03-23-2012, 12:03 AM
Anderson County was not supposed to go out with a whimper. Not Anderson County baseball.
File photo
Anderson County senior right-hander delivers against Collins last season. Case pitched well for the Bearcats in his first season of varsity mound work and is expected to be one of the top pitchers on a deep Anderson staff.
Buy this photo
1 of 5
But there the Bearcats were last Memorial Day, just three days removed from their third district championship in four years, being hammered by North Oldham in the first round of the Eighth Region Tournament.
âIt wasn't like it could not have happened,â remembers Anderson coach L.W. Barnes. âWe knew we could be around .500 and still be competitive and North Oldham was better than I thought.â
North won that one, 8-3, on its way to the school's first-ever regional championship and eventually finishing in the final eight of the state tournament.
But that was supposed to be Anderson's spot. The Bearcats had won four regional titles and finished as runner-up four more times between 2000 and 2011. Last May marked the first time Anderson had not played for a state tournament berth since 2007.
âAfter being in the (regional) finals three straight years, it stung,â Barnes admits.
The Bearcats were to have opened their season Monday night at last year's state runner-up Mercer County after seeing the scheduled season-opener at Louisville Eastern rained out Friday night. Despite the early exit last year and the loss of some key players, Anderson entered the season as one of the regional favorites in the pre-season poll of Eighth Region coaches.
Barnes chuckles at the thought and protests that he does not know how the Bearcats will score runs, but then admits his team might have enough pitching to overcome. It is all a part of tradition.
âI just think we have some good coaches,â Barnes says of his staff. âThe guys are really dedicated and we have good players. We find ways to have enough good pitching to be competitive.â
The current season should continue that trend as Barnes feels he has at least four, perhaps as many as eight, hurlers that can get hitters out. There is no Matt McWilliams or David Todd â Anderson's top two pitchers of the last 15 years â but Barnes says there is not a glaring weakness on the hill either.
âThere is no stud pitcher, but there is depth and we have pitchers that can get hitters out,â Barnes says.
Senior right-hander Landon Case figures to be at the top of the rotation after some impressive performances last season, his first as a varsity pitcher. His fastball tops out in the low 80-mph range.
Another senior, Steven Watts, appears ready to reach the enormous potential the Bearcat camp has touted since he was a freshman. Also throwing a fastball in the low 80's, Watts is blessed with some nasty breaking stuff. Control has been his issue through his career.
âHe's throwing strikes and just happy to be playing,â Barnes says. âHe can't wait to get on the mound.
Another right-hander, Clay Guffey, succeeds by keeping hitters off-balance while Barnes says sophomore Brandon Eliadis gives the Bearcats a promising southpaw. âHe is a going to be good,â Barnes says. âHe's a crafty lefty and is throwing strikes.â
In addition, Barnes sees promise in freshmen Wesley Jorette and Josh Brown along with junior Zach Mason. All are right-handers.
Senior right-hander Darrin Laswell, who last played as a freshman, is also on the hill and is re-learning his one-time wicked curveball.
âThese pitchers could win the region. We have the pitching to get to the finals,â Barnes says.
He paused, then chuckled, âWhether we have enough hitting or defense remains to be seen.â
Michael Harley, a mainstay during his career, graduated last year while the Bearcats' top offensive threat in 2011, Logan Woodside, who hit .441, is now at Franklin County. Outfielders Josh Brown, Alex Sparrow and Zach Taylor also graduated.
Neither experienced catcher returned to the team either. Travis Phillips elected not to play this year while Derek Spencer and his twin brother, Eric, a pitcher, moved to Iowa after the end of the second trimester.
Center-fielder Granville Hayes is the Bearcats top returning offensive threat. Hayes, a junior, hit .314 last year with a pair of home runs and 14 RBI. Case, who will be at shortstop when not on the hill, also got a point over .300 but other than that, the Bearcats have many questions about their attack.
Heading into the season, Barnes was unsure of the batting order other than Hayes will be at the top and Case, who has gap power, anchoring the middle. âI will be tinkering. That is what I do for about ¾ of the season anyway,â he said. âWe have got to play a lot of small ball, but to do that, we have to get the leadoff man on.â
Barnes was concerned, however, after an intra-squad scrimmage two weeks ago. âWe had just one hit in five innings,â he said. âIt is hard to tell in intra-squad games, but early on, we are going to have to play pretty daggone perfect baseball to score some runs.
Cole Sayre, a senior, moves from the outfield to first base while junior Shea Sparrow will be at second. Guffey is penciled in at third base while junior Tanner Roberts will be in left field with Jorette and Eliadis manning right.
Freshman Brice Stockton is expected to be behind the plate. Barnes is very high on him. âHe has the potential to be one of the best catchers we have had.â
Barnes says the Bearcats have some young talent that will be honed by playing a schedule that includes six of the state's pre-season Top 25. âWe have a very talented freshman class,â he says. âThey have got a lot to learn but they are talented.â
As the season gets underway, many are saying that the Bearcats might be the most talented team in the Eighth Region. They only finished 14-16 a year ago, but did win the 30th District and won some big games during the regular season.
âOur defense and pitching will have to carry us,â Barnes says. But his 2003 team was in the same situation, yet somehow won the Eighth Region.
âOur infield is solid. Clay, Landon and Shea have been around,â Barnes says of his infield. I trust them and they should be solid.â
In the region, no one is well above the rest of the field.
âIt is as wide open as any year in the past,â Barnes said.
And with a deep pitching staff, the Bearcats have the potential to go out with a bang in 2012.
http://www.theandersonnews.com/content/b...-bang-2012
File photo
Anderson County senior right-hander delivers against Collins last season. Case pitched well for the Bearcats in his first season of varsity mound work and is expected to be one of the top pitchers on a deep Anderson staff.
Buy this photo
1 of 5
But there the Bearcats were last Memorial Day, just three days removed from their third district championship in four years, being hammered by North Oldham in the first round of the Eighth Region Tournament.
âIt wasn't like it could not have happened,â remembers Anderson coach L.W. Barnes. âWe knew we could be around .500 and still be competitive and North Oldham was better than I thought.â
North won that one, 8-3, on its way to the school's first-ever regional championship and eventually finishing in the final eight of the state tournament.
But that was supposed to be Anderson's spot. The Bearcats had won four regional titles and finished as runner-up four more times between 2000 and 2011. Last May marked the first time Anderson had not played for a state tournament berth since 2007.
âAfter being in the (regional) finals three straight years, it stung,â Barnes admits.
The Bearcats were to have opened their season Monday night at last year's state runner-up Mercer County after seeing the scheduled season-opener at Louisville Eastern rained out Friday night. Despite the early exit last year and the loss of some key players, Anderson entered the season as one of the regional favorites in the pre-season poll of Eighth Region coaches.
Barnes chuckles at the thought and protests that he does not know how the Bearcats will score runs, but then admits his team might have enough pitching to overcome. It is all a part of tradition.
âI just think we have some good coaches,â Barnes says of his staff. âThe guys are really dedicated and we have good players. We find ways to have enough good pitching to be competitive.â
The current season should continue that trend as Barnes feels he has at least four, perhaps as many as eight, hurlers that can get hitters out. There is no Matt McWilliams or David Todd â Anderson's top two pitchers of the last 15 years â but Barnes says there is not a glaring weakness on the hill either.
âThere is no stud pitcher, but there is depth and we have pitchers that can get hitters out,â Barnes says.
Senior right-hander Landon Case figures to be at the top of the rotation after some impressive performances last season, his first as a varsity pitcher. His fastball tops out in the low 80-mph range.
Another senior, Steven Watts, appears ready to reach the enormous potential the Bearcat camp has touted since he was a freshman. Also throwing a fastball in the low 80's, Watts is blessed with some nasty breaking stuff. Control has been his issue through his career.
âHe's throwing strikes and just happy to be playing,â Barnes says. âHe can't wait to get on the mound.
Another right-hander, Clay Guffey, succeeds by keeping hitters off-balance while Barnes says sophomore Brandon Eliadis gives the Bearcats a promising southpaw. âHe is a going to be good,â Barnes says. âHe's a crafty lefty and is throwing strikes.â
In addition, Barnes sees promise in freshmen Wesley Jorette and Josh Brown along with junior Zach Mason. All are right-handers.
Senior right-hander Darrin Laswell, who last played as a freshman, is also on the hill and is re-learning his one-time wicked curveball.
âThese pitchers could win the region. We have the pitching to get to the finals,â Barnes says.
He paused, then chuckled, âWhether we have enough hitting or defense remains to be seen.â
Michael Harley, a mainstay during his career, graduated last year while the Bearcats' top offensive threat in 2011, Logan Woodside, who hit .441, is now at Franklin County. Outfielders Josh Brown, Alex Sparrow and Zach Taylor also graduated.
Neither experienced catcher returned to the team either. Travis Phillips elected not to play this year while Derek Spencer and his twin brother, Eric, a pitcher, moved to Iowa after the end of the second trimester.
Center-fielder Granville Hayes is the Bearcats top returning offensive threat. Hayes, a junior, hit .314 last year with a pair of home runs and 14 RBI. Case, who will be at shortstop when not on the hill, also got a point over .300 but other than that, the Bearcats have many questions about their attack.
Heading into the season, Barnes was unsure of the batting order other than Hayes will be at the top and Case, who has gap power, anchoring the middle. âI will be tinkering. That is what I do for about ¾ of the season anyway,â he said. âWe have got to play a lot of small ball, but to do that, we have to get the leadoff man on.â
Barnes was concerned, however, after an intra-squad scrimmage two weeks ago. âWe had just one hit in five innings,â he said. âIt is hard to tell in intra-squad games, but early on, we are going to have to play pretty daggone perfect baseball to score some runs.
Cole Sayre, a senior, moves from the outfield to first base while junior Shea Sparrow will be at second. Guffey is penciled in at third base while junior Tanner Roberts will be in left field with Jorette and Eliadis manning right.
Freshman Brice Stockton is expected to be behind the plate. Barnes is very high on him. âHe has the potential to be one of the best catchers we have had.â
Barnes says the Bearcats have some young talent that will be honed by playing a schedule that includes six of the state's pre-season Top 25. âWe have a very talented freshman class,â he says. âThey have got a lot to learn but they are talented.â
As the season gets underway, many are saying that the Bearcats might be the most talented team in the Eighth Region. They only finished 14-16 a year ago, but did win the 30th District and won some big games during the regular season.
âOur defense and pitching will have to carry us,â Barnes says. But his 2003 team was in the same situation, yet somehow won the Eighth Region.
âOur infield is solid. Clay, Landon and Shea have been around,â Barnes says of his infield. I trust them and they should be solid.â
In the region, no one is well above the rest of the field.
âIt is as wide open as any year in the past,â Barnes said.
And with a deep pitching staff, the Bearcats have the potential to go out with a bang in 2012.
http://www.theandersonnews.com/content/b...-bang-2012