NPC 08 Predictions

2 leftiess

When was the last time Mooresville had 2 lefties in the starting rotation?

 

Last year had 3 but only used 1. And if you count JV they have 3 more this year.

 

1. East Rowan
2. Mooresville
3. Lake Norman
4. NW Cabarrus
5. South Rowan
6. West Rowan
7. Carson
8. North Iredell
9. West Iredell
10.Statesville

East returns everyone except Ross Steedley (catcher, pitcher #3hitter) and DC Cranford (CF #9 batter). East finished 2nd last year in the 4A CPC conference and Trey Holmes returns to the mound after being injured last year. Holmes was projected to be the best pitcher on the staff as a junior, so East's second place finish in one of the state's toughest conferences last year, is even more impressive when you consider he didn't pitch.

There are some good pitchers on teams 2-5, that could shut down East on any given day, but in a long season, I think the Mustangs will rise to the top.

 

Its going to be tough!!!!

Its going to be a tough year. You are right E.Rowan will be in the heat of things. I think it will come down to E.Rowan and Mooresville. Both teams are loaded with pitching.

 

From these posts, sounds like East Rowan and Mooresville are the teams to beat,,,,,,, I'll take the experience of East Rowan players who finished 2nd in a tougher conference last year, and also played on a very strong legion team that went to the state tournament.

Btw travis, saw where Ross Steedley (freshman) started behind the plate at UNCC in his first collegiate game last weekend.

 

Saw where Ross started as well. His brother, Spencer, had a very good late summer with in the Minnesota Twins organazation. I saw the other day where former East Rowan player Bobby Parnell is going to be the starting pitcher for the New York Mets during an intra squad scrimmage later this week. Matt Harrison from South Granville is going to be the starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers friday in their first game.

 

Bobby Parnell,,,, amazing success story,,,, didn't even pitch for his high school team... Wasn't he the one that was given a college scholly because some school saw him pitch at an AAU tournament? Pitched in college, flew up thru the minor ranks, now working out with the bigboys... Congrats to him...

 

First go around

Mooresville at E.Rowan 3-07-08

 

Parnell never pitched in high school or legion. Played 3rd base at East Rowan and 1st base on the legion team. Had a cannon......but both the teams at East and Rowan his senior year were loaded. I'm not sure how he ended up at Charleston Southern, but didn't have a lot of success there either.

Once drafted by the Mets, simply on potential, the fact he had a good frame, and the fact he could touch the low 90's....they tinkered with his mechanics and now he hits 94-97 with the fastball and has a nasty slider. They are trying to get him to learn a change, but he has pitched very effective in the minors. Since the Mets, mortgaged their already thin farm system to obtain Johan Santana, Parnell's arrival at Shea may be sooner than first anticipated.

 

His High School team his senior year (2002) was so good with the likes of Cal Hayes,Jr, Drew Davis, Julian Sides, Nick Lefko, Spencer Steedley (I mean DAMN!!!),,,,,,,, you are right, all they really needed Bobby to do in HS was man 3B and he did that well because of his cannon arm. As great a coach as Jeff Safrit was with at least one state championship to his credit, Coach Safrit just simply never saw the need to throw him,,,, remember they had bonafide proven pitcher studs in Sides and Steedley who went the distance every time they took the hill.

Its amazing just how much talent was on that one team,,,,, and if I'm not mistaken they got beat 1-0 in the first round of the state playoffs by a #3-#4 seeded .500 ballclub. Baseball, go figure...

They did ok later that summer leading the Rowan legion team to the state legion championship, although Parnell didn't pitch for them either.

I believe your right about his pitching in college, he started out slowly,,, probably because he was still learning so much about the mechanics and the position in general.