2019 Beechwood Baseball Team - Best in School History

A couple of Beechwood parents told me at the game tonight this is the best Tiger team in program history. I don't know enough about the program to know if this is correct.

Anybody have any thoughts?

They are better than last year and they were pretty dang good last year. Really solid team in all phases of the game.

Best team ever was the 2006 State Runner Up Tigers. They were a fly ball falling just short of being State Champions and beating Lexington Catholic. That team had everything, good experienced pitching, great Defense, and were solid 1-9 in their lineup. I am a little biased as my little brother played on that team and was the one who almost had the homer run ball to win the game. This team has yet to prove against big competition like the St. X’s and Trinity’s of the world.

34-1 speaks pretty loudly. They don't have a patsy schedule to pad those numbers either. I like this team a lot. Exceptional defense, very solid offense throughout the line-up. Extraordinary intellect on the basepaths (example- Castleman intimidated COvCath pitchers into 2 balks yesterday). Just a savy baseball team. The vulnerability is on the mound with no shutdown power pitcher. Beechies have solid control/contact pitching, but not that ace that can keep the score low against the St. X's, etc. BW overall game will keep them in it against the best. Could see them win it all or even fail to get out of 9th.

So it's either this year's squad or the 2006 state runner up team as the best ever at Beechwood?

2016 Beechwood had basically a complete lineup of players who went on to play college ball. The seniors on this years team were freshmen - Castleman, Odom, Devin Johnson, Doverspike. You had that year's seniors D1 Stringer (UL), D1 Combs (UK), D1 football Slusher (UK), Fieger, Rowe, Burch and others. From a talent point of view, that is a loaded roster. As it stands now, there were 5 D1 athletes on that team. They went 32-8, won the All A, won district 6-1 over CCH and went to the regional championship game where they lost to Highlands.

The 2004 team won the 9th region and the sectional. They lost in the Final 8 against Trinity. An interesting tidbit from that game, is that Beechwood was leading either 3-1 or 4-1 in the 6th inning. Chris Curley was pitching and he was blowing through Trinity's lineup. The rain came rolling in and the game was delayed until the next day. Curley was not allowed to pitch the next day, and Trinity came back and won the game in extra innings. If the rain never happened, then Beechwood wins that game. Curley was dominant that night, and was in complete control.

34-1 speaks pretty loudly. They don't have a patsy schedule to pad those numbers either. I like this team a lot. Exceptional defense, very solid offense throughout the line-up. Extraordinary intellect on the basepaths (example- Castleman intimidated COvCath pitchers into 2 balks yesterday). Just a savy baseball team. The vulnerability is on the mound with no shutdown power pitcher. Beechies have solid control/contact pitching, but not that ace that can keep the score low against the St. X's, etc. BW overall game will keep them in it against the best. Could see them win it all or even fail to get out of 9th.

The lack of true ace is what I believe separates 2006 from this year’s team. Chris Curley was a true ace and each time he took the mound if he had any run support you were in good shape. In the 2006 playoff run he pitched the most dominate performance I have ever seen against KY #1 PRP. He was dominate and just overpowered the best team in KY and shut them out. Had Beechwood’s now trainer Brandon Slusher waited a year to start school as a kid he would have been on that team and I firmly believe he would have pitched the Championship game and we would have celebrated a State Championship in Baseball for the 1st time ever. 2019’s team story has not been written yet so we will see how they do in the Regional and possibly State tournaments. I am rooting for them for sure.

The 2004 team won the 9th region and the sectional. They lost in the Final 8 against Trinity. An interesting tidbit from that game, is that Beechwood was leading either 3-1 or 4-1 in the 6th inning. Chris Curley was pitching and he was blowing through Trinity's lineup. The rain came rolling in and the game was delayed until the next day. Curley was not allowed to pitch the next day, and Trinity came back and won the game in extra innings. If the rain never happened, then Beechwood wins that game. Curley was dominant that night, and was in complete control.

2004 was a special year and set the table for 2006 but I believe the batting order in 2006 was deeper and made a huge difference in the runs. That Trinity game should have been a victory had the rains not come. Once again Curley was absolutely dominate and no way Trinity comes back on him.

2004 was a special year and set the table for 2006 but I believe the batting order in 2006 was deeper and made a huge difference in the runs. That Trinity game should have been a victory had the rains not come. Once again Curley was absolutely dominate and no way Trinity comes back on him.

2006 was definitely a better overall team than 2004. I am just stating that Beechwood has had multiple really good teams. 2006 had 2 very good starters in Curley and Chas Moore, and a deep lineup.

I think people forget how good Chris Curley was. He was a complete player. Very good hitter, super smooth infielder, and a true Ace on the mound.

This years team is very good, but they still have work to be done. I'm rooting like heck for them to make a deep post season run. If they do that, then they will be in the conversation for best Beechwood team ever.

Also on that 2006 Beechwood team was sophomore Cody Elliott who went to Ball State and then played minor league baseball. He was another stud pitcher on that 2006 team. If he had started the championship game that year, Beechwood may have won it all. He came in after a bad first inning by the starter put Beechwood in a 4-0 hole. Elliott pitched very well the rest of the way but Beechwood lost 6-4.

I lean towards 2006 right now but we have to wait and see how this year's team finishes. They can still make their case. They need to get deep into the state tournament to prove they are better than 2006. No matter what happens the rest of the way, this team will go down as one of Beechwood's best. Congratulations to the Tigers on a great season and good luck in the regional and beyond.

Also on that 2006 Beechwood team was sophomore Cody Elliott who went to Ball State and then played minor league baseball. He was another stud pitcher on that 2006 team. If he had started the championship game that year, Beechwood may have won it all. He came in after a bad first inning by the starter put Beechwood in a 4-0 hole. Elliott pitched very well the rest of the way but Beechwood lost 6-4.

 

I lean towards 2006 right now but we have to wait and see how this year's team finishes. They can still make their case. They need to get deep into the state tournament to prove they are better than 2006. No matter what happens the rest of the way, this team will go down as one of Beechwood's best. Congratulations to the Tigers on a great season and good luck in the regional and beyond.

I agree Cody would probably have won Beechwood the State Title but it was such a hard choice for Bob that year. He had Sophomore LHP Tommy Bankamper or Sophomore RHP Cody Elliott and both had pitched about the same all year. Tommy was more of a power pitcher and Cody was more of a finesse pitcher which is why I think Bob went with Tommy. Either way it was a tough decision. That was such a fun and magical year. I will never forget the huge comeback against Christian County in the opening game of the State Tournament never screamed so loud in my life.