RainMaker

Semantics I suppose. What you call a "big upset" I call a bad draw.

Do you think that because they beat #1 twice or do you have some inside information?

Really hard to get back to finals after losing your first game. Too many games between now and Saturday afternoon. I agree that MNH should walk to finals of winners bracket at least.

#6 beating #1 is not a big upset. An unranked team, maybe. This was just two good teams playing and one won. I wouldn't call it a "big" upset.

Who would have ever thought that Holy Cross would play Fern Creek for the opportunity to go to Owensboro?

You heard him say that? Everyone seems to know someone that heard these things, but no one actually says they heard it.

I always enjoy from afar the threads that criticize this guy when he consistently beats the teams of fans that complain. I've yet to hear a fan of a competitive team complain. McCracken's fans don't complain. Hell, from what I understand, kids from the best teams play for him in the summer. Bullitt East complains because they can't get out of the 6th. Ballard complains because he moved to the 7th and they can't beat him. I'm not saying winning is everything, but I am saying if he is so bad, I can't imagine him continuing to be successful like he is. I don't know him, have never seen him or heard him coach, but conventional wisdom tells me that if everyone complains about you and you still win, you must be doing something right.

sounds to me like a dad complaining that his kid isn't pitching. A senior that doesn't make varsity should just be cut. In fact, in Kentucky she can't play jv. Let the coach do their job. Message boards are not a good place for parents.

How did they blow that game against Mercy?

Probably an error on a throw relating to tie break runner. Doesn't say error was on batter.

MNH's offensive performance in state tournament makes their impressive season offensive stats look suspect.

I realize that teams change every year with graduation, but an idea would be to seed the regions based upon how they performed the previous year in the state tournament. So, Scott County would be the #1 seed this year because they won last year, etc. I know its not perfect because if Scott County were to be upset in the Regional, another team would get the best seed undeserved, but its a thought.

Can fake to first if you step back off rubber first. Then everyone can go scampering for the ball.

I guess I see your point, maybe I just don't agree with people that would equate this to poor sportsmanship and definitely do not equate it to deceptively violating a rule. Coaches give signals instead of just yelling steal or bunt. Is this deceptive to give your kid a sign that is meant to not let the other side know what you are going to do? I've actually seen a similar play in the College World Series where a ball boy down the first base line was in on it. That gets closer.

Both of the examples you use are in fact against the rules.

Why would anyone other than the kid that got picked off and his third base coach have a problem with this play?

Keep in mind that Scott County and Mercy don't always throw their No. 1. In the last, I don't know, let's just say bunch, of years, Mercy and Scott County are at state despite an OK start. Don't get your hopes up in Versailles.

My point is simply that if the champion comes from the center of the state or west every year, why make everyone drive to Ashland? It seems that the final four is generally in the central or western part of the state. If you are playing late in the tournament, you shouldn't have to drive as far home as the people that lose early.

Do the teams from that part of the state compete?

Do the teams from that part of the state compete?

I can't believe people are still criticizing the coach that was the benefactor of a bad call. Even if he tells the umpire that he thinks it was a homerun, the umpire doesn't change his calls based upon what coaches think he should have called. Was the coach that didn't talk the major league umpire into changing the call at first that cost a kid a perfect game several years ago cheating? Come on, man.

I said something earlier on this thread because I thought those saying that this call caused the championship to be "tarnished" when in fact, neither Ashland nor Johnson Central really had a chance to win the tournament, or really affect who did. Now I feel obligated to disagree with everyone calling for Ashland to criticize or punish their coach. How many of you people have ever told an umpire that the call in favor of your team was wrong and that it should be reversed so the other team could win? I'm sure everyone is going to say "me", but you are all lying if you do. Whether it was a homerun or a pulled foot at first, or a ball that hit a batter on the jersey, bad calls are part of the game and I've never seen a coach tell an umpire "even though that helped our team, it was wrong, reverse it." As a practical matter, an umpire can't do that any way. They are always being told they are wrong. As an umpire, you do your best, and you stick to your call absent your crew mates saying that they saw it better. Relying on the reaction of players is implausible. How many times have you seen a batter toss their bat just to have a stike called? Their reaction was that it was ball four. Is the umpire to assume that the player got it right? The umps got this one wrong. They got plenty of them wrong this tournament. Others cost teams game too. Maybe if JC had got a hit before 2 out in the seventh, they wouldn't have needed this call. No one play costs the team a game, right? The call sucked. I've watched the video. I feel horrible for the kid. But I've felt horrible for alot of kids that have been called out on strikes in the dirt and didn't try to show an umpire video. I think those that are accusing Ashland of doing anything wrong are just flat full of it. The next coach or player I see talk an umpire into changing a call because they saw it different to their detriment will be the first time I've ever seen it. Time to move on.

Someone said that this call causes this to be a "tarnished championship" and that Johnson Central should have been playing on Saturday? This game was on Friday morning. Johnson Central is now 0-6 at the state tournament. I watched the video and they clearly got screwed, but they weren't going to make it to Saturday. They would have had to win 4 more games Friday if they won that one. Don't be so dramatic.

Especially when the pitcher that broke her back in 2012 pitched, or at least got the win, in 32 of the 44 despite her injury.

I have heard plenty of coaches say that it affects vision of corner infielders. I just don't understand all of you that are so die hard for masks can't make your kid wear one without KHSAA parenting for you. If you want your kid to wear one, fine, make her. Others might not want their kid to wear one.