I agree about Bell Co being competitive next season because if you guys remember they beat Middlesboro in the district tourney and they lost very few players themselves.
Does anybody know if the Harlan Co Schools will be combined this year??
The reason I ask is Cumberland,Cawood,and Harlan also had wins over the jackets last season if I remember correctly.
I would still like to wait until after spring training before getting on the jackets to hard. However I have to say something about the projected lineup.
Casey Earls being the best player Middlesboro has would be an asset no matter where he plays in the lineup, but if he's put behind the plate this would strengthen the defense. Frady-3B, Hatmaker-SS, Holbrook-2B, Brooks-1B. Outfield would be Breeding, Hoskins, Russell, then you would have a host of bench players to back them up. Like----Tolliver,Emert,Jones, and a bunch more freshmen,and sophomores.
Russell would not be a good choice for catcher with that slow wind-up he will struggle with throwing out runners. Also I think to much hipe has been put on Russell as a player it may be out of respect for his father, I don't know. But he has hit below .200 for the past two seasons, and he can not pitch under pressure. And as for Hoskins I hope his control has improved from the mound.
I may have missed someone not counting the players that have transfered elsewhere,but we still have just over 60 days to work them in.