Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Countdown: No. 50 Smoky Hill



By John Cackowski
State Director

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage. The top 50 teams are picked from all classifications, and are not divided up by class level:

Team: Smoky Hill
Preseason Rank: 50
2016 Record: 8-11
Conference: Centennial
CHSAA Class: 5A
Head Coach: Bob Kennedy
Playoff Run: NA
2016 Final Rank: 89
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 6

TOP PLAYERS:
Padraic Walsh, RHP, No. 18 2017 (Dodge City CC)
Danny McDermott, 3B/RHP, 2018
Julian Cook, OF, 2017
Tim Hart, C, 2017
Alan Velasquez, SS, 2017
Israel Rodriguez, Util, 2018
Isaac Sprinkle, C, 2018

OTHER PLAYERS THAT COULD MAKE AN IMPACT:
Cam Kennedy, SS, 2019
Ayden Grimble, RHP, 2019
Jake Martin, LHP, 2018


X-FACTOR:
Finding a No. 2 pitcher after Walsh. Offense needs to be more consistent.


KEY PLAYER LOST:
Parker Friedentag

STAT RAT: The Buffaloes started 2016 off 7-1 on their way to a 5A playoff birth but lost 10 of their next 11 games.

BOTTOM LINE:
The Buffaloes will be led by 2017 RHP Padraic Walsh. Walsh has over 80 innings on the mound the last two years in the tough Centennial Leauge gaining valuable experience going into his senior year. The key for the Buffaloes is depth behind Walsh, especially with the new establishment of the pitch count rules. 2018 3B/RHP Danny McDermott could be 2nd option. McDermott logged 15 innings on the mound going 1-1 carrying a 0.91 E.R.A. McDermott also hit. .317 on the season showing some pop in his bat hitting 7 doubles. Tim Hart in limited time hit .343 last year as well. The Buffaloes have experience in Hart, Cook, Velasquez, Rodriguez, and Sprinkle returning to the lineup. The Buffaloes had a young team in 2016. The experience coming back should get them a playoff birth in 2017.