May 5, 2008                        Check Out previous Blogs

Now that the calendar shows May, our thoughts begin to turn towards District and post season play in high school baseball. Let's play a little back to the future and peek at some of those teams that made the Final Four last year and their fortunes this year. Why so many of the same teams ? Some other nail-biters around Missouri this week....

OK-lets’ride that "back to the future" train in HS baseball last year and check in on their status this season.  Mixed in are some very familiar names in the MO Baseball Finals !

 The class 4 Champions of 07, Blue Springs Wildcats are riding high again. Currently 18-3, ranked #3 in the State poll, the Wildcats still have southpaw Kyle Barbeck on the bump. His recent 4 hit,  2-1 victory over a talented Lee Summit North Bronco team shows that he’s the ace. His 9 strikeouts and NO recorded outs in the outfield demonstrate his command of the game. So….some teams have their pitching ace back….usually that’s a great start to getting back to the finals.

 The CBC Cadets lost a heartbreaker, 3-2 in the semis to Blue Springs last year. The 07 edition was very experienced — it was senior laden and senior driven. Expectations were not real high this year with so many youngsters scheduled to be in the starting lineup. The Cadets have assembled a 7 game winning streak with a 14-5 record using that lineup that regularly features 2 sophomores and a Freshman in the starting lineup !

 Annually, the Howell Vikings are a offensive juggernaut. Last year, the Vikings dropped a crushing 5-4 game in 9 innings to Howell Central. Back this year with vengeance, Coach Tony Perkins has his 17-2 team (only losses in back-back games by one run each game!) with another high powered offense. Last week’s 4-3  complete game win over Ft Zumwalt West (19-4) By Zach Gronek shows that the Vikes have a pitching ace to “run out there” in the big ones.

The Sullivan Eagles finished 2nd in Class 3 last year when they dropped a 2-0 thriller to Benton (St Joseph, MO). Graduating All-Stater Monte Cooper has not slowed down the high flying Eagles who are 15-1 this year and ranked #2 in the State poll! Pitching aces Scott Jones and Zach Mesey lead a staff that has only permitted 33 runs the ENTIRE season.

What about the defending Class 3 Champs, you say ?  The #1 ranked Benton Cardinals are 15-2 again. In a recent 18-6 thrashing of a good Chillicothe Hornet team (17-6), the Cards blasted 4 home runs !  Looks like a rematch in Class 3 could pit the stingy Eagles of Sullivan and the prolific bats of Benton again this year. 

The defending Class 2 Champs, the Blair Oaks Falcons returned a veteran squad this year. To no ones surprise, the Falcons are 12-3 again. Stepping up to play larger schools occasionally, the Falcons went 3-0 last week and topped it off with 13 hits as they blanked Centralia 11-0. On a roll, this team will "be there" again.

Westminster Christian made the Class 3 Finals the last two years without yet reaching the highest plateau on the trophy presentation. While two All-State players graduated, the Turners (Jacob & Ben) return for theWildcats. With their tons of experience and talent, expect this team to compete when District Play opens up.

Why so many the same teams ? 

There are several possible reasons. In almost all cases, these programs are led by terrific coaches. These coaches know their stuff and don't accept inferior play on the mound, in the batters' box or on the bases at any point of the season.

One reason might be that a team returns a solid corp of players. This doesn't always guarantee success. It happens to so many Seniors that they load themselves up with such high expectations that they implode when the season begins slowly. However, most talented, experienced teams "get it together" by district time.

Another reason might be that a tradition has been established at the school (usually by the same coach). This tradition demands that players perform the "little" things necessary to win-even if it means sacrificing some personal records.  Once a program reaches this level, it could become a state powerhouse for a long period of time.

Another factor could be the development of two or three very strong pitchers. This is all that a team really needs to advance. Coupled with a tight defense, opportunistic offense and a bit of speed,  this type of team can surprise many observers. Last year, Holt High fit this mold perfectly as they reached the finals (and they could do it again !) Hillcrest southpaw Chris Barratt could be just this type of hurler this year.

Another possible way to do it is a team that can defend, pitch, run and bunt can go a long way. Our interview with Legend Byron Hagler talks about this type of play.

Other factors are the elimination of injuries at District and post-season time. Even small, yet nagging muscle pulls of one key player, can downgrade the effectiveness of an entire team.

Most STATE teams do possess at least one genuine gifted hitter. It seems that the semifinal and championship games seem to find this hitter at the plate at key spots of the game. If he delivers, the team wins.  If he fails, it's a long ride home.

Next week we'll look at some teams that are sparkling on the diamond and that could advance a long way.

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