree with you on the Burg, if they don't get squeeeeezed played out in the post season.

I agree... Burg has to be the favorite to win the league again this season along with being a top contender for the region and state. Minford could make a run as well as they return alot of talent and solid pitching.

With Burg returning a solid team and strong incoming underclassmen should provide for a great year. Burg has the pitching, defense and hitting to hopefully to win the league and carry them deep into the tourney.

With Russell, Wamsley, Cook and Elliott on the mound gives Burg 4 solid starters that can go pretty deep into games. Hopefully Armstrong, White and Hopper can provide a solid support cast in the pitching department as well.

I agree, Wamsley can throw until the cows come home. I did not know that Hopper or White threw, but seen Armstrong throw a little a few years back.

D has been throwing quite a bit in the fall league at Rio. With solid starting pitching, at some point in the season, Burg will need someone or several someones to steal a few innings for them. Russell, Boyer and Elliot have looked good as well pitching in the Rio league. In all honesty, Burg could field a varsity squad and two full reserve teams this year with the numbers they have.

Bama - Where do you suggest they find another JV Coach for that second team?

Glad to here Boyer is throwing well. Watching him the past couple season I thought he could, with a bit of work, step into a solid pitching role for this group.

Buldog, what would you suggest that Boyer work a bit on? I was told last season he chose to play JV, so he may have been solid last year with the group if he had decided to stay up on Varsity. Just a thought.

Boyer is one of the most competetive kids I have ever met, I seriously doubt he chose to play JV. It's more than likely he was on the JV team because of the coaches felt that was best for his developement as a baseball player.

oldschooler wrote:Buldog, what would you suggest that Boyer work a bit on? I was told last season he chose to play JV, so he may have been solid last year with the group if he had decided to stay up on Varsity. Just a thought.

I was referring to when he was in jr high nothing more. I think Justin is a great kid and will be a big asset to the Burg baseball program.

I always thought he had the mental aspect for pitching. He did not really let anything bother him much. Relaxed, steps back on the mound and throws the next pitch. He did not live in the past and seemed to focus on the next pitch.

burgbacker, Justin made a very mature decision and DID DECIDE to play JV ball last year. He was able to play many innings, whereas with the varsity, he may not have played very much. I have nothing but respect for his decision.

Bama

I was not suggesting that Justin wasn't capable of playing varsity last year, merely that with the players Wheelersburg had, like you said, he gained valuable experience from playing JV ball as a sophomore.

Justin is a fantastic kid and a very good baseball player. I have enjoyed my interactions with both him and his family since I met them a few years ago.

I was merely saying that as capable as Justin was of playing on a varsity baseball team last year, it may not have been so much his choice, but by default that he played JV. Wheelersburg just had that many talented kids.

Also, I think the implication was made that players were given choices to play Varsity or JV and I just dont think this is the case. Coach Estep seems to run a pretty tight ship up there and I would doubt he is letting players "decide" where they want to play.

There were more than a couple kids on Wheelersburg's JV who would have flourished on the Varsity roster of other schools last year.

A nice problem to have for Wheelersburg I suppose.

Burgbacker, please define tight ship. How long have you been around Burg Baseball?

I doubt Coach Estep is letting any of his players tell him where they are going to play. He seems to be in control of the team.

What about the SOC 1?

Minford's seniors have been starting since they were freshman, so their team is very experienced. Farmer and Cook will be their go to pitchers. Johnson also has pitched well in the past so i look for him to do well for the Falcons also. I say Minford will take the SOC and also have a good chance of making it to state!

Baseball is gaining momentum at Western. With stability at coach and a top notch player like Kier, the Indians will make some noise in the SOC1.