Clay County has a pretty good team. They should be decent. They possibly have 2 of the top 5 pitchers in the region. If they can play good defense and the other pitchers hold up they could have an alright season.

Clay County has a pretty good team. They should be decent. They possibly have 2 of the top 5 pitchers in the region. If they can play good defense and the other pitchers hold up they could have an alright season.

Word is that Clay will barely have enough to field a team. They can't practice until girl's bb is over?

TStruck -

 

What's going on at the 'Boro? Who are the "bunches of kids" who have left? Any starters?

 

One of the kids you mentioned struggles in class, so I've heard, so it may be grades. And I heard the lone Sr was upset about low PT, but I haven't heard about "bunches" of kids leaving.

 

13th A - Do you have any news about this?

 

Don't forget - 3 or 4 kids will be joining the team after basketball (tomorrow, maybe?).

Word is that Clay will barely have enough to field a team. They can't practice until girl's bb is over?

Why is this?

Corbin has two or three things they have to overcome to be a good team this year:

 

1. No experienced outfielders.

2. No Depth

3. Lack of speed, which makes it difficult to play the "small ball" that they have had a lot of success at.

How is the returning pitching? I thought that was the only thing lacking last year. They were solid everywhere else.

Middlesboro was young and talented last year. I would expect them near the top if not at the top of the 13th.

Word is that Clay will barely have enough to field a team. They can't practice until girl's bb is over?

Yea they can. They practice everyday. They have more players out than they have had in the last 5 years. There is other coaches besides Burchell. Beside the point Burchell can still come to practices.

How is the returning pitching? I thought that was the only thing lacking last year. They were solid everywhere else.

 

Their pitching staff should be good, but they will not have any overpowering type pitchers. The roatation should look something like this, with all of these kids being solid pitchers.

 

1. Lucas Henson

2. Clint Cashen

3. Josh Hamlin

4. Left handed kid who had to sit out last year due to grades, forget his name

5. Brandon Hedrick

6. Josh Smith

Corbin will be good, but they have to rebuild. They may get to be a top 5 team but they won't be at the start of the season. Too many starters lost.

 

 

A very good coaching staff can overcome a lot. :thumb:

 

Who would you put above them and why?

Yea they can. They practice everyday. They have more players out than they have had in the last 5 years. There is other coaches besides Burchell. Beside the point Burchell can still come to practices.

Who will replace Burchell?

What's this about mboro losing all of these players?? Does anyone have any information about this, If it is true??

Who will replace Burchell?

Burchell is still the coach. He is still at practice every single day. He has a great assistant in Billy Darrell Griffin who could probably be a head coach in the state of Kentucky.

Burchell is still the coach. He is still at practice every single day. He has a great assistant in Billy Darrell Griffin who could probably be a head coach in the state of Kentucky.

I'm talking about next year.

I'm talking about next year.

If I was guessing I would say Griffin. He has coached these boys coming up since they were in coach pitch, and has done a dang good job with them too.

OK, as far as Mboro players leaving, here's what I've heard - all unverified, which means I haven't talked to the coaches or the players themselves. There are only 4, not "bunches".

 

The two returning Seniors have decided not to come back this year. One has a great job after school, and he chose to pursue the dollar. The other came out for a few days, realized he would spend most of the season on the bench, and decided to spend his Senior spring doing something else. Neither of these kids would have got a whole lot of PT, IMO.

 

One Junior player was apparently dissatisfied with the field position the coach wanted him to play and just got his things and left without talking to anyone. He could not have been depended upon anyway, because of persistent academic problems.

 

A Soph player was still recovering from a football injury and decided his time was better spent rehabbing in the weight room and preparing for football, which he enjoys much more than baseball anyway.

 

The Junior player will be missed on the mound, but like I said, the staff couldn't count on him being there anyway. The Soph player will be mised in the OF, but he wouldn't have been 100%, and probably did the right thing by letting his injury heal.

 

Regardless, I've heard that practice is going great, there are some incoming players that are contributing, the hitting is WAY ahead of last season, and the returning players are showing a lot of leadership. Looking forward to a great spring!