Hey everybody, just joined the site and hope to join the conversations.

 

Just have a quick question. I've seen lots of posts on FB recently from parents congratulating their middle school kids on making the freshman or jv team at a lexington public HS.

 

Now most of these kids are good ballplayers but not really the type of talent you'd expect to be playing up on freshman/jv level given that most of the ones I've seen are still playing little league/cal ripken level ball. Even saw one 6th grader.

 

Am I missing something? Is interest down that much that they have to take these kids? Or is talent among frosh that low? Or do they just take a boatload of olayers? I know Fayette doesn't have middle school baseball.

 

Thanks for any info.

Hey everybody, just joined the site and hope to join the conversations.

 

Just have a quick question. I've seen lots of posts on FB recently from parents congratulating their middle school kids on making the freshman or jv team at a lexington public HS.

 

Now most of these kids are good ballplayers but not really the type of talent you'd expect to be playing up on freshman/jv level given that most of the ones I've seen are still playing little league/cal ripken level ball. Even saw one 6th grader.

 

Am I missing something? Is interest down that much that they have to take these kids? Or is talent among frosh that low? Or do they just take a boatload of olayers? I know Fayette doesn't have middle school baseball.

 

Thanks for any info.

 

I can't speak for Fayette County but I know in NKY there are quite a few freshmen teams that take 8th graders. Now as for 6th graders I haven't heard of that happening.

 

The reason for 8th graders at the freshmen level in NKY is multi-fold. For one, they can be very good players and thus beat out some 9th graders. Two, the talent level could be down at the 9th grade level. There are probably some other reasons as well but those are the two main ones.

not naming schools, but how many are we talking about here? I would say that in Lexington its easy to see between 2-4 middle schoolers getting an opportunity to play high school, but that would be 8th grade only IMO. The last middle school kid that I remember being 7th grade & making a high school team was Austin Kearns I believe. I know that it is different in softball in that area with several teams having multiple 6/7/8 graders playing @ the high school level.

 

Also a lot of these kids double dip & play F/JV @ the high school level & still play Babe Ruth @ the same time.

I've seen at least a half dozen lately. And all are playing freshman team except one who made JV. Thanks for the responses.

I've seen at least a half dozen lately. And all are playing freshman team except one who made JV. Thanks for the responses.

 

that seems about average for that area.

Thanks. The kids in the league I've coached the last few years are all starting to reach middle and high school now so I wasn't sure if this was a common occurrence or not.

Some of the smaller schools pull in 8th graders to be able to field 3 teams. Varsity JV and freshmen. The 8th graders are usually to fill out the freshman team where many freshmen play JV.

Ryle had 40 eight graders come out for freshman. They had to have separate tryouts to see how strong the 9th graders were and how good of a class the 8th graders are. They finally combined and final cuts are today from what my mole says.

If you are a top level 8th grader you are better off playing travel ball rather than playing frosh baseball. JMO

If you are a top level 8th grader you are better off playing travel ball rather than playing frosh baseball. JMO

 

Most do both. Travel ball in the summer and High School in the spring.

Hey everybody, just joined the site and hope to join the conversations.

 

Just have a quick question. I've seen lots of posts on FB recently from parents congratulating their middle school kids on making the freshman or jv team at a lexington public HS.

 

Now most of these kids are good ballplayers but not really the type of talent you'd expect to be playing up on freshman/jv level given that most of the ones I've seen are still playing little league/cal ripken level ball. Even saw one 6th grader.

 

Am I missing something? Is interest down that much that they have to take these kids? Or is talent among frosh that low? Or do they just take a boatload of olayers? I know Fayette doesn't have middle school baseball.

 

Thanks for any info.

 

I don't see what the big deal is...Harrison County has won 4 state championships with middle schoolers on the varsity roster.

If you are a top level 8th grader you are better off playing travel ball rather than playing frosh baseball. JMO

 

I agree. My sons team had several guys make the freshman team as 8th graders. The players and their parents all said that 13u travel ball is much better baseball than freshman ball.

The more dedicated players are playing 3 seasons. High School in the spring, select in summer and then fall ball usually with High school again. You see the same kids more or less from one season to the next. Some of the schools in the more competitive regions are fielding some very good freshmen teams. I would say nearly every kid playing travel season in the summer are playing for their High School as well.

The more dedicated players are playing 3 seasons. High School in the spring, select in summer and then fall ball usually with High school again. You see the same kids more or less from one season to the next. Some of the schools in the more competitive regions are fielding some very good freshmen teams. I would say nearly every kid playing travel season in the summer are playing for their High School as well.

 

Frosh baseball for the most part is really bad, it is like watching a knothole game. So your telling me it is better for an 8th grader to play frosh baseball than to go play in a Super NIT or a tournament at East Cobb?

If I'm not mistaken, Harrison County won a State Championship with a 12 year old starting. After the State Championship, he came back and finished his Little League Season.