MountainTop5

I don't have any inside info, but my impression is that the Jackets can be very good this season. Middlesboro rarely has a large experienced line, but this year is an exception. Senior DT A. J. Jones (5'10", 275) is getting looks from several Colleges. His 4.3 shuttle and 5.0 forty at NIKE Camp put him on the radar, but his height may keep him out of D1. The Jackets will be very athletic and have great football instincts, but will be missing the overall team speed that has been Middlesboro's hallmark the last several years. Skill positions are more experienced than a lot of folks think. If Coach Crawford is gone, then the Defense will suffer. I think Coach Roark needs to bring in an experienced Defensive Co-ordinator, and give him a free hand with the D. I think the Jackets' playoff hopes will depend on the Corbin game.

Senior games today at South Laurel: 13th over 14th by one, I think 7 - 6. 15th had like 6 runs in the fifth to overcome the 14th 13 - 7, or something like that. 14th team was VERY tired after two games in a row in beastly heat. 15th suffered the same fate losing 13 - 2 to the 13th in their second game without a break. 13th had an advantage not having a double-header. Lots of great plays - SL's Cochis made a great diving catch, so did John Michael Mayo from Pikeville. Any news on the Junior games?

Isn't this team put together to play against a team from another Region? Or is it just a recognition thing? If there's a game involved. does anyone know the details?

Seniors?

Burgundy - Tolliver is only a Junior, but he wants to play College baseball. He doesn't play any other sports. I thought you meant Breeding because he's played 1st base all year, except for a couple of games.

Could be either, I think. Jackets started both the SL game and the NL game with Tolliver on 1st & Breeding in LF. In both games, after 2 innings, Breeding went to 1st and Tolliver went to either 3rd or P. So they both played 1st. Tolliver hit the homer & long double against SL. Breeding hit the RF fence against NL, and is tied w/ Bingham of SL for most HR's in the 13th this season. So who did you mean, Burgundy? #20 or #22?

Jacket first baseman Andrew Breeding will be playing Linebacker for Georgetown College in the Fall.

Who were the All-Region Players?

Congrats to Lance! I'm sure he'll do the Boro proud ! So far, that's four Jacket Seniors (out of a graduating class of under 100) with athletic scholarships - Brooks in baseball, Osborne in tennis, Hoskins and Breeding in football. Which sport will Casey Earls choose to play in College - baseball or football? I've heard he has offers on the table for both.

Congrats to NL for showing tremendous heart. I really thought that the Jackets had the game when they went up 6 - 5 - it felt just like the last inning of the SL game. NL's right fielder was phenomenal last night - no less than 3 ESPN catches. I thought Breeding's hit was out of the park when he caught the ball while crashing into the fence in RCF. And the game-ending catch was also a beaut. Everyone in the park thought it had blooped in. Good luck in the Semis!

Game was 3 - 2 North going into the 7th. NL scored 4 runs in the top to make it 7 - 2. Harlan scored 4 themselves, and had 2 men on when the last out was made. Game started after 10 PM due to the 12 inning first game.

12 innings. Great game!

Shannon all the way for the Jags. Corbin started Hedrick, Hamlin came on in the 7th.

Thanks! I just heard his teammates call him "Jeff" as he came off the mound.

Game 1 Middlesboro 7 Knox Central 3 Earls & Frady on the mound for Jackets, Scalf all the way for KC Game 2 South Laurel 12 Clay County 2 (5 innings) Kyle Cochis hits a 2 - run walkoff shot in the bottom of the fifth Mobely for Clay Jeff ?? for SL

My bad, I looked at the web page for Bell instead of Corbin. First round final score from Bell County: Middlesboro 7 Knox Central 3

I predict Middlesboro, South Laurel, Harlan and Corbin as first round winners. Middlesboro / SL will probably be the best game of the Tournament, if it comes to pass. Middlesboro hit Smith as well as anyone this season, but will SL choose to pitch him today against Clay or try to save him? Corbin split with Harlan this year, and this game will depend on pitching. If Harlan can get by Lynn Camp w/o using Smith, they can beat Corbin, who will have to use Hamlin today. But the Hounds are better offensively, IMO, and could pull it out anyway. If KC wins today against Mboro, or NL against Corbin, I don't see them advancing another round w/o their aces.

3 Middlesboro Seniors deserve some props: 1B - Andrew Breeding Big target at 6'2", 220 with a 32" vertical & 4.6 speed, Excellent glove, excellent arm, .450+ BA, .800+ slugging. Best 1B I've seen in Region 13. Football scholarship (LB) to Georgetown. SS - Casey Earls 5'10", 175, 4.5 speed, Cat-quick, top 10 in the Agilities at NIKE Combine, Great glove & arm, best base stealer in the 13th IMO, .400+ BA, .700+ on-base. Pure athlete. OF - Trevor Hoskins 6'3", 190, 4.5 speed, best OF in the 13th IMO, easily the best arm, Excellent glove, covers the OF almost pole-to-pole, .700+ on-base, great base-stealer. Also a top RHP in the 13th, mid 80's, great fielding skills on the mound. Football scholarship (QB) to EKU.

Both teams have district games tomorrow, and so they pitched younger players tonight.

Saw this on another board.

Saw this on another board. Harlan saved ace John Smith for thier All A Regional final with Williamsburg tomorrow, and the Jackets jumped on them early.

BTW, Mboro will play North Laurel this weekend at Whitley's Tournament, and South Laurel at home on Monday. Should be some fine baseball.

Mboro went 0 - 4 in Florida, but led in every game. 3 of the 4 opponents were top ten in their Class. Firebird - the nucleus from the '04 Sr League team is there. Treece and Frady are back from that team after not playing last year. Missing Russell, Womack, Gambrel, who else?

Don't count out the Boro. They always come back from Florida used to mid-80's pitching and seem to have a hard time adjusting to the much slower local arms. Happens every year. And the Coaching Staff is still searching for the best defensive lineup, with injuries playing a role. They'll be ready for the Playoffs. Also on the plus side, this bunch seems to have more power at the plate than any Jacket team in recent memory. I've only been to two games, but there were more extra-base hits than singles in both of them. 8 different players have homered so far (13 total dingers through 11 games). I think they're going to be fine, and so is SL. Don't know much about North.

Saw on another board where the Jackets lost all 4 games in Florida, but led in every contest until the end. Against some ranked teams, too.