The Scribe
03-20-2008, 10:17 PM
Eighth Region Baseball Preview
By Harold Karey
Special to Bluegrasspreps.com
Anderson County (18-19) returns all of their position players from last year’s team and enters the 2008 season as the favorite to win the Eighth Region.
Seniors Ryan Pike and Miah Burford lead the Anderson County offense. Pike, an outfielder, hit .430 with two home runs last year, while Burford is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound catcher who hit .330 with five homers.
Junior shortstop Jeremy Turpin shores up the middle defense after hitting .350 last year. Sophomore first baseman Jacob Russell hit .418 and should contribute more to the offense this year.
The big question for the Bearcats is the recovery of senior pitcher Aaron Burkhead from Tommy John surgery.
Lefties Daniel Dadisman and Kyle DeLong and righties Jeremy Turpin and Ryan Pike make a formidable staff for head coach L.W. Barnes, who enters his tenth season at Anderson County.
Simon Kenton returns eight starters from last year’s 15-18 team that advanced to the Eighth Region championship game.
Head coach John Finn enters his 30th season as the head coach of the Pioneers.
Senior shortstop Josh Brown batted .434 last year with 32 runs driven in while scoring 29. The four-year starter has a career batting average of .412.
Helping Brown in the lineup will be senior second baseman Dirk Murray, centerfielder Jake Martin, and junior third baseman T.J. Dawalt.
The Pioneers may have the deepest pitching staff in the region, led by junior right-hander Ryan Cox (2.08 ERA), and seniors Allen Skidmore and Jake Robinson.
If the pieces fall together, Simon Kenton could be making their first trip to the state baseball tournament.
Shelby County (20-16-1) didn’t overwhelm people with their record, but got hot at the right time. The Rockets entered the postseason on a nine-game losing streak but rolled through the 30th District and Eighth Region Tournaments. After beating Elizabethtown at the semi-state round, Shelby County advanced all the way to the state title game before losing to Paul Dunbar.
The Rockets have a lot of holes to fill, but University of Louisville commitment Jarred Clarkson (.301, 4 HR, 25 RBIs) should anchor the middle of the lineup.
Senior outfielder Dwight Young (.260) and senior Jordan Burk (.292) will have a larger role in the offense this year.
Burke is the top returning pitcher for Shelby County, notching a 4-1 record with a 1.45 ERA.
Oldham County (22-6) entered the 2007 postseason as the favorites to win the region tournament only to get bounced by sub-.500 Carroll County in the first round.
Now, head coach Scott Gerlach must rebuild with only two starters returning.
Senior shortstop Josh Kovach hit .381 with 29 RBIs, while senior outfielder Jacob Wiese returns after hitting .410 with 17 stolen bases last year.
Gerlach is hoping that pitchers Stephen Holton, Ian Andrews, and Dan Dwinnells can mature quickly for his squad.
North Oldham (13-18) returns a pair of seniors that should provide the bulk of the leadership for Matt Walker’s squad.
Dylan Grandon hit .467 last year with 13 doubles, while outfielder Matt Dearmond and junior pitcher Jason Sterrett also return for the Mustangs.
Henry County (17-10) returns a large and talented senior class that could be the sleeper pick to win the region.
Third baseman Daniel Lyons hit .587 with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs last year and is joined in the lineup by Joey Pollard, Ben Roberts, Nolan Deburger, and hard-throwing Tyler Cox.
Walton-Verona returns eight starters from last year’s 15-17 team, including Josh Hopperton.
The senior will join fellow seniors Scotty Kirk and Justin Mersch in the rotation. Hopperton catches when he’s not on the mound, and Kirk (3B) and Mersch (SS) comprise the left side of the infield.
The Bearcats have beefed up their schedule some in anticipation of their season, which includes a trip to Florida over spring break.
By Harold Karey
Special to Bluegrasspreps.com
Anderson County (18-19) returns all of their position players from last year’s team and enters the 2008 season as the favorite to win the Eighth Region.
Seniors Ryan Pike and Miah Burford lead the Anderson County offense. Pike, an outfielder, hit .430 with two home runs last year, while Burford is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound catcher who hit .330 with five homers.
Junior shortstop Jeremy Turpin shores up the middle defense after hitting .350 last year. Sophomore first baseman Jacob Russell hit .418 and should contribute more to the offense this year.
The big question for the Bearcats is the recovery of senior pitcher Aaron Burkhead from Tommy John surgery.
Lefties Daniel Dadisman and Kyle DeLong and righties Jeremy Turpin and Ryan Pike make a formidable staff for head coach L.W. Barnes, who enters his tenth season at Anderson County.
Simon Kenton returns eight starters from last year’s 15-18 team that advanced to the Eighth Region championship game.
Head coach John Finn enters his 30th season as the head coach of the Pioneers.
Senior shortstop Josh Brown batted .434 last year with 32 runs driven in while scoring 29. The four-year starter has a career batting average of .412.
Helping Brown in the lineup will be senior second baseman Dirk Murray, centerfielder Jake Martin, and junior third baseman T.J. Dawalt.
The Pioneers may have the deepest pitching staff in the region, led by junior right-hander Ryan Cox (2.08 ERA), and seniors Allen Skidmore and Jake Robinson.
If the pieces fall together, Simon Kenton could be making their first trip to the state baseball tournament.
Shelby County (20-16-1) didn’t overwhelm people with their record, but got hot at the right time. The Rockets entered the postseason on a nine-game losing streak but rolled through the 30th District and Eighth Region Tournaments. After beating Elizabethtown at the semi-state round, Shelby County advanced all the way to the state title game before losing to Paul Dunbar.
The Rockets have a lot of holes to fill, but University of Louisville commitment Jarred Clarkson (.301, 4 HR, 25 RBIs) should anchor the middle of the lineup.
Senior outfielder Dwight Young (.260) and senior Jordan Burk (.292) will have a larger role in the offense this year.
Burke is the top returning pitcher for Shelby County, notching a 4-1 record with a 1.45 ERA.
Oldham County (22-6) entered the 2007 postseason as the favorites to win the region tournament only to get bounced by sub-.500 Carroll County in the first round.
Now, head coach Scott Gerlach must rebuild with only two starters returning.
Senior shortstop Josh Kovach hit .381 with 29 RBIs, while senior outfielder Jacob Wiese returns after hitting .410 with 17 stolen bases last year.
Gerlach is hoping that pitchers Stephen Holton, Ian Andrews, and Dan Dwinnells can mature quickly for his squad.
North Oldham (13-18) returns a pair of seniors that should provide the bulk of the leadership for Matt Walker’s squad.
Dylan Grandon hit .467 last year with 13 doubles, while outfielder Matt Dearmond and junior pitcher Jason Sterrett also return for the Mustangs.
Henry County (17-10) returns a large and talented senior class that could be the sleeper pick to win the region.
Third baseman Daniel Lyons hit .587 with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs last year and is joined in the lineup by Joey Pollard, Ben Roberts, Nolan Deburger, and hard-throwing Tyler Cox.
Walton-Verona returns eight starters from last year’s 15-17 team, including Josh Hopperton.
The senior will join fellow seniors Scotty Kirk and Justin Mersch in the rotation. Hopperton catches when he’s not on the mound, and Kirk (3B) and Mersch (SS) comprise the left side of the infield.
The Bearcats have beefed up their schedule some in anticipation of their season, which includes a trip to Florida over spring break.