The team to beat this year

Bullpen

No doubt this team can put it together. I am impressed that from day to day one player after another will pick the team up. While the starting pitchers are very good got to give credit to a scrappy bunch of guys from the bullpen. Litaker shut down Stanley for 4 innings to clinch the last series after we had already given up 9 runs. Then Litaker, Gobble, and Laws limited Randolph to just one run in 4+ innings before Shive shut the door in the 9th today.

Congrats to a great bunch from Rowan. These guys have certainly won and lost as a team.

 

I'll be pulling for Rowan County with my heart (I hope Mooresville makes it too),,,,,,,, but my brain still has Cherryville/Shelby making the finals, and if you want a clear favorite, currently Cherryville is up 2-0 over Shelby in the Area 4 finals, and Cville hasn't even thrown their best pitcher yet (saving him for ECU).

 

Big advantage in scheduling

Not only to I believe Cherryville should be the team to beat (now that they swept Shelby especially),,, but Cherryville gets a huge break with the brackets as they will play the host team on 1st day at ECU.

Not sure of Pitt County's W/L record, but many times the host team is not one of the stronger teams in the tourney, and BDR (Cherryville's coach) is a great strategist at winning tournaments,,, just watch, he will save his ace for their 2nd round opponent.

 

Saving your ace pitcher can backfire. If he does not pitch for a while then things can go wrong from lack of work. Pitt County was like 6-8 at round one of the playoffs and was sweep badly. Looks like lucky draw for Cherryville. Sometimes host teams come out swinging. At Gastonia last year some arrogant Cherryville fans were guessing who they would beat for the title. Randolph County laughed it up. Remember Morehead City in 2007? Rowan slammed them in the first game and then Rowan folded up.Cherryville looks real good. I would not want to play Shelby in the first game. I`ll bet they would love another shot at Post 100.

 

Pirate, I'm as big a Corbin Shive fan or Nick Lomascola fan as you're going to find,,, but Cherryville's Jake Watts WILL BE THE MOST experienced big game pitcher at the state tournament. And BDR has saved his ace when playing a weak opponent in first round before (Fayetteville 2003),,, and BDR has the state titles to back up his strategy.

I got a hotdog that says Watts don't pitch until 2nd day. You want that bet? I will gladly pay up if I lose.

 

They had 3 shots already and didn't show up for any of them.

 

Shelby is very very good, still IMO possibly the 2nd best team in the state, or at least in the neighborhood of Rowan County. I believe how easily Cherryville won the Area IV title, pretty much sent a message as to who the big dogs are.

 

I do not doubt that one bit thinking the same pitcher
I`ll bet you a footlong Watts does not go 7 complete against Rowan on Sunday if it happens that way. I will be there to buy or eat!

 

Rocky Mount is a very solid hitting team all around. Watch out for them in the tournament.

 

Oh lord, we haven't started junk talking have we? I don't necessarily agree with saving your ace for game 2, but you can't fault someone who wins a lot. I hope to see that Cherryville/ Rowan match-up second round, but both teams have to win the first game first. Rowan has to get by Duplin-Sampson and C-Ville has to get by the laying in the weeds host. (Pitt)

Does anyone know anything about Duplin-Sampson? Where do their players go to high school?