AA State Tournament Preview: The Road Ends Here
May 28, 2019
The 2019 West Virginia High School Baseball season is entering the home stretch this upcoming week in the Mountain State. As a part of our coverage, today we continue a series of articles looking at the match up's in each classification. Here is a look at the semi-final games and projected match up's for the upcoming state tournament:
Thursday 4:30 p.m. - #1 Bridgeport (28-7) vs. #4 Shady Spring (19-9)
What you need to know:
Bridgeport is looking to claim it's unprecedented 6th straight state championship. The Indians enter the state tournament as favorites to do just that. They will look to rely on the likes of Nick Stalnaker, Ryan Goff, Quintin Reep, Drew Harbert, and Vincenzo Cava to get it done and push Bridgeport into the Championship game.
Probable Starter: ?
This is a coin flip due to the fact that no stats are available. Coach Shields has been known to roll the dice in semi final games the past few years with his starter, so your guess is as good as ours.
Shady Springs enters the state tournament for the first time since 2006.As the Tigers will look to try and stop the Indians dynasty, they will look to Josh Lovell, Matt St. Clair, Jason Meadows, and Parker Redden.
Probable Starter: RHP Tommy Williams (7-0) - 2.26 ERA - 44K's - 43 1/3 Innings
Williams has been the most consistent arm for the Tigers. Averaging a strike out per innings isn't overly impressive, but opponents are hitting only .195 off him. His ability to miss bats will be the key if Shady Springs is gonna pull the upset.
Thursday - 50 minutes after - #2 Frankfort vs. #3 Scott
What you need to know:
We have pegged this game as the potential game of the tournament. Frankfort enters the state tournament for the 2nd consecutive season. The Falcons are looking to avenge last years heart breaking loss to Wayne. Frankfort will need it's core of seniors such as Zack Whitacre, Caleb Hare, Sebastian Stewart, and Chandler Rhodes if they’re going to stop Scott. Also, keep an eye on Damon Spencer and Brady Whitacre. They could very well be difference makers for the Falcons as they look to stop the Skyhawks.
Probable Starter: RHP Caleb Hare (7-1) - .968 ERA - 59K's - 72.1 Innings
This is a bit of a guess as head coach Matt Miller could go one of a few ways. Our money is on Hare. He's not going to jump off the page with physical stats (5-foot-8, 145-pounds) but he's one of the true "gamers" in the Mountain State. His ability to keep hitters off balance could potentially give Scott fits.
Scott enters the state tournament for the first time in 20 years. The Skyhawks will look to their seniors in Carter Lyles, Nathan Kuhn, Isaac Miller, and Peyton Brown (among others) to try and put an end to the Falcons season.
Probable Starter: RHP Carter Lyles (8-2) - .875 ERA - 95K's - 64 Innings
We can't imagine Lyles not getting the ball here. His fastball has been clocked in the 87-89 mph range, which gives him a big advantage on the mound. If Carter is on, it will be a long day for the Falcons.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
2019 West Virginia Top Prospect Games | WV | 06/11 | Frank Loria Field |
Central West Virginia Summer Kickoff Showcase | WV | 06/26 | Sue Morris Complex |
Parkersburg College Prospect Showcase | WV | 07/09 | Bennett Stump Field - City Park |
Eastern Panhandle College Prospect Showcase | WV | 07/16 | Potomac State College |
West Virginia Deep South College Prospect Showcase | WV | 07/24 | Linda K Epling Stadium |
Junior Future Games | NATIONAL | 07/30 | LakePoint |
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