Early Predictions

Can't wait...

for Daddy Ball to wind up again yoohoooooooooooo

 

OOPS!!!!!!!!!

I meant HIGH SCHOOL baseball season!

 

HAHAHAHA

Yes I do believe thay Providence will be good. No I do not believe that the young ones are ready for the varsity close games. Their JV runs over teams but at the varsity level it is much different. Those same teams you play in JV get much better at this level. They will do good though and they will be in states

 

Eastern Predictions

I will take a stab at the eastern part of the state. I think you can still look for many of the same programs that have been successful in the past to be successful again this year. These programs would be:

1. GV Rose

2. Hoggard

3. Wakefield

4. New Bern

5. Fuquay Varina

6. Green Hope



Other teams that could make a big splash this year will be Apex and Middle Creek. Apex will be very strong this year and if there pitching holds up, could be a contender for the Tri- 7 conference title and beyond. Also, watch out for Middle Creek. This team has some talent and most of their players have been playing against varsity talent since their freshman year (new school).



The Raleigh area will be very interesting this year with some of the top talent in the state playing at the different schools. However, I am not sure if that talent will translate into playoff contenders for some of the teams. The exception to this comment is Wakefield. Wakefield has solid hitting and outstanding pitching that can take them deep into the playoffs. With three D-1 players this year ( Dowdy, Halford and Quate), Wakefield should be the top team in the Raleigh area and one of the best in the state.



Millbrook has some very good players (Jake Allen) and a couple of junior pitchers (Sam Brown, BJ Dial), but they have some holes to fill that could hamper their overall success this year. However, with the pitching keeping them close, they can beat anyone in the conference.



WF Rolesville has the best left-handed pitcher in the state (Andrew Taylor) and he can dominate a game, but they too have some holes in their line-up that could hamper them as the season progresses. With that said, in a key game Andrew Taylor can shut down anyone in the state. Wakefield vs. WF Rolesville should be a heck of a pitchers duel.



New Bern has a solid team that has the potential to go deep into the playoffs. With Adam Warren, you have a kid that can shut down anyone. He is in my mind the top pitcher in the state. New Bern also has a good supporting cast that will compliment Warrens' dominance on the mound.



GV Rose will just reload again. Look for them to be right where they are every year. This is a great program.



Hoggard has a ton of talent returning and is complimented by strong hitting and pitching. Look for them to go deep into the playoffs.



Fuquay Varina will have a solid team that has a chance to make some noise in the state this year. They have a very solid line-up with some very good hitters. Grayson Evans and Frankie Lewis provide a 1-2 punch that can be dangerous to any pitching staff. Pitching might be their only weakness.



Green Hope lost two of the top pitchers in the state to graduation, but they still return six starters off last years Tri-7 Conference championship team. Pitching will be a concern for the upcoming year, but offensively they should be pretty good. With Matt Holt, Todd Eberhart and Cade Holiday, they will have some juice at the plate. Green Hope's record over the last three years is 60 -16, so they know how to win.



These are just my thoughts and if I left someone out, I apologize. As we all know, an injury or other circumstances can quickly send our predictions straight to the trash can. As usual though, North Carolina will have strong talent across the state and it should be fun watching how it all unfolds.



I am new to this board and I am really impressed by the knowledge of the posters. Great information - Great discussions.

 

Welcome aboard JH. With the quality of your first post, we are looking forward to your continued comments as the season gets near. :applause:

 

JHbaseball, what do you think about the intriguing matchup between jh rose and charlotte christian this year up at your place? its not everyday you can schedule a game like this between 2 teams like that.