Nickname: Bulldogs
Head Coach: John Meehan
2011: 27-13
Districts: Champions
Region: 2nd Round
Players lost to graduation: 0
2012 Varsity Schedule
Leslie County*
Letcher County Central
Knott County Central
Estill County
Hazard Invitational
Prestonsburg**
Jackson County**
Clay County**
Pike County Central**
Top List are teams that will likely be on it.
** teams I'm guessing will be on it.
Hazard returns everyone from last year which will make this 2013 Hazard team a very dangerous team but can they get over the hump in the post season?
Hazard will be the pre-season favorite returning everyone. They will be a hard team to beat this season.
Hazard Bulldogs
Head Coach: John Meehan
Team Captain: Austin Johnson (Jr.)
2012 Record: 27-13
2012 14th Region Record: 11-1
2012 54th District Record: 3-0
275 Runs Scored (6.9 per-game)
181 Runs allowed (4.5 per-game)
Players lost
0
Returning Players
Austin Johnson SS/P - Going to be Senior, Top player in the 14th region, all-around great player who continues to work hard. This kid works hard in the off-season than any kid I've ever seen.
Evan Whitaker P/3B/1B - Going to be Senior, Ace pitcher, throws mid-80's. Big bat.
Jordan Olinger CF - Going to be Senior, hits the ball harder than any high schooler I can remember in the 14th region. Speed + Power = Jordan Olinger.
Nathan Stupart OF - Going to be Senior, kid has battled many injuries throughout his career. Not the most athletic player on the team but he really understands the game.
Griffin Wells 1B - Going to be Freshman, soft hands, bright future, bat will improve with age/muscle. SMART player.
Kameron Conley P - Going to be 8th Grader, throws low-80's as 7th grader, has a chance to become best pitcher in school history, has some growing up to do tho but still young.
Blake Nidiffer 2B/SS - Going to be Freshman, started a few games at the end of the season but he will for sure be pushing for a starting position next year. Good fielder, bat will come with age/muscle. Loves the game.
Josh Meehan OF - Going to be Junior, bat has some power, will only be stronger next season due to football, solid player.
Jake Roll C - Going to be Junior, 2 year starter, needs to work on bat but as been pretty solid behind the plate. Will be pushed for starting position by (FR) Cole Ratliff.
Cole Ratliff C - Going to be Freshman, started last post-season due to injury, will push Roll for playing time, Ratliff has GREAT work ethic, needs to improve speed.
J.T. Haynes IF - Going to be Junior, 2 year starter, will be pushed by the great upcoming class but don't see anyone putting Haynes in the dugout, dad is a baseball junkie and assistant coach, Haynes understands the game.
Anything less than a Region Title in 2013 is a huge letdown for the Bulldogs. Will be playing a few upcoming freshmen in 2013 but Johnson, Whitaker, and Olinger will be 3 of the 10 players in the 14th region in 2013.
Great evaluation ekff! A couple comments. The Conley kid seemed to struggle with the transition of moving up and playing with the older kids. He needs to be realistic about his expectations and focus on being a roll player. He really struggled compared to some of the other young kids but if he works on his attitude he could really help next year.
Ratliff is an excellent defensive catcher, he needs to work on his arm strength. His defensive ability and keeping the ball in front of him keeps runners off second base. He has an accurate arm but needs strength. He also finished the season batting right at .300 . It will be tough to keep Ratliff out of the lineup, he proved for 2/3 of the season that batting .300 wasn't a fluke.
Lockhart could really step up and help in the outfield. If his bat developes he could threaten for a starting spot.
With only one or two playing basketball they should hit the field strong in March and not look back.
Whitaker will be tough to handle on the mound.
does anyone know if the Estill/Hazard contract was renewed before the 2012 season or does it need to be renewed this offseason?
I too agree with the above evaluation! The Hazard baseball team for next season should stack up nicely. Three seniors, all strong leaders and the young guys comming up. The over all pitching Whitaker, Johnson , Conley and Nidiffer all strong right handers. Wells and Lockhart both leftys will also add to a strong pitching lineup. This team should be a contender for the regional title 2013!
Hazard should be good, I would not classify Nidiffer as a great arm, I dont know if he pitched last year, he has the tools to be a good baseball player if he wants to be. Kid needs to hit the weight room hard and if he keeps playing basketball he needs to get stronger. They have some good live arms in Johnson, Conley, Whitaker, Wells. Dont forget Roll kid, he has good live arm behind the plate and on the mound if he finds his control he will be tough pitcher to leave out of this rotation. I hear good things about the Lockheart kid, havent seen him play, but a lefty on the mound is always a plus. With this level of pitching, the coaches can keep the bulk of innings down which could help at the end of the season. They have a ruturning outfield, with big bats and speed, and a solid infield with Haynes playing anywhere, Johnson, Whitaker, Wells. Any rumors on any transfers or kids moving into Hazard. I hear some other moves in the region.
You guys are forgetting about the Ratliff kid. He got his opportunity and stepped up to the challenge. He hit a legitimate .300. It will be hard to take that bat out of the lineup.
Good point getting on base is just as important as good arms and defense. Sounds to me there is not enough positions with all this talent. How do you play all of these guys in a way that keeps them on the team. Some kids are so self centered they feel like if they are not a starter then the can not help the team, so they get upset, cause a problem with the team moral and end up quitting. Anything can happen till the next baseball season but looks like the coaches are going to have a problem getting all of these kids playing time. As a coach I guess you have to put your best team on the field, but if you are a young player you have to except roles and move up the ladder or beat out your competition. This will be interesting but from what I hear Hazard will be one of the best teams in this area next year and has talent to build something nice, but the older guys will have to keep it together. Will Hazard be able to play any district games next year? It has to hurt them to lose 6 close district games and replace them with games on the road or bring in other teams. I heard the PCC and Buckhorn problem could get resolved soon but the Leslie thing will not change. All the coaches and players seem to get along, doesnt seem right keep these schools from playing.
You got to have coachng also.
And a good set of talent with coaching. Looks like the coaching staff is very committed and tries to get the best out of the players. They have enough coaches on middle school and varisty level. They seem to always practice for a long time, and seem like they hit all small points of the game, by listening to their coach during the game. They have taken some beatings last couple of years because of their record, but the team has been young and now they are all older and we will see how good this team can be and if the coaching is good enough. Last three or four years this group of coaches and players have worked their butts off to get to this level and each year they have improved on their hitting, defense, and overall pitching.
Hazard does not lack in coaching at all. Coach Meehan and his staff is always dedicated in winning. Hazard is one of the top teams in the region year in and year out. They have come up short over the past few years in winning a regional championship but not because the coaches doesn't have them ready. Look for this Hazard team to break the dry spell of regional championships.
Coaches are human and make mistakes, this goes with every coach in this region, some good, some bad, some just do it for the money, some want their kids to succeed-win, some want to just improve their coaching records, some get embrassed with their kids when their teams lose badly, some take too much credit when they win, some take no credit when they win, some just dont care, some over think the game and think they have to teach every aspect of the game, some trust their kids will step up when it counts, some think they have to step up when it counts, some make bad decisions and other make good and some make no decisions, some take criticism some dont. Being a good player doesnt not mean they turn into good coaches
Everyone will be back and the young kids that stepped up (Wells, Ratliff) will be bigger and stronger. Hazard has a couple other young kids that really need to work on attitude. When you have a kid that makes it known he could care less about the team, his teammates, or anything other than his stat. Openly talking about other kids on the team. You know it is bad when a kids dad comes down to the dugout after every single game just to pack his bag to the car.
Has Hazard released any of there schedule for next year? Even tho this is baseball, several softball teams have most of there schedules already on KHSAA
Rollitover Wrote:Everyone will be back and the young kids that stepped up (Wells, Ratliff) will be bigger and stronger. Hazard has a couple other young kids that really need to work on attitude. When you have a kid that makes it known he could care less about the team, his teammates, or anything other than his stat. Openly talking about other kids on the team. You know it is bad when a kids dad comes down to the dugout after every single game just to pack his bag to the car.
It doesn't speak well of him, or his parents, that he is allowed to behave this way. "Winners never QUIT, Quitters NEVER win!!" It is disappointing to have a kid quit a team, miss practice and show up to play, what's worse, he is allowed to, and plays anyway. Commitment, loyalty and dedication are as important as ability.