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Francis Marion Signee: Summerville High School left-hander Cory Deering is signed to play at Francis Marion University next year. For his efforts in 2006, Deering was named to the North/South All-Star Game in June. He was also named All-Region for the second consecutive year. A big MLB fan, find out which team he roots for, why and where his love o… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well. Username Password Remember Me     Forgot Password

Diamond Notes Part II: Examples of Make-Up

  Compiled By: Austin Alexander – May 22, 2006 A term often used among coaches and scouts is “make-up.” With the MLB draft less than a month away, organizations everywhere are doing last minute tests, additional research and constant probing on players on that exist on draft boards. College coaches are forever asking questions about players to determine his “make-up.” But what exactly is it, how do you measure it and is it important? Well, Diamond Prospects surveyed college coaches and pro scouts in the Carolina’s before the season to assist us. In part two of a three-part series, we will provide for you what examples of good and bad make-up are and how much stock is actually placed on it. You often hear this term when deep discussions abound surrounding a quality player. For many evaluators, a players “make-up” can often make or break whether an opportunity is extended to an individual, how much money is attached to scholarship amounts or signing bonuses and line-up cards often reflect the players that possess it.  Last week we determined what “make-up” was, but what are some examples of good and bad make-up? Well it depends on who you ask. Diamond Prospects put this question to the experts. According to a Division I assistant: When evaluating a player the first thing that stands out is how they look on the field. Are they taking groundballs between innings from the first baseman correctly? Are they working through these balls? Accurate throws? They need to be hustling on and off the field and show they have energy through positive body language. They need to wear their uniform right. All these things go under a positive first impression. According to one Junior College coach: It can be exposed when things are going good (hitting a homerun-taunting) or when things may be going bad (booting a ball in the field after you strike out). Good make-up is your all-around effort and attitude when things are going or BAD. Bad make-up is the guy you can look at figure out that he is 0-for-4 with four strikeouts or the guy who wants to blame everybody but himself when something bad happens. According to one Division I Recruiting Coordinator: Good make-up is being able to perform and have confidence in your abilities after they have had failures. Also, being able to perform in big situations. According to another Division I Recruiting Coordinator: Good make-up is a guy that comes early and stays late for work. A guy who will take school seriously, may not have the greatest grades, but goes to class and gets the job done. Team player. Bad make-up: A guy who is on his own page. He is constantly in trouble. He cannot, or will not, conform to team rules. He is a cancer. One Division I assistant coach used the example of a player: I think a great make-up player is a kid we have right now. He understands the game; he understands what he can do and works to improve on his skills everyday. He also understands his shortcomings and does not try to be something he is not. He is rarely seen without a smile on his face because he loves the game and it is not a question for him to be a practice. He is the first to show up everyday, he is not scared or does not think he is too good to help set the field up. He takes what you say to him and processes it and makes up his mind as to trust you or not. That is fine with me because in the heat of battle, players have to be able to think for themselves and be able to make their own corrections. On the field, you tell him to do one thing he understands and then will give you feedback why, he agrees with the concept. I recall the time I had to teach him how to rake the cuts at first base, now he rakes it better than I could. His maturity level is off the charts. We have taken him from a third baseman/shortstop, and thrown him at first base, now he could be the first baseman of our future and he just wants to be on the field.  Bad make-up guys are a dime a dozen. Guys that seem to put all their needs above the team and other people as well. Players that are willing to take the high road and risk the team as a whole and sometimes risk their own game as well.  Bad make-up players are not willing to take small suggestions but are quick to give you their theories on everything from, why they cannot hit and what they need to work on, yet they do the same thing each and everyday. Bad make-up comes from different experiences they might have witnessed throughout their life, and it is tough to speculate why kids react or do not react to anything. Some players actually think they know more than anyone else. Then their maturity level is low because they cannot take themselves and say, “I could be wrong in this situation.” That is bad make-up. Someone that cannot say they are sorry, and mean it, also has terrible make-up.  One Division I head coach put it this way: Good and bad make-up can take on many different faces. Make-up can sometimes be revealed very early on in the recruiting process. I listen to how kids ask their parents questions on the phone. When they sit in the office, how do they speak to their mom and dad? Do they give me good eye contact? Today’s generation dresses very casual but when you are on a college visit, and you know you’ll be meeting with the coaches, I believe there is a certain attire that is appropriate. Many times a player’s official visit will provide you with valuable information about his personality. When a kid leaves campus, my players can usually tell me if his make-up is up to par or not. If you ask enough questions and your own observations come through seeing a player several times, you can normally …

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Diamond Notes Part II: Examples of Make-Up

  Compiled By: Austin Alexander – May 22, 2006 A term often used among coaches and scouts is “make-up.” With the MLB draft less than a month away, organizations everywhere are doing last minute tests, additional research and constant probing on players on that exist on draft boards. College coaches are forever asking questions about players to determine his “make-up.” But what exactly is it, how do you measure it and is it important? Well, Diamond Prospects surveyed college coaches and pro scouts in the Carolina’s before the season to assist us. In part two of a three-part series, we will provide for you what examples of good and bad make-up are and how much stock is actually placed on it. You often hear this term when deep discussions abound surrounding a quality player. For many evaluators, a players “make-up” can often make or break whether an opportunity is extended to an individual, how much money is attached to scholarship amounts or signing bonuses and line-up cards often reflect the players that possess it.  Last week we determined what “make-up” was, but what are some examples of good and bad make-up? Well it depends on who you ask. Diamond Prospects put this question to the experts. According to a Division I assistant: When evaluating a player the first thing that stands out is how they look on the field. Are they taking groundballs between innings from the first baseman correctly? Are they working through these balls? Accurate throws? They need to be hustling on and off the field and show they have energy through positive body language. They need to wear their uniform right. All these things go under a positive first impression. According to one Junior College coach: It can be exposed when things are going good (hitting a homerun-taunting) or when things may be going bad (booting a ball in the field after you strike out). Good make-up is your all-around effort and attitude when things are going or BAD. Bad make-up is the guy you can look at figure out that he is 0-for-4 with four strikeouts or the guy who wants to blame everybody but himself when something bad happens. According to one Division I Recruiting Coordinator: Good make-up is being able to perform and have confidence in your abilities after they have had failures. Also, being able to perform in big situations. According to another Division I Recruiting Coordinator: Good make-up is a guy that comes early and stays late for work. A guy who will take school seriously, may not have the greatest grades, but goes to class and gets the job done. Team player. Bad make-up: A guy who is on his own page. He is constantly in trouble. He cannot, or will not, conform to team rules. He is a cancer. One Division I assistant coach used the example of a player: I think a great make-up player is a kid we have right now. He understands the game; he understands what he can do and works to improve on his skills everyday. He also understands his shortcomings and does not try to be something he is not. He is rarely seen without a smile on his face because he loves the game and it is not a question for him to be a practice. He is the first to show up everyday, he is not scared or does not think he is too good to help set the field up. He takes what you say to him and processes it and makes up his mind as to trust you or not. That is fine with me because in the heat of battle, players have to be able to think for themselves and be able to make their own corrections. On the field, you tell him to do one thing he understands and then will give you feedback why, he agrees with the concept. I recall the time I had to teach him how to rake the cuts at first base, now he rakes it better than I could. His maturity level is off the charts. We have taken him from a third baseman/shortstop, and thrown him at first base, now he could be the first baseman of our future and he just wants to be on the field.  Bad make-up guys are a dime a dozen. Guys that seem to put all their needs above the team and other people as well. Players that are willing to take the high road and risk the team as a whole and sometimes risk their own game as well.  Bad make-up players are not willing to take small suggestions but are quick to give you their theories on everything from, why they cannot hit and what they need to work on, yet they do the same thing each and everyday. Bad make-up comes from different experiences they might have witnessed throughout their life, and it is tough to speculate why kids react or do not react to anything. Some players actually think they know more than anyone else. Then their maturity level is low because they cannot take themselves and say, “I could be wrong in this situation.” That is bad make-up. Someone that cannot say they are sorry, and mean it, also has terrible make-up.  One Division I head coach put it this way: Good and bad make-up can take on many different faces. Make-up can sometimes be revealed very early on in the recruiting process. I listen to how kids ask their parents questions on the phone. When they sit in the office, how do they speak to their mom and dad? Do they give me good eye contact? Today’s generation dresses very casual but when you are on a college visit, and you know you’ll be meeting with the coaches, I believe there is a certain attire that is appropriate. Many times a player’s official visit will provide you with valuable information about his personality. When a kid leaves campus, my players can usually tell me if his make-up is up to par or not. If you ask enough questions and your own observations come through seeing a player several times, you can normally …

Read More

A Champions Tribute: Gilbert Indians

2A Champion: Gilbert Indians By: Ashley Burnett-May 18, 2006 We have done well at Gilbert, but have not quite been able to get over the hump in the playoffs. We would win the region and then bow out at the district finals. We were 17-5 last year but couldn’t seem to find our way into that final series. Until 2006… This year’s club truly embodied the notion that the success of the team was more important than individual success. We pretty much had to "run the gauntlet of who’s who in AA baseball.” We had to face Newberry with Jesse Harmon on the mound and won 2-0. Then we played Walhalla winning that game 9-0 and had to come back to face Newberry again to win the district championship. A 9-2 win in that game allowed us to advance.  We then had to face Emerald with AA Player of the Year Brandon Miller on the mound, we won 3-0. We then faced Batesburg-Leesville with James Rawls on the hill and won that one 5-0. Our reward for that win was Miller and Emerald again. We finally got over that hump with a 3-2 victory to win the Upper State. We then faced Aynor at our place and won 10-0 in five innings on a Monday. Two days later we had to travel to Aynor to face Thomas Berryhill and won 7-3 to capture the AA State Championship. Our kids had to beat the best, indeed, to finish as champions. Along the way we had some strong individual efforts. We were led at the plate by Justin Murray. He hit .422 with 28 runs, four doubles, a triple, two homeruns and fourteen RBI. Though he had the top batting average, freshman Adam Spires (.412, 17 runs, 17 RBI), Bryce Davidson (.387, 4 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI), pictured left, and Colin Drafts (.386, 7 2B, 2 2B, 12 RBI). We were anchored in the middle infield by our shortstop Christopher Owings and Spires, which made our pitching staff that much better. Sophomore Kyle Owings (10-0, 0.25 ERA, 66 K in 55 IP), pictured right, junior Davidson (6-0, 3 SV, 0.60 ERA, 60 K in 46.1 IP) and junior Jason Cochcroft (7-0, 1.20 ERA, 43 K in 35 IP) were as good a trio as you are going to find at our level. The best thing about them is that we have all of them for another year and Owings for two more seasons. I believe that we won because our team really felt no pressure all year long. To them they were just playing the game of baseball and, as stated earlier, they were willing to sacrifice individual success for the success of the team. My ninth year at Gilbert was my most enjoyable, I’m so glad these kids were able to have this experience! For more information on Gilbert, click 1  2  3.   .

A Champions Tribute: Gilbert Indians

2A Champion: Gilbert Indians By: Ashley Burnett-May 18, 2006 We have done well at Gilbert, but have not quite been able to get over the hump in the playoffs. We would win the region and then bow out at the district finals. We were 17-5 last year but couldn’t seem to find our way into that final series. Until 2006… This year’s club truly embodied the notion that the success of the team was more important than individual success. We pretty much had to "run the gauntlet of who’s who in AA baseball.” We had to face Newberry with Jesse Harmon on the mound and won 2-0. Then we played Walhalla winning that game 9-0 and had to come back to face Newberry again to win the district championship. A 9-2 win in that game allowed us to advance.  We then had to face Emerald with AA Player of the Year Brandon Miller on the mound, we won 3-0. We then faced Batesburg-Leesville with James Rawls on the hill and won that one 5-0. Our reward for that win was Miller and Emerald again. We finally got over that hump with a 3-2 victory to win the Upper State. We then faced Aynor at our place and won 10-0 in five innings on a Monday. Two days later we had to travel to Aynor to face Thomas Berryhill and won 7-3 to capture the AA State Championship. Our kids had to beat the best, indeed, to finish as champions. Along the way we had some strong individual efforts. We were led at the plate by Justin Murray. He hit .422 with 28 runs, four doubles, a triple, two homeruns and fourteen RBI. Though he had the top batting average, freshman Adam Spires (.412, 17 runs, 17 RBI), Bryce Davidson (.387, 4 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI), pictured left, and Colin Drafts (.386, 7 2B, 2 2B, 12 RBI). We were anchored in the middle infield by our shortstop Christopher Owings and Spires, which made our pitching staff that much better. Sophomore Kyle Owings (10-0, 0.25 ERA, 66 K in 55 IP), pictured right, junior Davidson (6-0, 3 SV, 0.60 ERA, 60 K in 46.1 IP) and junior Jason Cochcroft (7-0, 1.20 ERA, 43 K in 35 IP) were as good a trio as you are going to find at our level. The best thing about them is that we have all of them for another year and Owings for two more seasons. I believe that we won because our team really felt no pressure all year long. To them they were just playing the game of baseball and, as stated earlier, they were willing to sacrifice individual success for the success of the team. My ninth year at Gilbert was my most enjoyable, I’m so glad these kids were able to have this experience! For more information on Gilbert, click 1  2  3.   .

A Champions Tribute: Riverside Warriors

3A Champion: Riverside Warriors By: Chris Bates-May 10, 2006   To sum up our season would be to say "It’s a Mentality."  We had that on the back of one of our t-shirts and our players came into the season believing that they could win, when no one else thought so.  Our season began with us finding a way to win some close games at the IP Classic that gave them the confidence that they could beat anyone. We opened the season up with 17 straight wins and jumped into the National Top 25 poll.  With an opening round loss to Boiling Springs in the Upstate Diamond Classic to end the winning streak, we bounced back with four victories to claim the title for the second consecutive year. A mid-week loss to Spartanburg opened our eyes a little and we bounced back with a big win versus Eastside to finish the conference season 10-0. We then won eight straight to capture our third state title in four years.  We had close wins versus Pickens (1-0) and AC Flora (5-4) in the Upstate Finals to advance to the state championship. We then held on to beat Dillon 4-3 at their place and won a ‘much closer than the score indicates’ 9-0 battle to win the title. We beat Dillon for the second time in the state championship series in as many attempts. They are well-coached and have a great tradition of winning championships in every sport. My hat goes off to them on a great season and best of luck in the future. This year’s accomplishment was a monumental win for our community and program. Community involvement is at an all-time high and, for us to win the State Championship this year, it is great! I am thankful for the support that we received from the school administration, faculty, parents and community. All of those things attribute to a great program. Our leading hitter and pitcher was sophomore Michael Roth (.514, 16 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 6 SB; 11-1, 1.85 ERA, 73 K in 75.2 IP), pictured right. He was also named MVP of the IP Classic and the Upstate Diamond Classic baseball tournaments this year. He led the team in wins on the mound with eleven–that is the most by an individual at Riverside in some time. Sophomore shortstop Will Owens (.444, 28 R, 5 2B, 3 3B, HR, 18 RBI and 10 SB) and junior right fielder Mark Santoro (.404, 5 2B, 17 RBI and 14 SB) led us offensively. Freshman right-hander Matthew Pegler (10-0, 1.15 ERA, 79 K in 67 IP), picutred left, was second in wins and first in ERA on our pitching staff. Of note, junior catcher/pitcher John Nester (.330, 8 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI; 5-0, 4 SV, 36 K in 29.1 IP), picutred at top, just committed to Clemson. I have been the head coach for the past five seasons and we have compiled a 140-21 record, winning three state titles (2003, 2004 and 2006). Riverside has won the region twelve straight seasons. The past five years, our region record is 53-2. We have advanced to the Upper-State championship game each of the past five seasons, winning three. Our playoff record over the past five seasons is 34-4. Riverside has won Upper-State titles in 1980, 1986, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, and 2006. Riverside has won state titles in 1980, 1986, 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2006  Recently, Riverside was Upper-State runner-up in 2000, 2002 and 2005. Success has been in abundance at Riverside lately. The player’s work hard and the parents and community support the program. Add all of those together, with some talented young men working for a common goal, and you can achieve greatness. I count myself fortunate to have been a part of it, we just hope that it continues! For more information on Riverside, 1  2  3  4.   .

A Champions Tribute: Riverside Warriors

3A Champion: Riverside Warriors By: Chris Bates-May 10, 2006   To sum up our season would be to say "It’s a Mentality."  We had that on the back of one of our t-shirts and our players came into the season believing that they could win, when no one else thought so.  Our season began with us finding a way to win some close games at the IP Classic that gave them the confidence that they could beat anyone. We opened the season up with 17 straight wins and jumped into the National Top 25 poll.  With an opening round loss to Boiling Springs in the Upstate Diamond Classic to end the winning streak, we bounced back with four victories to claim the title for the second consecutive year. A mid-week loss to Spartanburg opened our eyes a little and we bounced back with a big win versus Eastside to finish the conference season 10-0. We then won eight straight to capture our third state title in four years.  We had close wins versus Pickens (1-0) and AC Flora (5-4) in the Upstate Finals to advance to the state championship. We then held on to beat Dillon 4-3 at their place and won a ‘much closer than the score indicates’ 9-0 battle to win the title. We beat Dillon for the second time in the state championship series in as many attempts. They are well-coached and have a great tradition of winning championships in every sport. My hat goes off to them on a great season and best of luck in the future. This year’s accomplishment was a monumental win for our community and program. Community involvement is at an all-time high and, for us to win the State Championship this year, it is great! I am thankful for the support that we received from the school administration, faculty, parents and community. All of those things attribute to a great program. Our leading hitter and pitcher was sophomore Michael Roth (.514, 16 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 6 SB; 11-1, 1.85 ERA, 73 K in 75.2 IP), pictured right. He was also named MVP of the IP Classic and the Upstate Diamond Classic baseball tournaments this year. He led the team in wins on the mound with eleven–that is the most by an individual at Riverside in some time. Sophomore shortstop Will Owens (.444, 28 R, 5 2B, 3 3B, HR, 18 RBI and 10 SB) and junior right fielder Mark Santoro (.404, 5 2B, 17 RBI and 14 SB) led us offensively. Freshman right-hander Matthew Pegler (10-0, 1.15 ERA, 79 K in 67 IP), picutred left, was second in wins and first in ERA on our pitching staff. Of note, junior catcher/pitcher John Nester (.330, 8 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI; 5-0, 4 SV, 36 K in 29.1 IP), picutred at top, just committed to Clemson. I have been the head coach for the past five seasons and we have compiled a 140-21 record, winning three state titles (2003, 2004 and 2006). Riverside has won the region twelve straight seasons. The past five years, our region record is 53-2. We have advanced to the Upper-State championship game each of the past five seasons, winning three. Our playoff record over the past five seasons is 34-4. Riverside has won Upper-State titles in 1980, 1986, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, and 2006. Riverside has won state titles in 1980, 1986, 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2006  Recently, Riverside was Upper-State runner-up in 2000, 2002 and 2005. Success has been in abundance at Riverside lately. The player’s work hard and the parents and community support the program. Add all of those together, with some talented young men working for a common goal, and you can achieve greatness. I count myself fortunate to have been a part of it, we just hope that it continues! For more information on Riverside, 1  2  3  4.   .

A Champions Tribute: Lake View Gators

1A State Champion: Lake View By: Austin Alexander-May 16, 2006   Lake View was crowned on Friday as South Carolina’s #1 1A team for the seventh time in twelve years. Since Kip Herlong took the head job in 1994 he has seen his Gators capture eight lower state titles en route to a 272-68 ledger during his tenure. So when his club found themselves down 1-0 in the Championship Series to defending champion Landrum, it understandable why Herlong may have been the calmest guy in the ballpark, he’d been there many times before. But his kids hadn’t. They grew up in the Lake View area as fans or batboys during that decade of title runs, not between the lines. Herlong credits his players, “As a coach, I am very proud of this years Lake View team for many reasons. This team learned early on how to deal with adversity when we found out that Brooks Arnette (right) would not be in the starting rotation and Justin King was lost for the majority of the season due to an injury,” he said. “I feel that this helped us to succeed in the playoffs and come back to win the final two games after the ten-run drumming in the first game. Putting everything in perspective, our young men never panicked, which put them in a position to win the final two.” The Gators were led all season on the mound by senior right-hander Bart Flowers. Flowers (left) was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 3 versus Landrum and his only blemish on the year came four days before in Game 1. Flowers is set to attend Florence-Darlington Tech next year on the heels of season in which he finished 15-1 with a 0.68 ERA in 92 innings pitched. He struck out 99 and walked 21. Junior Ronald Sampson (right) pitched in on the mound (7-1, 2.38 ERA, 82 K, 24 BB in 56 IP) but also paced Lake View at the plate hitting at a .522 clip. The middle infielder hit nine homers and drove in 40 runs in a year that Herlong said is one of the best he’s ever seen. Arnette, a Lander signee, hit .407 with two homeruns and 21 RBI. Junior third baseman Josh Miller chipped in with a .412 batting average with 18 RBI in his role as a catalyst for the Lake View offense. Prior to their showdown with Landrum, the Gators had enjoyed a 6-0 record in the playoffs and outscored their opponents 50-4. Lake View finished the 2006 campaign with a 25-3 mark. Congratulations to Herlong, his team and the Lake View community.   For more information on Lake View, click here.   .

A Champions Tribute: Lake View Gators

1A State Champion: Lake View By: Austin Alexander-May 16, 2006   Lake View was crowned on Friday as South Carolina’s #1 1A team for the seventh time in twelve years. Since Kip Herlong took the head job in 1994 he has seen his Gators capture eight lower state titles en route to a 272-68 ledger during his tenure. So when his club found themselves down 1-0 in the Championship Series to defending champion Landrum, it understandable why Herlong may have been the calmest guy in the ballpark, he’d been there many times before. But his kids hadn’t. They grew up in the Lake View area as fans or batboys during that decade of title runs, not between the lines. Herlong credits his players, “As a coach, I am very proud of this years Lake View team for many reasons. This team learned early on how to deal with adversity when we found out that Brooks Arnette (right) would not be in the starting rotation and Justin King was lost for the majority of the season due to an injury,” he said. “I feel that this helped us to succeed in the playoffs and come back to win the final two games after the ten-run drumming in the first game. Putting everything in perspective, our young men never panicked, which put them in a position to win the final two.” The Gators were led all season on the mound by senior right-hander Bart Flowers. Flowers (left) was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 3 versus Landrum and his only blemish on the year came four days before in Game 1. Flowers is set to attend Florence-Darlington Tech next year on the heels of season in which he finished 15-1 with a 0.68 ERA in 92 innings pitched. He struck out 99 and walked 21. Junior Ronald Sampson (right) pitched in on the mound (7-1, 2.38 ERA, 82 K, 24 BB in 56 IP) but also paced Lake View at the plate hitting at a .522 clip. The middle infielder hit nine homers and drove in 40 runs in a year that Herlong said is one of the best he’s ever seen. Arnette, a Lander signee, hit .407 with two homeruns and 21 RBI. Junior third baseman Josh Miller chipped in with a .412 batting average with 18 RBI in his role as a catalyst for the Lake View offense. Prior to their showdown with Landrum, the Gators had enjoyed a 6-0 record in the playoffs and outscored their opponents 50-4. Lake View finished the 2006 campaign with a 25-3 mark. Congratulations to Herlong, his team and the Lake View community.   For more information on Lake View, click here.   .

A Champions Tribute: Lake View Gators

1A State Champion: Lake View By: Austin Alexander-May 16, 2006   Lake View was crowned on Friday as South Carolina’s #1 1A team for the seventh time in twelve years. Since Kip Herlong took the head job in 1994 he has seen his Gators capture eight lower state titles en route to a 272-68 ledger during his tenure. So when his club found themselves down 1-0 in the Championship Series to defending champion Landrum, it understandable why Herlong may have been the calmest guy in the ballpark, he’d been there many times before. But his kids hadn’t. They grew up in the Lake View area as fans or batboys during that decade of title runs, not between the lines. Herlong credits his players, “As a coach, I am very proud of this years Lake View team for many reasons. This team learned early on how to deal with adversity when we found out that Brooks Arnette (right) would not be in the starting rotation and Justin King was lost for the majority of the season due to an injury,” he said. “I feel that this helped us to succeed in the playoffs and come back to win the final two games after the ten-run drumming in the first game. Putting everything in perspective, our young men never panicked, which put them in a position to win the final two.” The Gators were led all season on the mound by senior right-hander Bart Flowers. Flowers (left) was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 3 versus Landrum and his only blemish on the year came four days before in Game 1. Flowers is set to attend Florence-Darlington Tech next year on the heels of season in which he finished 15-1 with a 0.68 ERA in 92 innings pitched. He struck out 99 and walked 21. Junior Ronald Sampson (right) pitched in on the mound (7-1, 2.38 ERA, 82 K, 24 BB in 56 IP) but also paced Lake View at the plate hitting at a .522 clip. The middle infielder hit nine homers and drove in 40 runs in a year that Herlong said is one of the best he’s ever seen. Arnette, a Lander signee, hit .407 with two homeruns and 21 RBI. Junior third baseman Josh Miller chipped in with a .412 batting average with 18 RBI in his role as a catalyst for the Lake View offense. Prior to their showdown with Landrum, the Gators had enjoyed a 6-0 record in the playoffs and outscored their opponents 50-4. Lake View finished the 2006 campaign with a 25-3 mark. Congratulations to Herlong, his team and the Lake View community.   For more information on Lake View, click here.   .

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