Ardrey Kell vs Providence

I arrived just in time to see the player introductions with my good friend Braves and his son TJ. The place was packed in anticipaton of a great match up between not only two of the best High School teams in the state but also two of the top players in the state.

My first thougts were "Every High School player should have the opportunity to play in this type of environment." Many players , parents and fans come and go without ever being a part of a High School atmosphere like this. This is the way its supposed to be.

Before I arrived at the park I had my usual plan for the game. Bore in on the top players and top performances in the game. Report on the gun readings of the pitchers and report on the tools that stood out. And of course report on the actual game itself and how it played out. But as I watched this game unfold I decided that this would be a great opportunity to talk about what is right with our great game. We hear all too often what is wrong. Bad coaches , poor attitudes of players , poor facilities , the list goes on and on. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to talk about why this is the greatest game on earth and its because of the young men that play , the coaches that coach and everyone else that helps make it what it's supposed to be.

Its very easy as a parent to get wrapped up in the game and only the game. Did we win? Did my son have a great game? Did my son play? As a coach its real easy to get wrapped up in , Did we win? Did my team play well and execute? Did I prepare these guys properly for success? Was there something else I could have done? What I saw last night was what is right with High School baseball.

The fans did their part. The stadium was packed and they were into the game. From the player intro's to the call of the first pitch to the last out was made they were all into the game. It was an electric atmosphere. Coach Hignight and his staff had the field in outstanding condition. The facilites are outstanding and you can tell there is alot of pride in this program by the way they keep and maintain their facility. The players did their part by showing up and competing at the highest level they could.

The first thing you notice about both these teams is they take a tremendous amount of pride in the way they approach the game and the way they play it. They get on and get off the field the way baseball players are supposed to. They get after it with everything they have on every pitch and every play. They both are extremely well coached.

I started the game between the bleachers behind home plate. I wanted to get some gun readings on the two starting pitchers. I was surrounded by several fans and a few professional scouts. There was one ACC assistant coach there to see a couple of underclass players as well. After getting some gun readings I settled in on the 3rd base side near left field to take in the game.

There were numerous players that stood out in this game for me. There were the obvious guys like Alex Wood the tall LHP for Ardrey Kell. I couldnt help but be taken back in time to a few years back when I coached another tall bigtime LHP by the name of Matt Harrison when I was watching Alex pitch. Matt is now in the starting rotation for the Texas Rangers at 23 years old. Alex has that same type of stuff on the hill and the same projectable physical tools. Folks he is bigtime. To say I was impressed would be a ridiculous understatement. And then there is Richie Shaffer. A physical specimen for a High School player with an electric arm and serious bat speed from the right side. He was so good on the hill tonight. If he played in some HS conferences he would rack up numbers that would be unheard of. The fact is he was facing an extremely talented High School line up last night. He battled and clawed and was outstanding.

Then there is Logan Ratledge , Cody Shelton , Jack Reinheimer and Alex Bartolomeo. I mean you can watch these guys play and you just shake your head and say "Wow these guys can play." There are no holes in the AK line up. But there is one guy that stands out even above his posistion player team mates on this squad. That guys is Ryan Stetson. The guy was born to play baseball. He looks like a player , he acts like a player , the guy is a stud. If there is a better outfielder in this state at the high school level I have not seen him play. Everything about this guy says winner.

Then for Providence there is Brett Austin , CA Clayton , Kurt Semeniuk. Again these guys are just great High School players. But then for Providence the man that stands out for me is Tyler Zupcic. Man what a baseball player. Like Stetson he just stands out on the baseball field for so many reasons. He carries himself like a player , he plays the game hard and is so talented. I love to watch this guy play the game.

Every player in the line up for both teams were outstanding. Both of these teams are very talented and extremely well coached. It was a pleasure to get to see them face off against each other last night.

These teams play the game the way its supposed to be played. The approach the game the way its supposed to be approached. The coaches for both these teams are outstanding. They do it the way its suppose to be done.

Alex Wood pitched a heck of a game. He was outstanding. Richie Shaffer was outstanding as well. Providence would go on to win 4-2 in a great High School baseball game last night. Both of these teams , the coaches and the fans should be proud of what they do. They do it the right way.

Mincimi can post his boxscore and give whatever details he wants to give about the game. To me that was secondary to what was most important to tell about these two programs , players and coaches.

 

That's how you write a report on a game....and he's not finished. He's just catching his breath

 

Interview with

Ryan Stetson CF Ardrey Kell High School

"This was a tough loss. What does a loss like this do to a team? How do you guys use this to help you down the road?"

"We use it as motivation. We use it to get better."

"What has the last four years playing at Ardrey Kell meant to you as a person and as a player?"

"Its everything. This is my family , I love these guys. Its taught me so many things including discipline."

"Who has been the biggest influence on you as a player."

"Coach Bagwell. He has helped me so much over my career. I am going to miss Coach and all my team mates."

"Ryan I love watching you play the game and you play the game the right way. I wish you all the luck in the world at App State and I know you are going to be very successful."

"Thank you sir."

"What a young man!"

Interview with Richie Shaffer Providence High School

"Richie what the mindset of your team when you just couldnt get anything going against Alex and it was getting late in the game.?"

"We just kept saying have a quality at bat. Try and put the barrell on the ball and we will get something going."

"Richie many times you see a guy having a tough time at the plate and then he takes that to the mound with him or his posistion and he starts to struggle there as well. How did you maintain your focus tonight?"

"Coach its a team sport. Its not about me. I just wanted to keep doing my job on the mound and give our team a chance to win."

"What has the last four years here at Providence meant to you as a player?" "What has this program meant to you?"

"I love these guys. We are a family. I just wanted to put another banner on that wall out there and I am so glad we were able to do that."

"Who has been the biggest influenence on you as a player?"

"Oh my Dad! From T ball all the way up he has been there for me."

"Richie it was a pleasure to get to see you play tonight and all the times I have gotten the chance. Good luck the rest of the season."

"Thanks Coach. I appreciate you doing this."


Two very talented young men who are nothing but first class in every way.

 

Sometimes the written word does not convey the emotions when doing an interview. What people don't realize is when Coach May was asking Ryan about what the team and his coach meant to him---he was replying with tears in his eyes and choked emotions. Just minutes before he was involved in a very tough loss. It says a lot about his character to even try to give an interview at that time.

 

I have to first post Coach May's picks from the East Meck field---check out the wooden fence and the grass. I couldn't let him come to Charlotte without seeing this field

 

The next 3 pictures is with Richie Shaffer and Alex Wood on the mound and the last one is with Cody Shelton on second base waiting to score.

 

Braves

coach said they started working on the fence in Nov and didnt finish it until right before the season. Man it is beautiful.

 

Nice field

 

Great write up.....Great ballgame. Atmosphere was unreal!

Coach May, it was good to finally get to meet you.....

Oh yeah, good to see my old buddy Braves again too

 

It was nice of Hignight to give us the VIP treatment with our own private section to watch the game. I was disappointed we didn't have waittresses, but who am I to complain.

It was kinda cool to have Muhshin Muhammed and Matt Moore from the Panthers in our section, so we could teach them how to watch a baseball game.

It's always good to see my buddy, Dbacks. I was afraid I lost him to softball