BB: SLIAC: St Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[VideoDawg]

A quick check of boxes shows a real Blackburn weakness, although they are not out of the conference playoffs and could still make it in. Their two starting catchers at the beginning of the season are out. Wasson quit and the other is injured and out for the season.

A new comer and inexperienced catcher Cronin (I can't find any catching stats for this guy in HS or any other league) has been behind the plate most.

Then their pitching ace coming into the season Ward is pulling double duty, on the mound and behind the plate. Ward caught at Murphysboro High School, was their primary starter at the position as a senior and their #2 pitcher behind Charlie Weber a Div. 1 pitcher who played at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. Also caught Legion ball and even would pitch the first game of a double header then catch the second. But there are no stats at Blackburn for him in that position prior to this year.

Their 3rd catcher is Snidle. I see no experience other than this year behind the plate in any league or High School.

They are thin and looking for volunteers.

[WashedUP07]

Very unlike Blackburn not to be running thats usually their forte, they win by forcing other teams into mistakes in pressure situations, interesting stat as stated above 0 stolen bases? Even when they're down big it wouldnt suprise me to see Neal coaching aggresively.

[HangEmBangEm]

Well like i said before, if I didnt miss anything. I was at all three games and suppose i could have missed an attempt. But not that i remember.

[VideoDawg]

Sorry for the facts about the current catchers but I forgot the make my point. It is the catchers that are the issue when watering the field. Not Webster's speed vs. Blackburn's.   

[theoneandonly]

A quick check of boxes shows a real Blackburn weakness, although they are not out of the conference playoffs and could still make it in. Their two starting catchers at the beginning of the season are out. Wasson quit and the other is injured and out for the season.

A new comer and inexperienced catcher Cronin (I can't find any catching stats for this guy in HS or any other league) has been behind the plate most.

Then their pitching ace coming into the season Ward is pulling double duty, on the mound and behind the plate. Ward caught at Murphysboro High School, was their primary starter at the position as a senior and their #2 pitcher behind Charlie Weber a Div. 1 pitcher who played at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. Also caught Legion ball and even would pitch the first game of a double header then catch the second. But there are no stats at Blackburn for him in that position prior to this year.

Their 3rd catcher is Snidle. I see no experience other than this year behind the plate in any league or High School.

They are thin and looking for volunteers.

None of the three have college catching expirence. AND Ward is the only one with ANY catching expirence at all. It truely is their weakness this season unlike years in the past. Hopefully Mike will do some hard recuriting this summer and pull in a LARGE class of 15 because from what it looks like, they have a few seniors that make up a majority of their weak starting class graduating at the end of the year.

Those set to graduate:
Steckel - 2nd base
Holman - 1st base
Snidle - 1st base/dh/OF/3rd string Catcher
Ward- Ace
Vallero - Knuckleball Reliever
Ozee - #2 pitcher
Already Lost Wasson because he quit, Wilhelmi may never return from his injury...

so all in all they are looking at being down 8 players since the start of this season going into next. I know its still at the midway point of this season... but its never to soon to start looking around! Mike you have some work to do!

[HangEmBangEm]

Sorry for the facts about the current catchers but I forgot the make my point. It is the catchers that are the issue when watering the field. Not Webster's speed vs. Blackburn's.   

I agree completely, but the ability of webster's pitchers to hold runners on and them doing a good job of varying looks helped keep blackburn from attempting. Webster's catcher can throw a little bit too, the combination is tough to run on.

[SLIAC4LIFE]

Also a team like Blackburn who stuggled a lot at the begining of the season with strike outs might not want to risk strike out/throw out double plays OR having the hitters take a pitch, so the runner can steal (which could get them behind in the count). All that added in with a good arm behind the plate and pitchers who keep runners close makes me think that they were not planning on going anywhere. I would look for them to get back into the running game when they are ahead in games and whatever happend to the hit and run? Nothing helps both protecting runners and making your players who are having trouble pulling the trigger more.

[VideoDawg]

Sorry for the facts about the current catchers but I forgot the make my point. It is the catchers that are the issue when watering the field. Not Webster's speed vs. Blackburn's.   

I agree completely, but the ability of webster's pitchers to hold runners on and them doing a good job of varying looks helped keep blackburn from attempting. Webster's catcher can throw a little bit too, the combination is tough to run on.

Agreed.. I didn't want to slight Webster in my comments at all. They are very good at slowing any running game.

[VideoDawg]

Interesting facts regarding Ward I found in a nexus search is that he was supposed to go to Blackburn with Ron and Zack Brooks twins from Murphysboro and friends from the Regional Champ team that produced a Big Ten (Michigan State) pitcher, Southern Illinois University pitcher, a shortstop at a Junior College, a Junior College catcher an Div III outfielder.

Ward was recruited by Missouri-Rolla, Lyons College and Evansville U. All for catching and pitching.

That Murphysboro team must have been something for a downstate, small school program. 

For some reason the Brooks guys never found their way to college ball that I could find.

[VideoDawg]

Looks like a lot of washouts for today.

[flyonthewall]

is Blackburn the most hated team in the conference or what? They have a scumbag for a 1st basemen, and their fans are ruthless. Not just their fans, but the parents get into the action too. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Supposedly Ward threw at the head of Webster players? And Holman stepped on Fontbonne players when they dove back into 1st base? There's just no need for any of that. There's a big difference from playing hard, being a competitor, and being a dirty baseball player. Blackburn is dirty, from their coach, all the way to the parents.

Now that thats outta the way, lets talk some baseball. Any surprises now that we are halfway through the season? Did anyone expect Greenville to struggle the way they have? Thoughts on MacMurray playing close with a lot of teams?

When we talk individuals, you have to talk about Alan Cheatham from Prin and John Norvell from Maryville. Cheatham is hitting to all fields and is crossing the plate a lot. He is making a lot of errors though, but offensively is making a name for himself. Norvell is just a freshman at Maryville and is still hitting well over .500 halfway through the season. He only has 3 K's on the year, which is impressive as a freshman.

[flyonthewall]

Raetzloff has surprised me this season for Webster. He only struck out 13 times all last season with over 150 at-bats and he already has 18 in only 90 AB's and is only hitting upper .200's. I think he will start to heat up, but this is uncharacteristic of him to struggle like this. By the looks of his fielding, it doesn't look like he's taking it to 2nd base though, which is good. Huey is really playing well with his mid .400 BA. He's leading the team in stolen bases and runs and is 2nd in Total Bases. Will Savage has really hit his stride on the mound with a K an inning. Webster will really need to rely on him to pitch well the rest of the way

[VideoDawg]

is Blackburn the most hated team in the conference or what? They have a scumbag for a 1st basemen, and their fans are ruthless. Not just their fans, but the parents get into the action too. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Supposedly Ward threw at the head of Webster players? And Holman stepped on Fontbonne players when they dove back into 1st base? There's just no need for any of that. There's a big difference from playing hard, being a competitor, and being a dirty baseball player. Blackburn is dirty, from their coach, all the way to the parents.

Now that thats outta the way, lets talk some baseball. Any surprises now that we are halfway through the season? Did anyone expect Greenville to struggle the way they have? Thoughts on MacMurray playing close with a lot of teams?

When we talk individuals, you have to talk about Alan Cheatham from Prin and John Norvell from Maryville. Cheatham is hitting to all fields and is crossing the plate a lot. He is making a lot of errors though, but offensively is making a name for himself. Norvell is just a freshman at Maryville and is still hitting well over .500 halfway through the season. He only has 3 K's on the year, which is impressive as a freshman.

Greenville is an absolute shock. They have too good a coach to struggle like this. They did lose some excellent players from last year but at least I expected more on the shelf. MacMurray is a different circumstance. At times they played well last year despite the record. It was pitching they lacked not hitting. Of course they were awful on "D" last year. 

[theoneandonly]

is Blackburn the most hated team in the conference or what? They have a scumbag for a 1st basemen, and their fans are ruthless. Not just their fans, but the parents get into the action too. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Supposedly Ward threw at the head of Webster players? And Holman stepped on Fontbonne players when they dove back into 1st base? There's just no need for any of that. There's a big difference from playing hard, being a competitor, and being a dirty baseball player. Blackburn is dirty, from their coach, all the way to the parents.

Now that thats outta the way, lets talk some baseball. Any surprises now that we are halfway through the season? Did anyone expect Greenville to struggle the way they have? Thoughts on MacMurray playing close with a lot of teams?

When we talk individuals, you have to talk about Alan Cheatham from Prin and John Norvell from Maryville. Cheatham is hitting to all fields and is crossing the plate a lot. He is making a lot of errors though, but offensively is making a name for himself. Norvell is just a freshman at Maryville and is still hitting well over .500 halfway through the season. He only has 3 K's on the year, which is impressive as a freshman.

Dont believe everything you hear or read because most of this is not true. Ward is not afraid to brush players back but saying he was throwing at a players head, how can anyone determine that but him? THERE IS NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM that anyone but Ward himself can say that he was throwing at another players head. And i know Scott Ward personally, he doesnt look to injure players when trying to brush them back. So this assumption is just rediculous and im getting tired of reading it. Also, the first basemen in the past was somewhat "bush" he has cleaned up 100% this season, but again he never intentially stepped on a player, he does however deliver some hard taqs that arent always necessary. So dont start writing all this stuff on here when theres NO WAY you can say that this stuff is intentional, the only people that know that are the players themselves, even if it LOOKS intentional that doesnt always mean it is. So just keep praising your players, thats fine, but quit trying to drag down individuals. Im sure your some 45 year old washed up man trying to drag down 20 year olds on a message board.

[HangEmBangEm]

I agree in the fact that ward most likely did not try to hit websters player. Ward did not exactly have pin point control that game. So when trying to put one inside it most likely got away from him. This happens. But who knows. Now in saying that, attacking someone personally only makes you look bad, not the person you attack. Good post till making yourself look like a chump by attacking someones personal oppinion. But also I understand throwing at someone if the situation calls for it, but if someone ever aims above the shoulders that's when it becomes bush in my eyes.