Sparky

I would like to see single elimination with a 3 game series for the championship at the district, regional, sectional and state levels.

Best of three would expose the overall better team. In most years there is a pitcher that can dominate in any game and with a 3 game series he couldn't do this and the best "Team" would win rather than the best individual pitcher. However, I know baseball games are usually won and lost due to pitching so this goes with the turf.

What teams will be going South this year during Spring Break?

A lot will have to do with how the teams draw in the region this year. Danville and Mercer may not meet until the finals and then you have a veteran Somerset team this year that could certainly figure in as well.

South should be a handful when Smith is on the mound.

With the new alignment next year who do these teams play in District?

I would think Danville is 1 and Mercer is 2 in the pitching rankings. But it is close.

I'll leave this subject as well by saying that any kid that gets the opportunity to play for and get an education from a quality place such as Cumberland is very fortunate and I'm sure very talented.

Nope, I live and come from the hills just like you do.

Usually when one of these smaller schools play a bigger D1 team and are even in the game it is because they have their ace or number 2 going against maybe a #6 or #7 guy. NAIA schools can't compete with D1 schools in a series if the D1 team throws their best guys. This is just silly to even argue.

They never get rained out either. Beautiful place.

I agree that velocity doesn't mean everything and that location and movement are also important. But let Kentucky or Cumberland gun a kid throwing 90 versus a kid throwing 75 and guess which kid they will take 99 times out of 100. 85 versus 90 might be different but velocity is important to all coaches to a point. Not many closers throw below 90 in the majors. Wonder Why??? If a kid is of good size and throws 90 Kentucky will take a chance on him but not likely to do the same with a smaller kid throwing 75. Just the way it is. Maddux is one in a million and there is only one of him. Look at the majority of the strikeout leaders, era leaders or whatever else you want and you'll see more 90's than not. Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Bob Gibson, Pedro Martinez, Rivera (SPELLING???), John Smoltz and the list goes on and on and on and on.

How does the Stalker compare to the other guns on the market?

What's the reason for requesting to be a 3A school?

It's amazing how many kids think they're throwing 80 until the gun comes out and then they are low 70's lots of times. That's why it's good that non D1 schools are good options for these kids.

One thing you never see is a scout without a radar gun. So like it or not they believe the readings of the gun.

You don't see pitchers with his size very often. He has a huge upside.

That is a very honorable goal.

D1 colleges are looking for velocity, size and grades. They can teach mechanics and offspeed. There are plenty of non D1 schools however where kids can get a good education.

The thing to realize about any of these kids is that the college coaches will put the radar gun on them and see them before they sign them. If the velocity is there or close, the size is there, and they have the grades then they assume they can correct their mechanics and teach them how to throw good offspeed pitches. But if they don't have the velocity, size and grades then they are looking at a non D1 school for sure at best. But this is not a bad thing. Getting a good education is what is important and that doesn't have to be a D1 school necessarily.

With Smith and Whitten in this part of the state it give's D1 colleges two great pitchers to battle over. Grimes, Robertson, Perkins and Evans are nothing to sneeze at.

Yeah. That's why every college team has a Fall program. Running, throwing and hitting is nice but the college coaches want to see their players do this and compete in live game situations so they will be better prepared to compete in the spring.

Thoughts and prayers.

That will give them an edge over the kids on other teams not playing Fall Ball.

Are any of these kids playing Fall Ball? Serious players that aren't playing a fall sport are playing Fall Ball across Kentucky.

How about the other starters?

Based on these two players or are you saying they have other good players to go with them? It takes 9 to fill a roster.