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June Round-UP

June Round-Up By: Austin Alexander July 1, 2006 . The Major League Draft, showcases, the College World Series, summer baseball…and folks thought baseball season was over! As 50 rounds passed and the NCAA Tournament field shrunk from 64 to 1, DP covered it all for you in June. Now, Diamond Prospects crunches the numbers and breaks down some of the highlights from the past 30 days. . Diamond Prospects Statistics: Teams covered-40 High School games seen-32 Minor League games seen-2 Major League games seen-1 Fields-15 Rainouts-2 Miles traveled-4,307 Pitchers serving as cut-off man-4 Coaches with cell phones clipped to their belt-10 Total hits on www.TheDiamondProspects.com-512,501 . Quickest game: South Carolina Diamond Devils/East Cobb Astros, 1:08 Longest game: Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves, 3:48 Best game: Boston 10 Atlanta 7; Schilling vs Smoltz resulting in a 3-2 duel through six and a half; The bullpens turned it into a slugfest and seesaw affair. Best comeback: After falling behind a run in the seventh inning, the Boston Red Sox scored six runs with two outs to take a five-run lead in an eventual win at Atlanta. Best home to first time: Jeff Francoeur (Atlanta Braves) 3.87 on a bunt Best home to first time (turn): Thomas Brittle (Berkeley HS) 4.11 Best pop time: Jason Varitek (Boston Red Sox) 1.83 in between innings Longest homerun: David Ortiz (Boston Red Sox) Shortest hang time on a homerun: Jeff Francoeur (Atlanta Braves), 2.3 seconds Top Web Gems: 2) Trot Nixon (Boston Red Sox) closing on a sinking line drive in right-centerfield, complete with a fully out-stretched grab. 1) Some kid playing centerfield for the Charlotte Heat…best play I’ve seen in quite a while. Running at full speed and toward the fence in left-centerfield, he makes a circus catch laying out with some height to his dive, unbelievable play. Tallest player: Toland Sams (Beaufort HS) 6’5” Shortest player: Mickie Paul (Berkeley HS) 5’5” Best pitcher’s duel: SC Diamond Devils 2 East Cobb Astros 0 at Georgia Tech (Cash Collins-Barnwell & Rob Harding-Spring Valley vs Astros) Most dominant pitching performance: Cash Collins (Barnwell HS) versus the East Cobb Astros at Georgia Tech. Six innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, 72 pitches in 2-0 win. Hardest fastball: John Smoltz (Atlanta Braves), 97 MPH Best baseball name: Coco Crisp (Boston Red Sox) Cleanest round of pre-game: South Carolina Diamond Devils 17U Top Fungo Guy: Right-handed-Brian Hucks (Brookland-Cayce HS), Left-handed-Mark Bonnette (White Knoll HS) Best Dressed Evaluator: Greg Schilz (Pittsburgh Pirates)…again! Attendance Award-Scout: Jerry Jordan (Cleveland Indians) Attendance Award-College: Jason Murray (Charleston Southern), Brent Shade (Furman) Best Argument with an Umpire: Dave Delgado (Upstate Mavericks) Best line from a mom in the bleachers: “What flavor of Gatorade do you want son?” Best Playing Surface: Turner Field Best pre-game tunes: University of Tennessee . February Round-Up March Round-Up April Round-Up May Round-Up  .

June Round-UP

June Round-Up By: Austin Alexander July 1, 2006 . The Major League Draft, showcases, the College World Series, summer baseball…and folks thought baseball season was over! As 50 rounds passed and the NCAA Tournament field shrunk from 64 to 1, DP covered it all for you in June. Now, Diamond Prospects crunches the numbers and breaks down some of the highlights from the past 30 days. . Diamond Prospects Statistics: Teams covered-40 High School games seen-32 Minor League games seen-2 Major League games seen-1 Fields-15 Rainouts-2 Miles traveled-4,307 Pitchers serving as cut-off man-4 Coaches with cell phones clipped to their belt-10 Total hits on www.TheDiamondProspects.com-512,501 . Quickest game: South Carolina Diamond Devils/East Cobb Astros, 1:08 Longest game: Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves, 3:48 Best game: Boston 10 Atlanta 7; Schilling vs Smoltz resulting in a 3-2 duel through six and a half; The bullpens turned it into a slugfest and seesaw affair. Best comeback: After falling behind a run in the seventh inning, the Boston Red Sox scored six runs with two outs to take a five-run lead in an eventual win at Atlanta. Best home to first time: Jeff Francoeur (Atlanta Braves) 3.87 on a bunt Best home to first time (turn): Thomas Brittle (Berkeley HS) 4.11 Best pop time: Jason Varitek (Boston Red Sox) 1.83 in between innings Longest homerun: David Ortiz (Boston Red Sox) Shortest hang time on a homerun: Jeff Francoeur (Atlanta Braves), 2.3 seconds Top Web Gems: 2) Trot Nixon (Boston Red Sox) closing on a sinking line drive in right-centerfield, complete with a fully out-stretched grab. 1) Some kid playing centerfield for the Charlotte Heat…best play I’ve seen in quite a while. Running at full speed and toward the fence in left-centerfield, he makes a circus catch laying out with some height to his dive, unbelievable play. Tallest player: Toland Sams (Beaufort HS) 6’5” Shortest player: Mickie Paul (Berkeley HS) 5’5” Best pitcher’s duel: SC Diamond Devils 2 East Cobb Astros 0 at Georgia Tech (Cash Collins-Barnwell & Rob Harding-Spring Valley vs Astros) Most dominant pitching performance: Cash Collins (Barnwell HS) versus the East Cobb Astros at Georgia Tech. Six innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, 72 pitches in 2-0 win. Hardest fastball: John Smoltz (Atlanta Braves), 97 MPH Best baseball name: Coco Crisp (Boston Red Sox) Cleanest round of pre-game: South Carolina Diamond Devils 17U Top Fungo Guy: Right-handed-Brian Hucks (Brookland-Cayce HS), Left-handed-Mark Bonnette (White Knoll HS) Best Dressed Evaluator: Greg Schilz (Pittsburgh Pirates)…again! Attendance Award-Scout: Jerry Jordan (Cleveland Indians) Attendance Award-College: Jason Murray (Charleston Southern), Brent Shade (Furman) Best Argument with an Umpire: Dave Delgado (Upstate Mavericks) Best line from a mom in the bleachers: “What flavor of Gatorade do you want son?” Best Playing Surface: Turner Field Best pre-game tunes: University of Tennessee . February Round-Up March Round-Up April Round-Up May Round-Up  .

Jon Placko

Jon Placko, a 1996 Furman graduate, just completed his fourth season as an assistant coach with Paladin baseball working primarily with the squad’s hitters and in recruiting. A year ago he played a key role in Furman posting a 30-29 record, Southern Conference championship, and appearance in the NCAA Tournament–the program’s first since 1991. Placko is presently pursuing a career in scouting and serves as an associate scout for the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. A California native, Placko graduated from Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, SC. Following two years at Brevard (NC) College, he transferred to Furman, where he earned a B.A. degree in health and exercise science in 1998. While at Brevard, he hit over .400 and earned All-Region X and Carolinas Junior College All-Conference honors while helping the Tornados to a conference tournament championship and appearance in the 1994 Junior College World Series. Later, in two seasons at Furman, he batted .317, swatted 28 doubles, racked up 50 stolen bases and earned All-Southern Conference and league all-tournament honors in 1996 after keying the Paladins to a 29-23 record, which at the time represented the most wins in Furman baseball history. Following graduation, Placko served as a volunteer assistant coach at Furman in 1998 and later as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach at Greenville’s Eastside High School in 2000. In 2002 he served as an assistant coach at Spartanburg Methodist College, helping the Pioneers to a 50-win season. Placko, 32, resides in Greenville with his wife, Ellie.    .

Jon Placko

Jon Placko, a 1996 Furman graduate, just completed his fourth season as an assistant coach with Paladin baseball working primarily with the squad’s hitters and in recruiting. A year ago he played a key role in Furman posting a 30-29 record, Southern Conference championship, and appearance in the NCAA Tournament–the program’s first since 1991. Placko is presently pursuing a career in scouting and serves as an associate scout for the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. A California native, Placko graduated from Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, SC. Following two years at Brevard (NC) College, he transferred to Furman, where he earned a B.A. degree in health and exercise science in 1998. While at Brevard, he hit over .400 and earned All-Region X and Carolinas Junior College All-Conference honors while helping the Tornados to a conference tournament championship and appearance in the 1994 Junior College World Series. Later, in two seasons at Furman, he batted .317, swatted 28 doubles, racked up 50 stolen bases and earned All-Southern Conference and league all-tournament honors in 1996 after keying the Paladins to a 29-23 record, which at the time represented the most wins in Furman baseball history. Following graduation, Placko served as a volunteer assistant coach at Furman in 1998 and later as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach at Greenville’s Eastside High School in 2000. In 2002 he served as an assistant coach at Spartanburg Methodist College, helping the Pioneers to a 50-win season. Placko, 32, resides in Greenville with his wife, Ellie.    .

May Round-Up

May Round-Up By: Austin Alexander June 1, 2006   The month of May brought about plenty of good weather as quality playoff baseball gave way to summer tournaments across South Carolina. Four champions were crowned last month and Diamond Prospects brought you the top coverage! Now, Diamond Prospects crunches the numbers and breaks down some of the highlights from the past 30 days.   Diamond Prospects Statistics: Teams covered-36 High School games seen-17 College games seen-8 Fields-13 Rainouts-0 Miles traveled-1,921 Pitchers serving as cut-off man-2 Coaches without rosters-5 Coaches with cell phones clipped to their belt-1 Hitters “rung up” by umpire on strike two-1 Total hits on www.TheDiamondProspects.com-698,715 Top 5 hits on website-1) Palmetto Prospects-5370, 2) Diamond Rankings-4035, 3) Player Profiles-3650, 4) Commitments-2524 and 5) Playoff Probables-1878   Quickest game: Indian Land at Landrum, 1:29 Best game: (tie) College of Charleston 5 The Citadel 4 in the Southern Conference championship game, AC Flora 10 Pickens 9 in the AAA Upper State Playoffs. Best comeback: Down 3-2 run in the last inning to the Upstate Mavericks, the South Carolina Diamond Devils loaded the bases with two outs. They took the lead on a swinging bunt where the only play became a force out at the plate. The pitchers feed ended up at the backstop to plate two, two more runs followed for a 6-3 win. Best home to first time: Alex Dozier (Dorman HS) 3.83 on a bunt Best home to first time (turn): Alex Lee (Blythewood HS) 4.28 Best pop time: Logan Bland (Bishop England HS) 1.88 in between innings Longest homerun: Evan Jumper (Gilbert HS) Top Web Gems: 1) Logan Daniels (Dutch Fork HS) playing centerfield, Daniels made an incredible reaching grab while crashing at full speed into the right-centerfield fence; he came up throwing and doubled off the runner at first base to end the inning, 2) Scott Wingo (Mauldin HS) playing second base, turning on a soft-liner to right made a fully extended diving snag to steal a single Tallest player: Matt Branham (Spring Valley HS) 6’5” Shortest player: Ryan Saxon (Wade Hampton HS) 5’6” Best pitcher’s duel: Lake View 2 Landrum 1 in Game 3 of the 1A State Championship (Bart Flowers vs Alex Burrell) Most dominant pitching performance: Nick Chigges (Richland-Northeast HS, 2003) in the Southern Conference tournament. He threw a 3-hit, complete game shutout in the College of Charleston’s 1-0 win over Western Carolina. Hardest fastball: Graham Godfrey (College of Charleston), 95 MPH Best baseball name: Wingo apparently…In three consecutive games at James Island on Memorial Day, a Wingo made his presence felt. In Game 1, Scott and Gaston solidified the right side of the Upstate Maverick infield. In Game 2, Drew (no relation) caught for the South Carolina Diamond Devils. Game 3 saw Brad, the older brother of Scott and Gaston, coach against Drew. Drew ended the day 2-0 while the brother’s’ Wingo finished winless on the day. Note-All three Wingo’s hail from Mauldin. Cleanest round of pre-game: Gilbert HS Top Fungo Guy: Right-handed-Ashley Burnett (Gilbert HS), Left-handed-Chris Bates (Riverside HS) Best Dressed Evaluator: Greg Schilz (Pittsburgh Pirates) Attendance Award-Scout: Greg Schilz (Pittsburgh Pirates) Attendance Award-College: Scott Brickman (Wofford) Best Catcher’s Pop-up: Robbie Huffstetler (Elon) Best Argument with an Umpire: Ron Smith (Furman) and Mike Kennedy (Elon), at the same time Best line from a mom in the bleachers: “You are stupid Blue!” Longest National Anthem: White Knoll Best Playing Surface: Riley Park, White Knoll Best pre-game tunes: Aynor February Round-Up March Round-Up April Round-Up .

May Round-Up

May Round-Up By: Austin Alexander June 1, 2006   The month of May brought about plenty of good weather as quality playoff baseball gave way to summer tournaments across South Carolina. Four champions were crowned last month and Diamond Prospects brought you the top coverage! Now, Diamond Prospects crunches the numbers and breaks down some of the highlights from the past 30 days.   Diamond Prospects Statistics: Teams covered-36 High School games seen-17 College games seen-8 Fields-13 Rainouts-0 Miles traveled-1,921 Pitchers serving as cut-off man-2 Coaches without rosters-5 Coaches with cell phones clipped to their belt-1 Hitters “rung up” by umpire on strike two-1 Total hits on www.TheDiamondProspects.com-698,715 Top 5 hits on website-1) Palmetto Prospects-5370, 2) Diamond Rankings-4035, 3) Player Profiles-3650, 4) Commitments-2524 and 5) Playoff Probables-1878   Quickest game: Indian Land at Landrum, 1:29 Best game: (tie) College of Charleston 5 The Citadel 4 in the Southern Conference championship game, AC Flora 10 Pickens 9 in the AAA Upper State Playoffs. Best comeback: Down 3-2 run in the last inning to the Upstate Mavericks, the South Carolina Diamond Devils loaded the bases with two outs. They took the lead on a swinging bunt where the only play became a force out at the plate. The pitchers feed ended up at the backstop to plate two, two more runs followed for a 6-3 win. Best home to first time: Alex Dozier (Dorman HS) 3.83 on a bunt Best home to first time (turn): Alex Lee (Blythewood HS) 4.28 Best pop time: Logan Bland (Bishop England HS) 1.88 in between innings Longest homerun: Evan Jumper (Gilbert HS) Top Web Gems: 1) Logan Daniels (Dutch Fork HS) playing centerfield, Daniels made an incredible reaching grab while crashing at full speed into the right-centerfield fence; he came up throwing and doubled off the runner at first base to end the inning, 2) Scott Wingo (Mauldin HS) playing second base, turning on a soft-liner to right made a fully extended diving snag to steal a single Tallest player: Matt Branham (Spring Valley HS) 6’5” Shortest player: Ryan Saxon (Wade Hampton HS) 5’6” Best pitcher’s duel: Lake View 2 Landrum 1 in Game 3 of the 1A State Championship (Bart Flowers vs Alex Burrell) Most dominant pitching performance: Nick Chigges (Richland-Northeast HS, 2003) in the Southern Conference tournament. He threw a 3-hit, complete game shutout in the College of Charleston’s 1-0 win over Western Carolina. Hardest fastball: Graham Godfrey (College of Charleston), 95 MPH Best baseball name: Wingo apparently…In three consecutive games at James Island on Memorial Day, a Wingo made his presence felt. In Game 1, Scott and Gaston solidified the right side of the Upstate Maverick infield. In Game 2, Drew (no relation) caught for the South Carolina Diamond Devils. Game 3 saw Brad, the older brother of Scott and Gaston, coach against Drew. Drew ended the day 2-0 while the brother’s’ Wingo finished winless on the day. Note-All three Wingo’s hail from Mauldin. Cleanest round of pre-game: Gilbert HS Top Fungo Guy: Right-handed-Ashley Burnett (Gilbert HS), Left-handed-Chris Bates (Riverside HS) Best Dressed Evaluator: Greg Schilz (Pittsburgh Pirates) Attendance Award-Scout: Greg Schilz (Pittsburgh Pirates) Attendance Award-College: Scott Brickman (Wofford) Best Catcher’s Pop-up: Robbie Huffstetler (Elon) Best Argument with an Umpire: Ron Smith (Furman) and Mike Kennedy (Elon), at the same time Best line from a mom in the bleachers: “You are stupid Blue!” Longest National Anthem: White Knoll Best Playing Surface: Riley Park, White Knoll Best pre-game tunes: Aynor February Round-Up March Round-Up April Round-Up .

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.   .

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