The Varsity Baseball team is coming off their best season ever finishing off last season with a 22-7 record and a runner-up finish in the State Championship. The Falcons return 8 of 9 starters and look to be among the state’s best once again. We will break down this year’s team by position:
Pitchers
The pitching staff will return the conference player of the year from a year ago in right hander Kyle Williamson. Williamson returns as the staff ace and brings excellent command of three pitches that he will throw for strikes and throw them in any count. The Falcon’s will have to produce a solid number 2 behind Williamson in order to build on the success of last season. Colby Edwards and Justin Norris seem to be the most likely candidates as they return with the most varsity experience. Edwards brings a tall athletic frame to the mound and has a never give in attitude to go along with a good fastball with excellent movement. He possesses a good breaking pitch but will need to develop a third pitch in order to be as successful as he could be. Norris is a 6’5” right hander that throws from a 3/4 arm slot that makes it awful tough on right handed batters. He will have to be more consistent in the zone but could become a great number two guy. Other intriguing arms this year will be Rick Davis, Will Royson, and Joey Carter. Davis will be pitching for the first time in a few years and has a very live arm and great mechanics. He could be a wild card to take the number 3 spot and potentially even number two in the rotation. Royson and Carter are joining the varsity team for the first time after leading a successful 12-2 campaign on JV last season. Royson is a great athlete and will develop into a great player. Carter has the type stuff to become the staff ace in the next few years if he will continue to develop and take care of his arm.
Catchers
At catcher, Blaine Walker returns as the starter from last season. Walker anchors the Falcon defense with outstanding leadership, work ethic and defensive skills. He will also do a great job handling the pitchers and keeping balls from reaching the backstop. His bat is much improved and he should be one of the top hitters for the Falcons again this year. Chris Mura will back up Walker this year and has shown much improvement and increased strength over the off season.
Infielders
At third base, the Falcon’s lost their lone starter in Greg Dunston to Anderson University. At this point, this is the position the most up for grabs. Justin Norris, Kyle Williamson, Will Royson, and Colby Edwards could all see time on the hot corner. All four of these players also pitch and it could be a carousel of guys that end up playing. Williamson has the most experience here, but is also the staff ace so someone else will have to step up and take the position.
At shortstop, Mobley Jeter returns as the starter from last season. Jeter is the strongest pound for pound player on the team who possesses good hands, great range and is a speedy athlete who is likely a second baseman at the next level so if called upon he could move with no problems. Will Royson and Kyle Williamson could also end up at short if the infield gets shuffled around.
At second base, John Montgomery returns as the starter from last season. He is the frontrunner to win that position again and it will most likely come down to his bat to fend off the competition. His competition is sophomore Will Royson, and freshman Tyler Asbil who are both competing extremely hard and are both capable of getting the job done if called upon. Kyle Williamson and Mobley Jeter could also play if needed.
At first base, Colby Edwards returns as the starter from last season. He should be able to hold on to that job going into the spring. He is a tall, athletic first baseman who is capable of playing most positions on the field and we have the luxury of letting him play first base. Kyle Williamson, Justin Norris, and Joey Carter are also options at first base because Edwards is a pitcher and will have to split time at first.
Outfielders
In centerfield, Patrick Reilly returns as the starter from last season. Reilly shows great instincts and speed in the outfield and really controls from gap to gap. He runs the bases well, and if we can get some production from his bat, he will be fine as the leader of the outfield.
In left field, Rob Brigman returns as the starter from last season. Brigman is a strong athlete who finished last year on a high note as one of the hotter hitters in the Falcon lineup. We really hope he can continue where he left off last year.
In right field, Rick Davis returns as the starter from last season. Davis is a strong armed athlete who has worked extremely hard to become a better baseball player. He has excellent work ethic and leads by example. He is our strongest armed outfielder. He also will see some pitching duty, so sophomore Joey Carter would most likely step in and fill his vacancy when he’s on the bump.
Offensively
The Falcon’s return a very potent lineup in 2008. The loss of Greg Dunston will be the only bat needed to be replaced. This team possesses a lot of team speed as they stole just 9 shy of the century mark in last year’s runner-up campaign. The lineup will be deep from top to bottom and will most likely be until mid-season before a comfortable lineup is found. The Falcons will still play their brand of ball with moving runners over with small ball and solid base running but this year they will be able to hit for more power and into the gaps more than in recent years.
Overview
It’s an exciting time to be a part the Ben Lippen Baseball Program as expectations are at an all time high. The 2008 Falcons enter the season with a preseason ranking of number two. With those expectations come new challenges and unfamiliar territory. But this team is an experienced bunch who has played together on Varsity for three years now. They came close as juniors and have their sights focused on a region title and an opportunity to play for another chance at a State Championship. Go Falcons!
