In no way was I saying the 9th is better than the 11th or 7th. I pointed out that the ninth has had some top teams in the last 6-10 years make it state and that it is a very solid region with talent top to bottom. Thus he has faced some pretty good pitching, that is all I was pointing out.

 

Not to mention he still hits against the teams in the 11th and holds his own to say the least. First game of the year I believe they played Lex Cath against a dominate Maronde and from what I remember he was 1-2 against him. Faced Chandler Shepherd of Lawrence County, state runner ups, and did very well against him (led the Colonels to a win). Just because he doesn't face it every day, doesn't mean he can't hit it. My personal opinion is he is the purest hitter in the state from what I've seen, and the most fundamentally sound catchers I've seen at the high school level. His pop-time is already up to college par.

Please don't think that I am saying anything negative about Luke Maile. He is a terrific player, but no way does the 9th region stack up against the 11th region from top to bottom. In that same 6 year time period you are referring to the 11th region has dominated.

 

2003 - State Champs

2004 - State Runner-up

2005 - State Champs

2006 - State Champs

2007 - State Champs

2008 - State Final Four

 

2002 - State Champs CovCath

2006 - State Runnerup Beechwood

Not to mention he still hits against the teams in the 11th and holds his own to say the least. First game of the year I believe they played Lex Cath against a dominate Maronde and from what I remember he was 1-2 against him. Faced Chandler Shepherd of Lawrence County, state runner ups, and did very well against him (led the Colonels to a win). Just because he doesn't face it every day, doesn't mean he can't hit it. My personal opinion is he is the purest hitter in the state from what I've seen, and the most fundamentally sound catchers I've seen at the high school level. His pop-time is already up to college par.

I believe it was Nutini and Isler who each had a hit off of Maronde last year.

Not to mention he still hits against the teams in the 11th and holds his own to say the least. First game of the year I believe they played Lex Cath against a dominate Maronde and from what I remember he was 1-2 against him. Faced Chandler Shepherd of Lawrence County, state runner ups, and did very well against him (led the Colonels to a win). Just because he doesn't face it every day, doesn't mean he can't hit it. My personal opinion is he is the purest hitter in the state from what I've seen, and the most fundamentally sound catchers I've seen at the high school level. His pop-time is already up to college par.

 

 

For that matter, let's not get ahead of ourselves. He is a really good hitter and I think he'd do fine in any other region in the state. I think Maile, Darner and Isler would do just as well elsewhere as they do in the 9th, so I dont agree with that argument. But he isn't the purest hitter. And he has a lot of work before he becomes the most funadementally sound catcher ever at the HS level. It's unfair to put those kind of statements out there, because it makes people expect this level all the time, so when they do see them they come away with a different view..we have yet to see the first game of the season!

 

There is a whole lot of ball to played just yet, and if CovCath doesn't make it out of their own region [which I'm hoping they do] then we very well may see someone else end up with this title.