Just so you know, 10U base coaches shouldn't be calling out the signs they see a 10 YO catcher give his pitcher. They should tell the opposing coach that the young catcher is showing them.
Baseball dad: My longest running, most fulfilling job. I wake up this morning unemployed. He's thrown his last inning, taken his last swing, scored his last run. I was there at a 100+ fields for 1000+ games. And, I get to keep every memory for free. I can live with!
#Baseballdad
I'm going out to a
#JVbaseball
game tonight. You know why? JV ⚾️ matters ... and to those players & families, it matters just as much as any game played!
South falls to Tennessee. Still, what a run. We forget in
#LoudounSouth
that it is special and unique to make a Regional final. We are immensely proud of these boys. State Champs, Southeast Region finalists.
#LSpride
.
#LSbaseball
. We salute and thank you boys.
#boysofsummer
.
Hornets rally late, but come up short falling to Freedom 2-1 in State Championship Game. This Team gave us everything they had- Toughness, Fortitude, Resilient, Talented, Selflessness, & fun to be around. Games come and go- Herndon Baseball 2022- We'll never forget -Thank You!
I think
@NOVAcommcollege
should have a baseball team. Nova is the heartbeat of a baseball rebirth. It's an excellent inducement for student athletes to choose a great baseball experience & get an affordable degree transferable in-state.
#NOVA
&
#JUCO
an ideal marriage.
You thought I forgot? With the 2022 HS behind us, and me having seen (46 games on recount) ... here's some entirely subjective "Bests" ... did your school make it? I can't tag all ... so retweet, rejoice, or ruminate!
If you're umpiring & having a bad day/game. Figure it out. If everyone (all 40 people r riding you, it might be you). If the coaches are all over your zone, handle it & them. All of that's in the job description. Don't stick it to the 18 YO reliever on the hill with a spitezone.
In Class 6, epic Baseball. I still recall the "pre-season
#NovaTop10
10, where some one wrote me and scolded me for including the
#Warhawks
. The
@coachpudge8
and his boys just finished an insane run. State Champs. You don't ever dismiss the
#Warhawks
... or any
#Concorde
team.
@ken_guthrie
Man, I wish this were true. Having gone through college recruiting with arguably the best "command" pitcher in NOVA, 80-83mph, with 4 pitches (averaging, 1 walk per 11 innings), with poise & proven track record, I watched Colleges scratched him off due to size and velo.
COMMITMENT ALERT 🚨:
I'm proud to announce I am "committed" to another year of following, covering, and promoting HS ⚾️ in NOVA this Spring, with an Emphasis on
#LSbaseball
as always. Let's get after it boys. Tryouts next week. Lead by example!
Well ... men, Here's a real tip of my brand new cap to
@FHSEAGLES1
, the Class 6 State Champions. What a group. Nice to see a homegrown,
#LSbaseball
team win it all. And, oh yeah ... Coach Wrighte is officially the
#LSBR
All LSBASEBALL Coach of the year.
#Champs
#FreedomEagles
.
Umpired 3 games today. Great time. Fans & kids were terrific. Zero issues, lots of good baseball & teaching moments. We pressed teams with speakers into service to play the National anthem. We need umpires ... it's a great way to see a game!
#KylesKamp
A little planning & every HS can have a
#LittleLeague
night or nights! Kids in Jerseys get in free. First pitch ceremonies. Every kid on ur HS team likely played & many LL'ers want to get to big field fame. It should be a celebration. Heck,
#LoudounSouth
went to LL WS in 19!!
It's impossible to understate what
@masonbutash2
did. Squeezed in 1st inning a train wreck. Knocked out. Down 6-0. He then man's up with 4 hits, 3 doubles to show that ballers get off the ground to compete when adversity rears its head.
#Amazing
.
#LSBR
's LSBaseball 1st team 2-way
The
#LSBaseball
MVP race was fun. I'm glad I let it play out to the finish. In the end, Mason BOOM-tash (
@masonbutash2
) couldn't be denied. A two-way sensation with gaudy numbers, he was also big-time at the right time for the state champion
@FHSEAGLES1
. Now ... flip that bat!
This 8U
#LSEagles
team, Fall 2011. One kid is pitching in college. It has 4 DI commits & 4 current DIII commits, with multiple kids with DIII offers and no final decisions yet. 10 years later ... pretty cool.
#LSBaseball
With rain scheduled for the next three days ... I want to say one thing. Start planning now to play all games scheduled. These 22's deserve all the baseball. Figure out your pitching ...
Spent time at practice & touring the
@CapitalOne
Ballpark in McLean. What a facility, and what an amazing commitment to the community & College Wood Bat Baseball (The Potomac League). Summer exhibitions start as early as Monday! Do NOT MISS IT. Beer, food, baseball.
@_NVCL
.
So ... umpire shortage caused cancelation of
#LSbaseball
middle School games last night.
@lsllprez
... please call me if this happens again. Unless my senior is pitching that night, I'll umpire games back-to-back, no charge. We have to step up people.
#helpthemplay
Lots of HS pay great tribute to their seniors on
#SeniorNight
. I love see them, and this week I have my own third and last. At
#Freedom
, the
#Eagles
did this for the
#Baseballmoms
. I really love it.
Saw an umpire last night at a 16U game get skimmed with an 80+ fastball just above the mask on the top of the head. Went down hard. Composed himself and fought on. It's not an easy or safe job, and if you've NEVER done it, you should refrain from saying anything but thank you.
Like many, I heard about the family emergency during the game for a Nova coach. My prayers go out to
@WoGroveBaseball
& for coach and his family. Life is about family & loved ones; baseball is just a means to enjoy it together. Miss a game, but never miss being with a loved one.
Our
#LSbaseball
community mourns the sudden passing of Ron Masci. Coach Masci was generous in spirit, larger than life, and he loved baseball & the kids who played. He was a huge supporter of
#LSLL
, travel, and HS teams. May he rest in peace.
I forgot what a joy it is to watch
@Chen_Nathan06
play baseball ... unless he's hitting against your team. The
@RoughRidersNVCL
outfielder is hitting 341 with a league leading 13 RBIs and 2 triples. Get out to
@CapitalOnePark
and see Nathan and all the amazing talent!
Just want to say, as the hourly forecast predicted, it was a near perfect night for HS baseball, and if you banged your game at noon you were looking for a way NOT to play rather than moving resources to ensure every game is played, JV & Varsity.
#Baseballislife
. No cancellations
In the 3+ years I have been doing this, I'm thrilled to see the rise of social media posts, clips, and graphics by schools to promote their programs, players, an alumni! This year, the rise of JV coverage is notable too. So much quality HS baseball. Shout it from the rooftops!
This is what a HS walk-off, extra inning homerun in a state quarter-final looks, sounds, and feels like. Mr. Farmelo hit a two-run homer to tie it in the 6th, then led off the 8th with this sweet swing!
H/T to my son. Thought he was retired when eliminated from states. 16 days after last touching a ball. He throws 3 scoreless, 71% strikes. Collects 2 hits in tuneup for playing college summer league. Play ⚾️ 'till ya can't!
I will die on THIS hill.
A pitcher's max velo is that which he can command for strikes, on a crappy mound, in a big game, with miserable weather, dudes on the bases, and toes in the box.
The rest is just marketing.
Junior
@masonbutash2
(Penn St.) of
#FreedomEagles
is hitting 538, 676 OBP, 1406 OPS+. Pitching? 16IP/0H/OER/3BB/27ks. Stop by & see him play. Get an autograph, laminate, keep in safe place.
#LSBR
all
#LSbaseball
#MVP
candidate. Keep rolling dude!
When it comes to incoming college freshman… Is there a straight up mentality of “start or transfer?” Because I’m not sure people really understand how good you have to be to show up on a college campus, AT ANY LEVEL, and start as a freshman.
H/T to
#LSLL
. Here is that
#LL
Championship moment for 8-9 Nationals. If you have a coach telling you to not play little league ... just do travel ... sprint away! It should NEVER be an either or. It all works best when they work together!
Incredible duel tonight between Herndon and West Springfield in the Class 6 Quarterfinals. Tied from the 4th to the 9th, Herndon scores the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.
@HHornetBaseball
@LSBR11
@NoVAHSBB
Man, how about the job by Jordan Capuano last night for
@PatriotHitSquad
?! Comes into
#NovaTop10
No. 1's home park with 12Ks and 6.67 No hit innings. Impressive. Freedom will just keep seeing No. 1s. That's great longterm.
April showers bring May make-up games!
Dear AD's, get them ALL in, non-conference too. And, don't make JV pay the price. We are two years without all the baseball!
#playeverygame
This District play is very exciting ... but it's not lost on me that teams conclude their season. Hat tip to all the players for a great year ... and to all the seniors for the memories.
Bit of a dad brag thrown in here. I won't tag him ... because I'll get in trouble. But, this kid is unofficially a 300 game winner I think, from Single A to last night. (Left is actually as a 7 on 8U
#LSEagles
.)
I really need a press pass. Loving to going to all these games and covering and promoting HS baseball for the love of the game. But, I could see this being an expensive hobby!!
One of my favorite trips of the season was to see
@Highland_BSBL
. To many in NOVA public HS world an unknown entity. I loved what I saw. Today, Hawks stand on the precipice of Championship ... finishing 29-2, beating teams from FL to PA. It's no more legit than STATE CHAMPS.
A coach texted me last night & wrote, wouldn't it be great to have a season ending weekend tournament of champions across Classes and private school divisions.
Yes ... yes it would!
Pitching depth. It's a thing. In the end, the Eagles used that depth to navigate a rocky path to the finals, then there ...
@LukeProehl
pitches an absolute gem in front of a packed house against a team on fire.
#pitchersmatter
.
@FHSEAGLES1
#FreedomEagles
Today in NOVA ... JV games were canceled due to the umpire shortage. Coaches and parents filled in at both
#IndyTigers
and
@PrideHardball
to ensure JV teams played.
Happy Father's day to all the men out there relentlessly working hard at the most important job you will ever have. If you can be great at just one thing ... make it be a great father! You'll never regret the time invested!
Congrats to the 11/12
#LSLL
#Allstar
National League Squad! After losing the opener in District 16. They won 7 straight, including an extra-inning Championship to win the deep, strong, District 16 title and head to States.
#BigBlue2023
.
Congratulations to the Vienna AL Little League Virginia State Champions. You're headed to Warner Robins & the SE little league tournament. Very impressive.
HS Baseball tryouts. Boys, leave it all on the field. Support your fellow athletes, and show leadership and support for ALL with the courage to come out. There will be players who miss the mark. Be strong enough to support them too. Good luck too all!
Final thoughts before tuning out. High velo guys are like supermodels. I get it. But wow, watching Tyler Smith throw that submarine style and clip corners, change speeds, and make a wilson rawhide run like a wiffle ball ... that's
#pitching
, and it's crazy sexy.
#LSBaseball
.
Talk about team win? 8 players with hits. My man
@mquigley25
with 2. 7 players with RBI's. Team turns 2 DPs! They chase JMU commit in 2ND. Sac flies, stolen bases, two out RBIs. That's baseball.
#Seabass
a wall for 14 innings.
@NOVAPremierBB
is ur
#NVTBL
champs in the PSL league.
I'm going to repeat what many
#Loudoun
baseball parents r saying, "Why can't I find online easily my HS District playoff Bracket?"
Districts should update canned websites with a Tab "District Bracket." Then, update the brackets. Let's at least do the basics to promote the game
Great coaching is certainly leadership. But, it's so much more. Optimizing personnel, defensive positioning, adjustments, plate discipline, game calling, matchups, & 10 dozen little detail-oriented pieces lost on most. No one does all that better than
@coachplank8
@Rvsidebaseball
This
@Highland_BSBL
team has some serious sticks and
#ballers
. They're deep ... and relentless. Won lots of close games, which speaks to talent, preparation, and coaching. Great stuff. Coming back and winning today 5-2 over strong St. Christopher's.
If you coach a 13, 14, or 15U team in NOVA, you ought to skip one practice and take thar team to a weeknight
@_NVCL
game and see what next level baseball looks like ... and in particular ... why coaches harp on getting stronger.