KFDM COOP Posted February 17, 2008 Report Posted February 17, 2008 Seniors leave holes in Eagle field lineup By Michael Pineda Baytown Sun Published February 18, 2008 MONT BELVIEU — Pitching is the name of the game and Barbers Hill is loaded. Led by Texas A&M signee Ross Hales, the entire Eagles rotation of four seniors have signed to play college baseball. While Gil Stalbaum feels truly blessed with the abundance of arms, the question mark for Barbers Hill will be offensive production. Colby Townley, Cameron Campbell and Derek Hulsey, offensive leaders of last year’s regional semi-finalist team, have all graduated, leaving a hole in the middle of the lineup that will have to be filled if the Eagles are going to make another deep playoff run. “Our biggest challenge will probably be finding outfielders that can hit varsity pitching,†Stalbaum said. “We are going to need consistency behind the plate and I don’t know if we will be able to score enough runs to win some close ballgames.†Against the pitching rotation of Hales, Kendall Thamm, Hunter Silva and Johnathan Kelley, opposing offenses will find runs hard to come by. “Our pitching staff is probably as good as it has ever been at Barbers Hill,†Stalbaum said. “We have some quality arms and we are deep. Several of those guys are getting a lot of attention from the scouts.†Leading the charge will be Hales, who at 6-4, 190, is still continuing to fill out. This off-season, the senior has increased his velocity and was recently timed at 91 miles per hour. Kendall Thamm will return as the No. 2 pitcher, giving Barbers Hill left-handers in the top two slots. This winter, Thamm signed with Angelina College. “He’s a workhorse and continues to improve,†Stalbaum said. “This offseason he has increased his velocity.†Silva is a fastball/slider pitcher that picked up the win in Barbers Hill’s elimination game against Vidor last season and has signed with San Jacinto Junior College. Kelley played a key role in the playoffs as a reliever and is pitching with a lot of confidence after signing with Galveston College. Barbers Hill has developed a strong tradition at catcher and it will fall upon Jake Ponder to carry on the tradition. Last season Ponder started at third base and led the team in RBIs. “He has looked good,†Stalbaum said. “It’s just a challenge for any high school catcher to receive the kind of arms he will see game in and game out.†Stalbaum welcomes back the starting tandem of Hales and junior Alex Rocha at first base. Hales will start at first when he is not on the mound and Rocha could see time in the outfield in that scenario. “Ross led the team in average last season and we are putting a lot of weight on his shoulders,†Stalbaum said. “I’m counting on Alex to have a big year for us and be more consistent.†Senior Clay Garner and junior Cody Clifton are locked in a battle at second base. Garner is more experienced at the varsity level but both have looked good in the preseason.Junior Tony Carmona will return as the starting shortstop. Carmona took over last season and acquitted himself well after Chase Barrera suffered a season-ending injury. This season, more will be expected of Carmona offensively. Silva will start at third base this season in place of Ponder. Silva saw limited time in the field last season but has played well at the position and has shown the ability to be a key contributor offensively. The outfield situation is muddled at this point as every position is up for grabs. Thamm and Rocha will fill right field while juniors Jay Burditt and Heath Padgett compete in center field. Sophomore Carter Smith and seniors Duddin Presnall, Colton Bay and Taylor Johnson are vying for the starting nod in left field. Sophomore Brian Meyer has been hitting the ball well and could see some time at designated hitter. The Eagles will be one of the favorites to compete for the District 21-4A title. Last season, Barbers Hill finished second in district behind New Caney but rallied in the playoffs to advance to the regional semifinals, where it fell to Montgomery. “Crosby is going to be tough. They have a lot of kids back and some pitching,†Stalbaum said. “Huffman plays us as well as anybody and New Caney has a lot of good players.†The Barbers Hill mentor also expects Galena Park and C.E. King to have an impact on the district race. But in the end it will come down to what happens in the playoffs. “We’ve traditionally turned it up in the playoffs,†Stalbaum said. “We would like to win district, but we compete well in the playoffs.â€
Recommended Posts