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Brenham Coach Unhappy With One Game Series

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KFDM COOP

KFDM COOP

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www.kogt.com

2006 HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PLAYOFFS--

Brenham, LC-M to play just once

Brenham High School head baseball coach Jim Long isn't afraid to voice his distaste for one-game playoff series such as the one his top-ranked Cubs will play Thursday against Little Cypress-Mauriceville in the regional quarterfinals.

“I don't see any advantage to a one-game series,†Long said Wednesday. “There's not one thing that I like about it. I'm a strong proponent against the one-game series, especially in 4A and 5A. I think it does a disservice to the game itself.â€

Brenham enters the series with a 31-2 record, with both its losses this season coming to Class 5A playoff teams in Bryan and The Woodlands, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America. The Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association ranked Brenham No. 1 among Texas Class 4A teams, and the Cubs are fifth in the Baseball America national rankings.

“I've stressed to the guys that they didn't think they could beat us two out of three, that their only chance is one, and since we're only going to play them one game we need to score as many runs as humanly possible, and that's what we're going to do,†Long said. “It could end up a 1-0 game, but we're going to try to score every single inning. We're hoping to start a little faster than we did the last couple games.â€

Both teams, which won their respective district championships, have already eliminated the third-place team from the other's district. The Cubs swept PN-G in a best-of-three area-round series, 8-2 and 14-6. LC-M eliminated Klein Oak in a best-of-three series in which LC-M won the first game 3-0 before losing the second game, 6-0. LC-M won the rubber game 11-5.

After eliminating Klein Oak, LC-M opted for a coin toss to determine whether they would play the Cubs in a one-game or a three-game series. LC-M won the toss and elected a one-game series.

Brenham opened the playoffs last season with a one-game series against Longview Pine Tree. The Pirates took a 3-0 lead over the Cubs before Brenham came back to win 8-4. The Cubs took that momentum all the way to the regional championship.

“We knew going in that they were going to flip us for just one game because we'd been told that by everyone,†he said. “I'll never say never, but at Brenham we never go to win a round, we go to win a state championship and you don't win a state championship by going one game. I don't know a team that's gone with one pitcher all the way through and won the state championship. They lost every time.

“Maybe a couple years from now if I only have one ace who can throw 95 (mph) I might flip them for one just because of this, but I don't see it happening. That's just not baseball to me. I want the best team to represent our region at the state tournament and you can only find the best team by going two out of three.â€

LC-M, the fourth-ranked team in Class 4A, is out to prove that it may be the best team in the region. The Bears had a 21-game win streak before Klein Oak won Game 2 of their area-round series, and enter the regional quarterfinals with a 29-5 record, including an earlier 10-0 loss to Brenham in the Brenham/Montgomery Baseball Tournament.

Senior Chris Andreas (4-0), 1.38 ERA) threw all seven innings for the Cubs, allowing no runs on five hits. It was Brenham's fourth consecutive shutout at the time.

“Everybody is a lot better now than they were then. They've won some playoff games since then and they're feeling pretty good about themselves, and so do we. It should be a pretty good match-up.â€

Andreas is unlikely to pitch for the Cubs Thursday. Senior Jason Gurka (12-1, 1.43 ERA) is slated to take the mound, with William Kankel (8-0, 1.59 ERA) and Shawn Pellerin (5-0, 2.05 ERA) available for relief work. Long said the only way the Cubs are approaching this series differently from a three-game series is in the way the pitching staff is handled.

“If one gets in trouble we're not going to hesitate to bring another one in a little faster than we normally would,†Long said.

“We can't make three or four errors like we did against PN-G. I hope the hitting continues, but you never know when they're going to hold us down or we're going to hit line drives right at them the whole time. We need to play good defense because they won't beat themselves.â€

The Cubs didn't commit any errors in Game 1 against PN-G, but committed four Friday in Game 2. Brenham has posted a .969 fielding percentage this season, with 35 errors in 33 games.

LC-M held right-hander Clayton Ehlert, a Texas A&M signee, until the third game against Klein Oak, opting to throw Landon Womack in Game 1, and Jerrod Dugas and Kyle Adams in Game 2.

Ehlert is 8-0 this season with a 1.11 ERA in 56 2/3 innings, with 70 strikeouts and 16 walks on the year.

Womack is 8-2 this season with a 1.39 ERA, Dugas is 5-2 with a 1.66 ERA and Adams is 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA.

Opponents are hitting just .179 against LC-M's pitching staff.

LC-M beat Klein Oak in Game 3 behind a first-inning grand slam by Kyle Cassidy and three-run homer off the bat of Slayde Martin.

Aaron Lemoine reached base all four times and went 3-for-3 with a RBI double and two runs scored, while Dugas went 3-for-4 with a triple and run scored.

“They don't beat themselves,†Long said. “You can tell they're well-coached and they're going to play hard. It would be nice if we met them at the regional semifinals because right off the bat we play the toughest ones.â€

Ehlert leads LC-M with a .387 batting average to go along with seven home runs and 29 RBI on the season. Womack is batting .356 with a team-leading 31 RBI. Ehlert, Cassidy and Lemoine share the LC-M lead in home runs with seven apiece. KOGT Radio.

The Cubs answer with a stout lineup of their own. Andreas leads the team with a .491 batting average to go along with seven home runs and a team-leading 44 RBI. Gurka is batting .477 out of the leadoff spot with 19 stolen bases and nine doubles, while senior shortstop Colby Price is batting .467 with five homers and 41 RBI.

Senior first baseman Steven Martin moved into a tie with Mark Kuecker for the third-most home runs hit in Brenham baseball history last weekend after he laced a hanging curveball over the left-field wall in Game 2 against PN-G. Only Dustin Majewski's 12 homers in 1999 and Matt Fisher's 11 homers in 1988 surpass Martin's total this season.

Senior outfielder Wesley Mangan isn't far behind with seven home runs and 29 RBI.

“Our hitters will still be there sometime during the game. It might be in the first and it might be in the seventh, but an explosion is going to take place and I hope it's early this time,†Long said.

“If our guys swing the bats the way they're capable of doing, we can beat anybody, but we're not going into it thinking we're going to blow them off the face of the earth. That's our desire, but the reality will set in too. It's going to be a war. Their fans will be rabid and I think ours will match them. It will be a great atmosphere.â€

Kingwood High's field is 375 feet to center field and around 320 feet down the lines, Long said.

With 10 seniors on this season's playoff roster, a loss could mean the end of the most talented senior class to come through Brenham High since at least the last time the Cubs reached state in 2003. The Cubs, however, aren't looking at it that way, Long said.

“I don't think that's even crossed their mind, to be honest with you,†he said. “A few of them have said they're a little disappointed we're not playing two out of three because they could get another win, so we just have to go into it that way. We can't go into it with any sense of urgency. We just need to play baseball.â€

First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

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bearbacker09

bearbacker09

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Brenham is ranked number one in the state in arrogance as well. That my friend is a "disservice to the game itself.â€

If the Bears can pull out a win tonight, they will have knocked the Cubs out of the post season race four out of six times since these two coaches took over at these schools. I can understand this coaches frustration. :lol:

A Brenham win would tie things back up at three all.

Good luck to the Bears.

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Bears

Bears

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That sounds like a Coach that is very nervous about a 1 game, and I can tell you this, the Bears are more fired up about it than anytime I have ever seen.

It's time, It's time for a BEAR ATTACK................

Good Luck Boys kick some bu..

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batterup

batterup

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Arrogant is an understatement. Every article that quotes Coach Long blows me away. I can't imagine him NOT choosing a one game series if the shoe were on the other foot, he just wants to be sure all of Brenham knows it wasn't his idea to play one game in case the cubs fall flat tonight.

GO BEARS!!!!

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strosbros

strosbros

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In the words of a great high school coach' date=' It sounds like someone pissed in his cheerios.[/quote']

I would think Griff's mamma taught him better table manners than that, but in a great rivalry like the Bears and the cubs, maybe she made an exception! ::kk

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TXNewbie

TXNewbie

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The logic of this coach's comments right before the big game escapes me. Should he really be spending anytime or energy focusing on the would-of, could-of, should-ofs this situation? He lost the coin toss - the other team decided on one game - deal with it and move forward. He isn't doing his team any favors focusing on this. In fact I bet you if he's spending this much time on it so is his team.

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TXNewbie

TXNewbie

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Exactly! - perhaps he should talk to the state officials.

This coach sounds like he is looking for an excuse when his team loses. I have no affliation with either of these teams, but now I would certainly like to see the Bears knock off Brenham.

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FanOfTheGame

FanOfTheGame

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This was an earlier post.

Great move by Griff. Brenham has not played in a do or die game this year, they have won all of there playoff games in the first 2 out of 3, let's see how they do when it's win or go home. There should be a little more pressure.

Go Bears

Sounds like it worked!

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bigred75

bigred75

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Thats what I am saying,,,,,,,,,,,this coach sounds like he is making the old excuse ready before the result. What a goober.....I hope LCM whoops the crapola out of em and then this coach can them say "I told ya'll they are not the better team, we would have beatem two or three"...................Yada Yada Yada Yada.........DA bears......................

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bigred75

bigred75

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Revenge or (crow in this case) a dish best served up COLD.........................Yeah he does sound like he wants to run it up to prove a point..........I hope the bears slap the cub crap out of em.........Like ole Hanable Smith used to say........."I love it when a plan comes together"...Now lets take care of business.

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Guest Jody

Guest Jody

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He is right. There is no way a one game series shows who is the best team. Choosing a one-game series is admiting that your not as good as the other team.

:pp 1-gamers

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Bobcatfan4life

Bobcatfan4life

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I love it when the triangle comes together to support each other' date='

Thanks BigRed75, good Luck to the Cardinals,Bulldogs and the Eagles of Woodville

Let's make it a local sweep........[/quote']

Also want to throw out a good luck to the Falcons of Huffman. Take it to Belt and Lufkin Hudson!

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