Press release by Trinity High School:

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trinity plated six runs in the first two innings on their way to a 9-1 win over No. 9 St. Xavier at Louisville Slugger Field along the Ohio River in downtown Louisville in front of 1,000 fans.

 

Junior pitcher Corey Littrell had ten strikeouts and allowed just five hits while walking one and allowing no earned runs. He is now 4-1 on the season with an ERA under one.

 

“He’s got the mind for the game,” said head coach Steve Tompkins. “He’s just a junior, so it’s a nice piece to have in our puzzle.”

 

Littrell became the second straight Shamrock to throw a complete game against the Tigers. Former Trinity star Tyler Stephan threw a complete game against St. Xavier on April 20, 2008 in a 5-2 win. Stephan recorded nine strikeouts in the game.

 

The only run of the game for the Tigers came with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning after a fielding error.

 

The No. 11 Shamrocks (13-8) had multiple hits in five innings and 15 hits for the game as they won their sixth game against the Tigers in the last nine meetings. Trinity became the first team in the series to win consecutive games since the Shamrocks achieved the feat in 2002 and 2003 when the Shamrocks posted 7-5 and 11-0 wins respectively.

 

The Shamrocks have now won five of the last six games played between the teams at Louisville Slugger Field and improve to 5-2 all-time in the facility against the Tigers.

Tompkins improved to 5-3 as dean of the dugout at Trinity against the Tigers.

Corey Littrell lived up to his billing. He had great stuff.

Not surprised. Littrell is a solid pitcher. What I heard is X is young and they are showing improvement in their young pitchers.

Not surprised. Littrell is a solid pitcher. What I heard is X is young and they are showing improvement in their young pitchers.

 

Our young pitchers are learning that pounding fastballs by frehman and jv teams may work, but it doesn't work against good varsity teams like Trinity. Hopefully our coaches who call the pitches will begin to understand that as well.

From the games that I have witnessed it seems like the St X pitchers have had trouble throwing their off speed pitches for strikes. If you can't throw curveballs/changeups etc for strikes what other option does that leave you. Especially if you fall behind in the count. Also its not about blowing fastballs by hitters its about the location of the pitches.

Edited May 6, 200917 yr by spindoc

That's not true entirely sports fan. Pitches are called by the coaches. Too, I think the pitching at St. X could be much more developed during the season so that off-speed pitching is more effective than it currently is.

From the games that I have witnessed it seems like the St X pitchers have had trouble throwing their off speed pitches for strikes. If you can't throw curveballs/changeups etc for strikes what other option does that leave you. Especially if you fall behind in the count. Also its not about blowing fastballs by hitters its about the location of the pitches.

 

Sportsfan, I'm not sure which games or pitchers you've witnessed so I won't debate you that there have been occasions when an X pitcher has struggled throwing his off speed for a strike. But, is that inability to throw it for a strike a function of not having thrown it enough in game situations with a live batter or does the pitcher just not know how throw it for a strike, or he knows how and is just not executing? My feeling having watched almost every game is that all X pitchers throw off speed better when its called earlier in the game, earlier in the count and more frequently in general throughout the game. Throwing offspeed mainly when you're ahead 0-2 or 1-2 is not IMO an effective pitching stategy against the quality teams X has faced. I would be willing to bet that of all games played, we've thrown first pitch fastball 90% of the time. Maybe fastballs are all that are needed to win against some teams, but I think you play every game leading up to district trying to improve on the things that need improving, which in X's case may be offspeed pitches.

Park 1221, throwing offspeed when you're ahead 0-2 or 1-2 can be effective if you locate your pitches. How did you get to 0-2 or 1-2? Was it with fastballs or offspeed? Maybe fastballs are all that you need especially if it has movement and you can locate up/down/in or out and hit your spots. Then again you said they throw first pitch fastballs 90% of the time. Of that 90% what is the % of first pitch strikes and getting ahead of the hitters? Remember in baseball good hitters make outs 7 out of 10 times.

..Remember in baseball good hitters make outs 7 out of 10 times.

 

In the pros good hitters make outs 7 out of 10 times, but not necessarily in high school. Getting ahead in the count is important, yet a good hitter will wait for a fast ball and sit on it if he expects the pitcher to throw one 90% on the time. If he knows the pitcher is throwing a fastball first pitch every time, this will help his database on that pitcher as well.

1,000 fans sounds like a nice crowd for a HS baseball game.:thumb:

Park 1221, throwing offspeed when you're ahead 0-2 or 1-2 can be effective if you locate your pitches. How did you get to 0-2 or 1-2? Was it with fastballs or offspeed? Maybe fastballs are all that you need especially if it has movement and you can locate up/down/in or out and hit your spots. Then again you said they throw first pitch fastballs 90% of the time. Of that 90% what is the % of first pitch strikes and getting ahead of the hitters? Remember in baseball good hitters make outs 7 out of 10 times.

 

I absolutely agree throwing offspeed when ahead can be effective, especially if located well. Against good fastball hitting teams(even a well located 82-85 mph fastball can be driven) I would rather throw a couple offspeed pitches, preferably for strikes, get ahead, then a fastball down and in the zone or down and away in the zone or up and out of zone. If you don't have a 90 mph heater, use your offspeed to set up your fastball not the other way around.

1,000 fans sounds like a nice crowd for a HS baseball game.:thumb:

 

At $5.00 a head, not bad. St. X gets an outstanding deal on Slugger Field as a Louisville Bats owner is a St. Xavier alumnus. They try not to use the lights to hold costs down. Concessions stay with the Bats.

In the pros good hitters make outs 7 out of 10 times, but not necessarily in high school. Getting ahead in the count is important, yet a good hitter will wait for a fast ball and sit on it if he expects the pitcher to throw one 90% on the time. If he knows the pitcher is throwing a fastball first pitch every time, this will help his database on that pitcher as well.

 

Good hitters in high should only get out 5 or 6 times out of 10 at bats. If X's young pitchers learn from experience, might not fair well for the Rocks in the future. Fast ball out, fast ball in, curve ball....easy as 1,2,3.

Good hitters in high should only get out 5 or 6 times out of 10 at bats. If X's young pitchers learn from experience, might not fair well for the Rocks in the future. Fast ball out, fast ball in, curve ball....easy as 1,2,3.

 

Well, said, Roc....

There are probably a handful of .400 and .500 hitters in highschool. That is why it is important that no one is on base when these hitters come to bat. Lets say a team gets 9 hits in a seven inning game. That would make them 9-30 in seven innings. Do the math? Team batting average .300