Highland women to add another player Freeport Pretzel to the team next year. Buckwalter said in a message left with reporter Joey Baskerville that Suporia Dickens has verbally committed to the Cougars.
More on this, including her potential signing, as the story develops.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Case of the shrinking strike zone
Eastland coach Lenny Freidhof had enough issues trying to put Aquin away on Wednesday in the regional semifinal.
Too many innings did the Cougars leave baserunners stranded, and too many times Eastland decided to swing at less than appealing pitches.
But Freidhof was upset about the shrinking strike zone that relief pitcher Gabe Schrader had to deal with in the seventh inning when Aquin made its late rally to score three runs.
"The umpire squeezed the zone and they can fine me if they want," Freidhof said. "They squeezed it. It was ridiculous. From what he was calling in the beginning of the game — Aquin was complaining about strikes being called outside — and he just zoomed in.
"But you've got to throw strikes. You've got to figure out where they're going to call them and you've got to adjust and Gabe didn't."
Schrader is one of the three pitchers on Eastland that Freidhof has said makes it hard to figure out who is their No. 1 ace. This season, Schrader is 6-1 but likely struggled more than he has all season.
Too many innings did the Cougars leave baserunners stranded, and too many times Eastland decided to swing at less than appealing pitches.
But Freidhof was upset about the shrinking strike zone that relief pitcher Gabe Schrader had to deal with in the seventh inning when Aquin made its late rally to score three runs.
"The umpire squeezed the zone and they can fine me if they want," Freidhof said. "They squeezed it. It was ridiculous. From what he was calling in the beginning of the game — Aquin was complaining about strikes being called outside — and he just zoomed in.
"But you've got to throw strikes. You've got to figure out where they're going to call them and you've got to adjust and Gabe didn't."
Schrader is one of the three pitchers on Eastland that Freidhof has said makes it hard to figure out who is their No. 1 ace. This season, Schrader is 6-1 but likely struggled more than he has all season.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Starting pitchers getting tagged of late
It all started on Monday this week.
Kirk Engelkens didn't have his stuff against Dakota and that, along with Milledgeville/Polo's lack of clutch hitting, helped Dakota all but secure an NUIC-East title outright.
Indians coach Britton Kauffman said that Dakota has never beaten Engelkens more than once in a season. That changed on Monday.
"Kirk's awesome. He's such a great pitcher and I said at the beginning of the year that he was a stud and that they were going to be loaded," Kauffman said. "In four years that I've faced Kirk, he's pitched six out of the eight games we've faced him. ... This is my fourth year of coaching, we've never beaten Milledgeville twice. ... And we got to him this year, and any time you get eight or nine hits off of Kirk, you had a pretty good day at the plate."
Not to pick on the 2009 J-S Boys Basketball Player of the Year, but Friday wasn't any better for the senior.
Engelkens gave up seven hits and three earned runs against Orangeville. Milledgeville/Polo coach Jeff Sands had to talk to Engelkens a few times just to keep his confidence up as the team was close to losing an upset against the Broncos.
Engelkens didn't get much help from his defense, which seemed to agitate the senior pitcher.
"He gets frustrated, he was getting a little frustrated and as a pitcher you can't let it show if somebody makes a mistake behind you," Sands said. "There's no one perfect on the baseball field. No one is perfect. It's my job to correct them.
"I suppose if there's any pitcher out there that's never thrown a ball or walked anybody, I suppose he can get upset, if there's a mistake made behind him.
"If you find him, let me know. I'd like for him to play for me."
Speaking of Orangeville, Broncos' ace Riley Kubatzke was called upon to relief Kyle Werkheiser and come out with the save.
Clearly, that didn't happen.
Kubatzke gave up three earned runs and surrendered five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. Like Engelkens, the defense's errors cost Orangeville severely.
But both aces were called upon, and both didn't provide what could have been better results.
Enter Saturday with Lena-Winslow junior ace Seth Cory against Forreston. Cory was called up to in relief of Tommy Rothschadl, after the sophomore gave up two hits to open up the sixth inning.
Cory gave up two runs, three hits and a walk in the sixth and seventh innings.
"Yeah, he's been having problems with his left shoulder," Lena-Winslow coach Tom Smargiassi said. "I'm not sure if that bothered him at all. I think Seth made a few good pitches, but it was kind of a tough spot to put him in with nobody out (in the sixth).
"He didn't necessarily get it done on the mound like I though he would, but he led us off in the inning with a double himself."
Kirk Engelkens didn't have his stuff against Dakota and that, along with Milledgeville/Polo's lack of clutch hitting, helped Dakota all but secure an NUIC-East title outright.
Indians coach Britton Kauffman said that Dakota has never beaten Engelkens more than once in a season. That changed on Monday.
"Kirk's awesome. He's such a great pitcher and I said at the beginning of the year that he was a stud and that they were going to be loaded," Kauffman said. "In four years that I've faced Kirk, he's pitched six out of the eight games we've faced him. ... This is my fourth year of coaching, we've never beaten Milledgeville twice. ... And we got to him this year, and any time you get eight or nine hits off of Kirk, you had a pretty good day at the plate."
Not to pick on the 2009 J-S Boys Basketball Player of the Year, but Friday wasn't any better for the senior.
Engelkens gave up seven hits and three earned runs against Orangeville. Milledgeville/Polo coach Jeff Sands had to talk to Engelkens a few times just to keep his confidence up as the team was close to losing an upset against the Broncos.
Engelkens didn't get much help from his defense, which seemed to agitate the senior pitcher.
"He gets frustrated, he was getting a little frustrated and as a pitcher you can't let it show if somebody makes a mistake behind you," Sands said. "There's no one perfect on the baseball field. No one is perfect. It's my job to correct them.
"I suppose if there's any pitcher out there that's never thrown a ball or walked anybody, I suppose he can get upset, if there's a mistake made behind him.
"If you find him, let me know. I'd like for him to play for me."
Speaking of Orangeville, Broncos' ace Riley Kubatzke was called upon to relief Kyle Werkheiser and come out with the save.
Clearly, that didn't happen.
Kubatzke gave up three earned runs and surrendered five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. Like Engelkens, the defense's errors cost Orangeville severely.
But both aces were called upon, and both didn't provide what could have been better results.
Enter Saturday with Lena-Winslow junior ace Seth Cory against Forreston. Cory was called up to in relief of Tommy Rothschadl, after the sophomore gave up two hits to open up the sixth inning.
Cory gave up two runs, three hits and a walk in the sixth and seventh innings.
"Yeah, he's been having problems with his left shoulder," Lena-Winslow coach Tom Smargiassi said. "I'm not sure if that bothered him at all. I think Seth made a few good pitches, but it was kind of a tough spot to put him in with nobody out (in the sixth).
"He didn't necessarily get it done on the mound like I though he would, but he led us off in the inning with a double himself."
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
My Baseball Top 5 (for the NUIC area)
Eastland
Other than Milledgeville/Polo, aside from their two losses to Dakota, Eastland has quietly been the best baseball team in our area. A matchup, which was postponed earlier this year between Milledgeville/Polo and Eastland would really clear things up, but as it stands, the Cougars are tops.
Dakota
You can beat an opponent once and just be lucky. But twice? With Lizer pitching, Dakota is probably 1a to Eastland’s No. 1 ranking. The head-to-head matchup is in favor of the Cougars, despite the late comeback with the Indians’ starters coming in after three innings.
Mville/Polo
Yes, they’ve only lost two games all year. But with both losses to Dakota by four runs apiece, the Missiles fall to No. 3
Lena-Winslow
A win against Dakota last Saturday puts the Panthers in high regard. The 22-6 win against War/Stock put Le-Win in even higher regard and are the second-best team in the NUIC-West.
River Ridge/Scales Mound (subject to change if O’ville beats M’ville)
With War/Stock, Orangeville and River Ridge/Scales Mound losing in unimpressive fashion, this was more of a toss-up. Jeff Steele is just enough to push RR/SM ahead of the pack.
As it stands now, though, there's barely five top teams in the area period.
Orangeville losing to Aquin really doesn't make their case for the Top 5. RR/SM doesn't win any give-me points either by losing to Pearl City, but if their best pitchers meet, I'm taking RR/SM over Orangeville.
Other than Milledgeville/Polo, aside from their two losses to Dakota, Eastland has quietly been the best baseball team in our area. A matchup, which was postponed earlier this year between Milledgeville/Polo and Eastland would really clear things up, but as it stands, the Cougars are tops.
Dakota
You can beat an opponent once and just be lucky. But twice? With Lizer pitching, Dakota is probably 1a to Eastland’s No. 1 ranking. The head-to-head matchup is in favor of the Cougars, despite the late comeback with the Indians’ starters coming in after three innings.
Mville/Polo
Yes, they’ve only lost two games all year. But with both losses to Dakota by four runs apiece, the Missiles fall to No. 3
Lena-Winslow
A win against Dakota last Saturday puts the Panthers in high regard. The 22-6 win against War/Stock put Le-Win in even higher regard and are the second-best team in the NUIC-West.
River Ridge/Scales Mound (subject to change if O’ville beats M’ville)
With War/Stock, Orangeville and River Ridge/Scales Mound losing in unimpressive fashion, this was more of a toss-up. Jeff Steele is just enough to push RR/SM ahead of the pack.
As it stands now, though, there's barely five top teams in the area period.
Orangeville losing to Aquin really doesn't make their case for the Top 5. RR/SM doesn't win any give-me points either by losing to Pearl City, but if their best pitchers meet, I'm taking RR/SM over Orangeville.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Why the Bulls-Celtics series is NOT the best series in NBA history
It's understood that the Bulls-Celtics first round playoff series has been nothing short of exhilarating.
Last night's triple-OT game with Derrick Rose's block on Rajon Rondo — two of the up-and-coming point guards that will be hall-of-famers when it's all said and done in my mind (and I won't regret making that statement either) — will be remembered for a long time for Chicago and Boston fans alike.
OK. And the steal and dunk on Joakim Noah was great too.
But I'd like to offer everyone a moment of clarity.
This is the most entertaining playoff series we've seen in a long while.
It's hardly the best.
See, I like my playoff matchups to feature smart play, great defense and breath-taking tough shots that allow viewers to stare in awe of such clutch perfomances from such great players.
We've seen only one of those features in this series. Well, sort of.
The breath-taking shots have come from Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rose, Rondo and ... Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Noah, Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and Kendrick Perkins.
Hell, nearly every player that has a roster spot on both squads have managed to hit a big shot for their respective teams this series (sans Mikki Moore, Stephon Marbury and the White Panther)
With Kevin Garnett on the bench and using his chin and multiple f-bombs to annoy Bulls fans, rather than playing and annoying Bulls players with DEFENSE, this series has to be evaluated for what it is — entertaining but far from great, let alone greatest.
There's been better series with more quality defense (which wins championships, ya know?)
I'd rather go out on a limb and say the Lakers-Celtics Finals from just this past season was one of the greater NBA Finals than this (I know better, trust me).
In fact, this isn't the greatest playoff series this decade.
Lakers-Kings Western Conference Finals anyone? How about the Suns-Spurs series just two years ago?
Pick a year for the Bulls-Jazz Finals and can anyone honestly tell me Bulls-Pacers and Bulls-Knicks (again, pick a year) were worse than the Bulls-Celtics series we've watched this season?
This first round has provided spotty defense at best from both team , and it isn't because the players are always the best.
Aside from Kirk Heinrich, the Bulls backcourt can't defend. Rose was exposed this year for his defense deficiencies by ... TJ Ford this year. Ben Gordon, try as he might, also can't defend.
I thought Rondo was a better on-the-ball defender, but like seemingly every Celtic, he's a great help-defender.
And who knew Pierce would struggle in Game 6 to defend, of all people, John Salmons (who I like on my fantasy team. ONLY on my fantasy team)?
Look, four overtimes in a playoff-series is something we don't see all the time. Heck, it's never happened.
But that automatically doesn't make this series great. Just very entertaining.
If they're not championship quality, it's not great in terms of history
The Bulls have proven why they're just an above .500 team and clinched the seven-seed and Boston, time-and-time again, proves it has the worst closing NBA championship team in perhaps league history.
That's why this series has gone on for seemingly months. It's a fantastic matchup, but none of these teams are championship material (unless KG can play again for Boston), so the relevancy of this series is also diminished (notice the trend with the series mentioned above?)
LeBron James, featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers, look stronger everyday while looking at this series and it appears quite clear they'll be playing in the NBA Finals.
The Cavs categorically defend better than the Bulls and the Garnett-less Celtics and in the West, there's the Lakers.
Pay attention to them in the finals if you want to see great basketball and a great series.
Want entertainment? Watch TNT for Game 7, Celtics-Bulls.
Last night's triple-OT game with Derrick Rose's block on Rajon Rondo — two of the up-and-coming point guards that will be hall-of-famers when it's all said and done in my mind (and I won't regret making that statement either) — will be remembered for a long time for Chicago and Boston fans alike.
OK. And the steal and dunk on Joakim Noah was great too.
But I'd like to offer everyone a moment of clarity.
This is the most entertaining playoff series we've seen in a long while.
It's hardly the best.
See, I like my playoff matchups to feature smart play, great defense and breath-taking tough shots that allow viewers to stare in awe of such clutch perfomances from such great players.
We've seen only one of those features in this series. Well, sort of.
The breath-taking shots have come from Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rose, Rondo and ... Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Noah, Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and Kendrick Perkins.
Hell, nearly every player that has a roster spot on both squads have managed to hit a big shot for their respective teams this series (sans Mikki Moore, Stephon Marbury and the White Panther)
With Kevin Garnett on the bench and using his chin and multiple f-bombs to annoy Bulls fans, rather than playing and annoying Bulls players with DEFENSE, this series has to be evaluated for what it is — entertaining but far from great, let alone greatest.
There's been better series with more quality defense (which wins championships, ya know?)
I'd rather go out on a limb and say the Lakers-Celtics Finals from just this past season was one of the greater NBA Finals than this (I know better, trust me).
In fact, this isn't the greatest playoff series this decade.
Lakers-Kings Western Conference Finals anyone? How about the Suns-Spurs series just two years ago?
Pick a year for the Bulls-Jazz Finals and can anyone honestly tell me Bulls-Pacers and Bulls-Knicks (again, pick a year) were worse than the Bulls-Celtics series we've watched this season?
This first round has provided spotty defense at best from both team , and it isn't because the players are always the best.
Aside from Kirk Heinrich, the Bulls backcourt can't defend. Rose was exposed this year for his defense deficiencies by ... TJ Ford this year. Ben Gordon, try as he might, also can't defend.
I thought Rondo was a better on-the-ball defender, but like seemingly every Celtic, he's a great help-defender.
And who knew Pierce would struggle in Game 6 to defend, of all people, John Salmons (who I like on my fantasy team. ONLY on my fantasy team)?
Look, four overtimes in a playoff-series is something we don't see all the time. Heck, it's never happened.
But that automatically doesn't make this series great. Just very entertaining.
If they're not championship quality, it's not great in terms of history
The Bulls have proven why they're just an above .500 team and clinched the seven-seed and Boston, time-and-time again, proves it has the worst closing NBA championship team in perhaps league history.
That's why this series has gone on for seemingly months. It's a fantastic matchup, but none of these teams are championship material (unless KG can play again for Boston), so the relevancy of this series is also diminished (notice the trend with the series mentioned above?)
LeBron James, featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers, look stronger everyday while looking at this series and it appears quite clear they'll be playing in the NBA Finals.
The Cavs categorically defend better than the Bulls and the Garnett-less Celtics and in the West, there's the Lakers.
Pay attention to them in the finals if you want to see great basketball and a great series.
Want entertainment? Watch TNT for Game 7, Celtics-Bulls.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
