Team Previews

Myers Park Intrasquad Scrimmage

I was in the stands watching the Myers Park Varsity intrasquad scrimmage. I was particularly impressed with 3 juniors - all pitchers. Ryan Rockecharlie pitched 1 inning and it was 3 up 3 down real easy. Jordan Cudney pitched 1 inning and struck out 3 (including 2 seniors) and walked 1. Matt Butler came in relief with runners on base and pitched the last inning with guts and determination and showed good hop on his fastball. I'll be watching with interest to see if this continues.
:applause:

 

the west forsyth webpage has been updated. clack on the name in the roster to get bio.

www.eteamz.com/titanbaseball

 

Charlotte Christian

The Knights were hit fairly hard the past year with the graduation of a great senior class which included Fronk, Bost, Caldwell, Najaka, Watson, and others. But surprisingly, I think the knights will be as good as last year or maybe even better. They have 5 seniors and a daunting 12 juniors that will lead the knights this year. Coach Simmons has put together an impressive schedule that will take these boys to the limits of their ability. (The following is strictly based on my thoughts and opinions and from what I’ve observed)

Offense

Christian will rely on their explosive lineup to win most games. 1 through 9 they look as good as anyone. With the additions of Gantner and Kirkpatrick, they will replace some of the offense fronk, bost and company left behind. They don’t have the ideal leadoff man that runs a 6.6 but they do have good overall team speed, with a few guys that run under 7.0. They have alot of power and everyone can drive the ball. Overall, the offense looks to be strong and will carry the knights through the season.

Defense

The Knights’ infield is very young consisting of 4 juniors and a senior. These guys can play their position though and are very talented. Bradley and Kirkpatrick up-the-middle looks promising, they are very smooth, but we’ll have to wait until the season starts to see how they do. The outfield consists of 2 juniors and a senior. They all have good arms and will just have to make the plays to be successful. Overall, the defense is very, very talented but young and will have to get used to it and not make rookie mistakes in order to be successful.

Pitching

Pitching is the biggest question mark for the Knights. They have a legit starting rotation but the bullpen will be heavily relied on to throw strikes and eat up innings. Reportedly they have 3 guys that hit 90mph. With 12 pitchers they are plenty deep, but some guys will have to step up and be the go-to guy in relief.


The Roster

Daniel Hill (Senior) 3B/RHP – Daniel worked very hard this offseason and has become a solid D-1 prospect with interest from alot of schools. He is a big strong kid who has a great glove at 3rd and a strong arm across the diamond. Has a lot of power and can drive the ball. Thows upper 80’s and hits 90.

Matt Gantner (Senior) C – Matt moved from Wisconsin this year and will add offense to this club. This kid can absolutely rake from the left side of the plate. With a smooth powerful swing, Gantner will be relied on to add to the lineup, power and rbi's.

Chris Whitley (Senior) LHP – Chris is a solid LHP that is apart of the starting rotation, He has good location and never seems to have a bad day on the mound. He’s a hard worker.

Kyle Barthleson (Senior) LHP – Kyle has nasty stuff and will be a stud if he can control his pitches. He throws a hard fastball and with a nasty, nasty breaking ball. He won the state championship last year with a gutty performance against Wesleyan.

Griffin McGuirt (Senior) LF – He had a great summer with the megastars and is a good outfielder. Has started 3 years for the knights. He is very strong and has power and speed.

Mason McVerry (Junior) C – mason will start again this year behind the plate and has improved his arm strength down to second it seems. Is fast and surprisingly has some power. One of the best '06 catchers I've seen.

Charles Bradley (Junior) SS – Will take over at SS this year. Is great defensively, is very quick and for his smaller stature and has a very strong arm. He is fast and hits the ball well. Had a good summer for the megastars.

Tyler Kirkpatrick (Junior) 2B – Transferred from Independence this year. Has a great glove and good footwork. Can absolutely hit a baseball, has power and can drive the ball to all fields. One of the top '06's in the state

Kurt Fulginiti (Junior) 1B/3B – will most likely start at 1B this year. Has a great glove and good footwork. Has a quick bat and ahs some pop in his swing

Chase Martin (Junior) RHP/Util. – Chase is a big kid that had a great summer. He is a legit starter that throws hard and locates his pitches. He can hit a ball a mile.

Max Fulginiti (Junior) RF/RHP – Is a solid OF with a strong arm, will start in RF. Puts the ball in play and makes things happen. Will be in relief for that knights, has good offspeed.

Jared Bard (Junior) RHP/CF – Will be the knights #1 this year. Went 9-1 as a sophomore last year, throws upper 80’s and hits 90. Will make the transition from infield to outfield this year and will play CF. Is fast and can drive the ball with power.

Patrick McNair (Junior) RHP – Patrick will most likely serve as a reliever this year. Has a rubber arm and a good curve ball.

Bryant Gaines (Junior) RHP/1B – Bryant is a solid pitcher that throws hard and with his big frame, at 6’5, should be effective. Has a lot of power, hit several hr’s last year.

Ryan Leander (Junior) RHP/Util. – Coach Simmons converted Ryan to a submarine RHP this year. Will provide a different look from the bullpen.

Taylor Searcy (Junior) RHP/3B – taylor will serve as a reliever this year in the bullpen. A big kid who has power from the right side.

Thomas Nichols (Sophomore) LHP – Thomas is a solid young pitcher. Locates his pitches very well and has potential to be one of the top LHP’s around in a year or 2.

Graham Fronk (Sophomore) OF – Graham will be a stud in a year or 2. Is a strong OF who will get to see a lot of time whenever Bard or Fulginiti pitches. Being the brother of Reid, he’s got a lot of talent and will be relied to make some plays.

Jason Burns (Sophomore) RHP – Jason is a good young pitcher who can throw strikes. Will serve in the bullpen this year and will eat up some innings.

 

Interesting. Rockecharlie played for Mark Richards when he was 13. Cudney and Butler played for Mark the lat two years. Good luck to all those guys.

 

West Meck preview

I keep up with this team considering I graduated last year and played with many of the guys on this years team, and here is a preview of Coach Carpino's Indians.

First Base: Daniel Jones, Sr. (5'10" 230) and Justin Gray, Sr. (5'11" 240)

-Probably two of the biggest first baseman duo's in the conference.

-Daniel knocks the socks off of the ball and is a very dangerous hitter. He hits the ball for average and for power, but watch the power numbers this year. Defensively he is good, but not great. He's good at scooping the ball out of the dirt and will make some remarkable plays, but it only happens every so often. Daniel dislocated his kneecap his sophomore season and didn't put much up last year due to rehab, but this year he is coming back strong.

-Justin is a very acceptional defensive first baseman. He stretches and doesn't let anything pass his glove. A guy with so much heart it is unbelievable, will go to great lengths to please his coach. At the plate he's streaky. As in, he strikes out a lot, but when he hits the ball he really hits it hard. Not one of the best hitters, but definately a guy you would want on your bench. Justin also signed to play football for Louisburg College, so you know he's in pretty good shape and has great work ethic. Last year he struggled, but this year he is looking to show people he is a good ballplayer.

Second Base: Brandon Reeves, Jr. (5'9" 150) and Stephen Mullis, So. (6' 160)

-Brandon is the leadoff man for this team and has started varsity since he was a freshman. His freshman year he was 2 votes away from making All-Conference, with a batting average over .300 and 2 errors on the year. He is solid defensively, he has quick hands and knows where to go on every play. He has matured faster than many Juniors may have because he has been playing varsity since he was a freshman. He's a smart baserunner, he's not the fastest kid out there, but he can run decently.

-Stephen is returning from his freshman year (which he started varsity). He bats left handed and has some of the quickest hands I've ever seen. He started in the outfield last year so infield may be more difficult for him to get used to (he may be playing shortstop too). He needs more maturing, but he is a good player that will draw some attention when he's a senior.

Shortstop: Seth Stringfield, Sr. (6' 180")

-Seth is one to watch. He throws right handed, bats left handed, and has a cannon for an arm. He's never afraid to dive for a ball, will always get dirty. He hits 3rd in the lineup and is very dangerous hitter. Hitting from the left side, his power is amazing considering his batting average (.409) last year.

Third Base: B.J. Bowen, So. (5'10" 180)

-Last year he showed he needed to mature. He made a lot of freshman mistakes, but that didn't stop him from batting .360. He had 21 hits as a freshman last year, and will more than likely be hitting 5th. He's a decent third baseman, but he will get better as time goes on. A very good player to work with though.

Catcher: Troy Lanham, Jr. (6'1" 180)

-Probably one of the most reliable catchers to have behind the plate in the conference. A decent hitter hitting in the 6th spot. Very clutch, hits the ball when it's needed. He will be another one to watch, has done a lot for this team (also started as a freshman). He once threw out 3 runners trying to steal second base in one game.

Pitching: Seth Stringfield, B.J. Bowen, Brandon Reeves, and Stephen Mullis

Seth Throws a great knuckeball that has more speed than most batters see. He throws his fastball in the mid-80's, with a decent curve ball to add to it. He gave up a lot of walks, but he always comes back strong.

B.J. Has a Fastball that may reach the low-80's, but will consistantly hit the high-70's. His arm hasn't grown to the varsity level yet, but may be a solid threat this season. He also throws a very good Change-Up with a solid curve ball.

Brandon throws his fastball in the high 70's to low 80's, with very good offspeed. Has a solid curveball and a solid change. I'm not sure if he throws more than that, but his offspeed is his specialty.

Stephen won't be seen too much this year on the mound, but may get a few chances. He throws a forkball and a curveball and is also one that specializes in.

Outfield-Very young and unexperienced. With a solid infield, the outfield is the area of concern. They are alright, but have not played together for very long. Justin Meadows is in Center, he doesn't have a strong arm but has decent range. Jamel Byrd is a football player that is very inexperienced. Jeremy Gray is a decent outfielder with a decent arm, may also pitch.

...this team is going to be one to watch, because they will be very under-rated and many teams will take them lightly. They should finish solid in the conference, and are not a team to to underestimate.

 

Great post WM.... We never hear enough about the Indians. They are always a very tough team to face and you can never take them lightly. I remember a couple years back when they had consecutive 1-0 wins against North Meck and Hopewell. Coach Carpino always has his kids ready to play.

I expect to hear good things, especially about Seth.....

 

I appreciate that, I expect big things out of Seth also because I have been playing with him since we were young. He's told me he's working harder than ever and is out to prove himself. This year is going to be a much better year for the Indians.

 

2005 Forbush Falcons Varsity Roster

• Corey Martin - Sr. (Western Carolina)
• John Merritt - Sr. (Belmont Abbey)
• Matt Hutchens - Sr.
• Jacob Swaim - Sr.
• Alex Neidringhaus- Sr.
• Landon Mummert - Sr.
• Ryan Allred - Jr.
• Drew Williard - Jr.
• Bryan Renegar - Jr.
• Daniel Davis - Jr.
• Taylor Choplin - Jr.
• JC Collins - Jr.
• Justin Moody - Jr.
• Corey Norman - Soph.
• Seth Miller - Soph.
• Kolby Epley - Soph.
• Jayme Matthews - Soph.
• Tyler Howell - Soph.
http://www.eteamz.com/forbushbaseball

 

After seeing the Forbush lineup, I know why they are favored this year. I recognize a lot of those players from over the years.

Thanks for the update bbmom....

 

West Meck's roster and schedule

*B.J. Bowen 3B/RHP, So.
*Stephen Mullis 2B/SS/RHP, So.
*Troy Lanham C, Jr.
*Brandon Reeves 2B/SS/RHP, Jr.
*Jeremy Gray OF/RHP, Jr.
*Justin Meadows OF/LHP, Jr.
*Jamel Byrd OF, Sr.
*Daniel Jones 1B, Sr.
Justin Gray 1B/3B, Sr.
*Seth Stringfield SS/RHP, Sr.
David Harrington UTIL, Jr.

...Not the full roster due to players moving up and down from J.V., but I got all of the starters on there.

2005 Schedule

2/28-@ Hunter Huss, 6:30 (Cancelled or Postponed)
3/1- East Meck, 4
3/4- @ Waddell, 4
3/8- Berry Academy, 4
3/9- @ Olympic, 4
3/11- Garinger, 4
3/15- @ Independence, 4
3/18- Harding, 4
3/21- Hunter Huss, 6:30
3/22- @ North Meck, 4
3/24- Central Cabbarrus, 4
4/5- Hopewell, 6:30
4/8- @ Vance, 6:30
4/12- West Charlotte, 6:30
4/15- Independence, 6:30
4/19- @ Harding, 6:30
4/22- North Meck, 6:30
4/26- @ Central Cabbarrus, 6:30
4/29- @ Hopewell, 6:30
5/3- Vance, 6:30
5/5- @ West Charlotte, 6:30
5/9- MECA-8 Tournament