Nitro shakes off the ‘big head’ syndrome

Since Nitro won the Class AAA state baseball championship in 2008, one could expect an added amount of confidence.

After two losses and many uncharacteristically poor performances this season, Nitro coach Steve Pritchard believes that it could have led to over-confidence – literally.

“We’ve ordered the same hat sizes every year since I’ve been here,” Pritchard pointed out. “This year we actually had to order an extra dozen for the first time in my eight years here because our heads were too big and they didn’t fit. That’s a true story. I’m not making that up. Their heads grew over the off-season. So I guess, yes – we have gotten the big head.” 

The Wildcats held a team meeting Thursday afternoon and collectively decided ‘enough is enough’ Pritchard revealed following a 7-6 victory over visiting Boyd County, Ky. on Thursday night.

“I had been letting things go by and not been fired up like I usually am,” Pritchard admitted. “If I’m going to expect them to play hard, I have to coach hard. So we all made a commitment before the game. We’re going back to playing hard and coaching hard. That’s who I am and that’s who they want to play for. We have a total team commitment.”

Nitro (7-2) finally got its offense going, collecting 11 hits but had to hold on for dear life in the final inning to squeak out the win.

“We finally hit the ball better,” Pritchard said. “It was good for us. It came on because of our enthusiasm on the field and in the dugout I think. This is the first game out of nine that we showed up to play for whatever reason.

“The player’s job is to play hard and my job is to get them to play hard. I haven’t been doing a very good job. But we played hard tonight. You can’t anyone for granted. You have to come out and play every night. On paper we’re good but paper is thin. Hopefully we’ve had a wake-up call and we’re ready to work.”

Nitro got a run in the first inning when Andrew Frazier singled in a run with a liner to left to take a 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats posted four more in the fifth, thanks to a two-run singles from Andrew Pickering and Tyler Godby.

Boyd County plated a run in the fifth to close the gap to 5-1 on a RBI single by Brett Moore.

Matt Frazer and Frazier contributed RBI singles in the sixth to increase the Nitro advantage to 7-1.

But the Lions were not about to go down quietly.

Boyd County scored five runs in the top of the seventh, forcing Pritchard to lift Nitro starter J.R. Bradley after six strong innings. Bradley pitched 2/3 of the seventh before giving way to Nitro reliever Brett Kemerer who retired the final batter to close it out.

Defense has been a sore spot for the Wildcats so far this season. Two errors were committed on Thursday, including one crucial one that allowed the leadoff batter to reach safely in the seventh.

“Last year as a team we committed 16 errors as a team,” Pritchard said. “In our first seven games this year we had 20. This group has always been slow starters. I can’t figure it out. It seems like when the leaves start getting green on the trees, we start going.”

Bradley had struck out five and allowed just four hits through six innings before the big Boyd County inning.

Frazier and Andrew Pickering each collected two hits and two RBI for the Wildcats. Cam King added a pair of hits including a double and Bradley swatted a double.

Chase Pettit was 4-for-4 with a RBI for the Lions.

Nitro travels to Chapmanville to face Matewan and Man in a tournament on Friday and Saturday respectively.
 
Boyd County (5-5) will return home to play Fleming (Ky.) on Friday and Cabell Midland on Saturday.

Boyd Co. 000 001 5 – 6 8 3
Nitro 100 042 x – 7 12 2
Arthur, Tengowski (5) and Cornwell. Bradley, Kemerer (7) and Frazier.
Hitting: BC – Chase Pettit 4-4, RBI.
N – Frazier 2-3, 2 RBI; Pickering 2-4, 2 RBI; King 2-2, double; Bradley double.

Renee Montgomery is a WNBA 1st round draft pick

Renee Montgomery (native of St. Albans, WV — former Capital HS and South Charleston HS standout) has been chosen by the Minnesota Lynx in today’s WNBA Draft.

Renee Montgomery

Montgomery was the fourth overall selection in the first round.

 

For more WNBA Draft news, visit:
http://www.wnba.com/draft2009/

Opening night at the APP!

For those of us that dislike winter weather, tonight’s event at Appalachian Power Park is at least a symbolic night of better [and warmer] days ahead.

"Chuck"

It’s opening night for the West Virginia Power, the Class A farm team of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Power play host to the Lexington Legends tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Power management have introduced a new “alternate” logo that you see here “Chuck”.

Of course, Chuck is a nod to the old Charleston Charlies days when our city had the Class AAA franchise of the Pirates. Last year, the Power was affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers.

You know, I like Chuck. He’s pretty cool. I’m not so old school that I can’t accept Chuck.

It’s a new era – plus he just had to lose the cigar in 2009. right?

Charleston Charlie

But I’ll still hang on to my old Charlies hat and sweatshirt — for old times sake. 

For more info on the West Virginia Power, visit http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t525

Pretty cool week for Renee Montgomery

Renee Montgomery has enjoyed a pretty cool week so far.

And it is going to get even better.

Renee Montgomery / courtesy photo

The Kanawha Valley native was named a first team All-American, won a National Championship with UConn with an undefeated 39-0 record.

She can make it 3-for-3 on Thursday as a First Round pick in the WNBA Draft.

You can follow the WNBA Draft at
http://www.wnba.com/draft2009/

NBATV’s Cheryl Miller calls Renee a ‘Top Three pick’
Check out the video here: http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/04/04/nba_20090404_cheryl_wnba.nba/

ESPN analyst Kara Lawson calls Renee on of the  Top 10 WNBA Draft Prospects. Here’s the Lawson report on Montgomery:
 
Renee Montgomery UConn, 5-7 guard
“I think the thing that stands out about Montgomery is that she runs her team really well. The players on her team, you can tell, have a great respect for her and that she’s the leader of that team. She understands ebb and flow of the game and controlling that, which I think is a really important trait for our league because a lot of teams in our league really struggle finding someone to play that point guard position and having someone that they know they can count on. I think it’s a very valued position in our league and just by nature of where she’s played at University of Connecticut and her evolution to become a pretty complete leader, I think makes her a valuable commodity in the draft. Not to just totally play up her off the court/on the court leadership stuff, I mean she’s really got a lot of skills on the court. She can really shoot the basketball and she does a great job with their ball screens on offense and the ball is in her hands the majority of the time on the offensive end for them. And we’re a ball screen heavy league. To be a perimeter player in our league and be successful, you’ve got to be able to use ball screens and attack out of them and be functional out of them. And as a perimeter player defensively, you’ve got to be able to defend them because that is what a lot of teams run – high pick, high pick, high pick – and she does that at the college level, so she’s got a head start on doing that in the pros because whether you’re playing against a Becky Hammon or Sue Bird or Cappie Pondexter, you’re going to be going off of ball screens a lot of the game. Because she has the skill set going for her on the offensive end, I think that’s going to make her transition from the point guard spot.”

Congratulations Renee!

Cal Bailey wins 900th baseball game

There wasn’t much fanfare at Cal Bailey Field after the game on Sunday afternoon.

There was just a simple announcement over the public address system.

By defeating Bluefield State 12-3 in the second game of a doubleheader, the West Virginia State University baseball team had just given coach Cal Bailey his 900th career victory. 

Cal Bailey / courtesy WVSU

Just a simple announcement. That’s the way the coach prefers to keep things.

“Cal’s just not fired up about personal stuff,” said State athletic director and assistant coach Sean Loyd. “He doesn’t like things like that. He doesn’t want anything to take away from the team and the player’s accomplishments. He’d rather focus on the players. There was no celebration planned and we knew that’s the way he would want it.”

“I don’t go much for all that,” Bailey admitted. “Maybe the 215th was just as important as this one was. I don’t know. I don’t remember 215.”

The accomplishment certainly merited much more celebration, as only 12 other Division II baseball coaches have reached the 900 win plateau.

“It’s really just a number,” Bailey continued. “But it also signifies how much work everyone has put into it to get this far.”

Bailey has an overall record of 900-417-4. He is an eight-time WVIAC Coach of the Year and his Yellow Jackets have won 13 WVIAC championships in his career, including seven of the past ten. Bailey is also fourth among active D-II coaches in career victories.

Bailey, a Spencer native, went into the U.S. Navy immediately following high school. Upon the completion of his service time, he went to West Virginia State College where he played two sports.

“My brother Jim was a football player at State and he talked me into coming down,” Bailey recalled. “I actually had a football scholarship. The understanding was if I made the football team that I could also try out for the baseball team. So I played both football and baseball until I was drafted into pro baseball.”

In 1966, Bailey signed a baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Bailey’s last stop in the minor leagues was a Class AAA stint with the Charleston Charlies in 1971.

It was in the minor leagues that Bailey, a pitcher, discovered his gift of evaluating baseball talent.

“I had always had the knack to be able to see what a player looked like in the evolution of their wind up and non-verbal communication – what they were saying with their body,” Bailey explained. “Several players would always ask me to watch them hit or to watch them throw. They wanted me to tell them what they were doing differently. I wasn’t a technical person, but I could tell you what you looked like when you were doing well and what you looked like when you were struggling.”   

“I remember specifically one night in Elmira, the roving pitching coach was in town. One night we were in the bullpen. The pitching coach yanked me aside and gave me a stern warning for me to quit messing with his pitchers.

“When he turned and left, collectively the guys in the bullpen told me that what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.”

Bailey came back to West Virginia State during the off season and earned his degree in 1972 and a Master’s Degree in 1974. He took over as head coach for State in 1978 where he has built one of the finest programs in the nation.

“It’s been a perfect match – West Virginia State and Cal Bailey,” said Bailey. “[State] always knew that I was primarily concerned with the players and cared about them as students. I made a rule the first day on the job that if you didn’t have at least a 2.0 [grade point average] you didn’t play. The NAIA rule was a lot less than that. We’ve graduated over 80 percent of our players that received [athletic] aid. We’ve had a lot of support from the administration and faculty.

“The biggest reward for me in it is that all of the wins came at West Virginia State. It’s the only place I’ve ever coached. There have been a lot of guys that made big sacrifices to play or be assistant coaches here. That’s the biggest accomplishment – all of the players we’ve had and all of the fans we’ve had.”

“I had chances to coach in the minor leagues,” Bailey said. “But I had a wife and a young son at home. I didn’t want a job for six months and have to look for another job for six months.”

Bailey’s simple approach has worked and kept him gainfully employed at State for 32 years.

“Really the philosophy is simple: if you can hit, you play,” Bailey said. “If you can get people out, you pitch. If you can do both, you do both.

“I just filled out the lineup card.”

One could expect Bailey, 66, to elevate the number of victories even higher? Is 1,000 wins possible?

“I might have [1,000] in me but the Lord may not allow me to get them out of me,” Bailey said with a laugh. “But as long as I stay healthy I plan on coaching. One day I’ll probably just come in and say ‘I’ve had enough’ and that will be it. But I don’t see that happening in the next five or six years.”

Scott Brown Memorial All-stars

The 2009 Scott Brown Memorial Classic girl’s all-star basketball game was a big success this weekend at Fairlea.

Scott Brown Classic

Some of the top talent from across West Virginia participated in the annual event that pitted the Class AAA All-stars against the all-stars from Class AA and A.

The smaller school players won 89-74 with a fourth-quarter surge.

Two worthwhile charities came out ahead as well. The Hinton Ruritan Toys Fund received $1,000 from the AA-A All-stars and the AAA charity, ResCare in Lewisburg received $600.

An additional $100 was added to the Class AAA stars’ donation when Kelli Morgan hit a half-court shot in a pre-game competition.

All-star Skills winners

The winners of awards and competitions included Greenbrier East’s Emily Meadows (cheerleader Spirit Award), Oak Hill’s Leisha Banks (Class AA-A cheerleader tumbling), Greenbrier East’s Katie Meadows (AAA tumbling), Ravenswood’s Ashley Prince (free throw shooting, 18-of-20 in the finals over Ripley’s Tori Eagle, who made 16-20), Princeton’s Akers (three-point shootout, making 12-of-20 and beating Sissonville’s Snyder’s 8-20) and Prince (a basketball obstacle course is 28.5 seconds, beating Reynolds 29.6).

“I just want to thank [Greenbrier East and AAA All-stars coach] Jim Justice and the folks who made this tournament the best we’ve participated in by far,” Summers County and AA-A coach Wayne Ryan said. “It’s always an honor to coach in this game and this year that was especially true.”

Scott Brown Memorial Classic

“We wanted to do a good job on this and honor Scott (Brown, a longtime sports writer in Beckley who died in 1996) and his memory,” Justice said. “That’s the important thing here.”

PikeView’s Trista Thomas and Summers County’s Emily Blevins were named co-MVPs.

Thomas ended the game with 18 points and nine rebounds and Blevins had 16 points and 16 rebounds. All of Blevins’ boards came in the second half.

Class A-AA All-Stars 89, Class AAA All-Stars 74

Class AA-A
Emily Daniel 2-8 3-4 7, Caitlyn Snyder 4-10 0-0 9, Emily Blevins 7-12 2-4 16, Trista Thomas 7-12 3-4 18, Ashley Prince 1-5 0-0 2, Tenika Jackson 2-7 1-2 5, Chelsea Holcomb 1-2 1-2 3, Lauren Estes 3-8 3-4 9, Cayla Rhodes 2-7 1-3 5, Rachel Weatherly 1-2 2-2 4, Chelsea Gum 2-3 2-2 6, Tiffini Huffman 1-3 2-2 5.
TOTALS: 33-79 20-29 89

Class AAA
Kelli Morgan 2-9 2-4 6, Brittini McClung 2-9 3-4 8, Erin Reynolds 4-15 3-5 12, Tesla Akers 5-12 0-0 11, Katie Keaton 0-1 0-0 0, Erica Staples 0-4 1-2 1, Tori Eagle 3-7 0-0 8, Charlene Diggs 3-9 3-4 11, Paige Hall 0-1 1-2 1, Amanda Smith 4-10 5-8 14, Laura Whitt 1-6 0-0 2.
TOTALS: 24-83 18-29 74

Halftime: 43-40 AA-A.
Three pointers — Class AA-A: 3-10 (Daniel 0-1, Snyder 1-2, Blevins 0-2, Thomas 1-1, Prince 0-1, Huffman 1-3). Class AAA: 8-26 (Morgan 0-2, McClung 1-2, Reynolds 1-5, Akers 1-5, Keaton 0-1, Eagle 2-2, Diggs 2-5, Hall 0-1, Smith 1-1, Whitt 0-2).
Rebounds — Class AA-A: 75 (Blevins 16). Class AAA: 41 (Whitt 8).

Assists — Class AA-A: 19 (Snyder 6), Class AAA: 15 (Reynolds 3).

Att: 700.

AAA All-stars

 

AA-A All-stars

Spring Football 2009 Roundup

 

Believe it or not, it’s football season. At least for some people. And for those people, is it ever not football season?

Spring Football 2009

You can get your local college football fix right here! In April!

 

Here’s a roundup for college football for Spring 2009 in the Kanawha Valley:

University of Charleston

Going into his fifth season as head football coach at the University of Charleston, Tony DeMeo is pleased with the program but not completely satisfied.

 

“We’ve had a good body of work over four years,” DeMeo said. “We’re 28-16. That’s a good record but that’s not where we want to be. We want to be better than that. So we’re taking steps to get better than that.

 

UC went 7-3 in 2008.

 

An increased intensity in off-season workouts should manifest into more success on the field according to DeMeo.

 

“We’re working hard,” he said. “We’re running and conditioning more. We made great strength gains in the weight room. We went up an average of 45 pounds a man in the squat and 35 pounds per man in the bench press. We’ve made a lot of progress strength-wise. We want to improve in every aspect of the game.

 

“We want to become one of the elite programs in the country.”

 

The Golden Eagles opened up spring drills this week with veteran starting quarterback DeRante Hunter back to trigger the Triple Option Gun attack.

 

Hunter accounted for 1,984 total yards offensively himself including 1,506 passing yards. He scampered in for 13 touchdowns on the ground and led all West Virginia Conference quarterbacks with a 163.4 passing effectiveness rating.

 

“DeRante is getting better,” said DeMeo. “He’s becoming a leader. I’m expecting big things from him. He makes good decisions and he’s going to continue to do a good job for us.”

 

Two interesting position changes this spring are former tailback Taylor Jovicic to linebacker and former defensive back Brandon Pickett to running back.

 

Injuries to key running backs have been tough for the Golden Eagles. Mike Drake and Nick Lockhart were both hampered with various impairments that left them sidelined for extended periods.

 

“They’re both back 100 percent,” DeMeo said. “That’s a good thing. Fortunately we have a lot of depth at running back. Our team speed is outstanding.”

 

Replacing veterans lost to graduation is a challenge for any college team.

 

“We played a lot of players last year, so we have depth,” DeMeo said. “We lost some good players, but that’s the sign of having a good program – being able to replace them with guys that have some experience on the field.

 

“We graduated all of our seniors too. We’re 12-for-12, which I’m really proud of.”

 

“In the spring we’re going to find some players. We have about 80 kids out. There’s going to be some good competition for spots.

 

UC will hold a Maroon and Gold scrimmage game on April 25.

 

DeMeo is holding a spring football clinic that is open to all high school football coaches at University of Charleston Stadium on April 24 and 25. About 100 coaches from across the country have already registered. Participants can pre-register by going to http://www.TonyDeMeo.com or calling 304-340-3734.  

 

West Virginia State University 

 

A pair of consecutive seven win seasons has West Virginia State University hungry for more.

 

With a talent like quarterback Kevin O’Brien, coach Earl Monroe says that this may be the year for his program to take the next step.

 

“He’s our team leader,” Monroe said of O’Brien. “He is a tremendous talent but this is his last go around. He has had some success here, but we won’t be satisfied with it unless he gets out of here with a championship.”

 

O’Brien returns for his senior season following a junior year that saw the 6-foot-4 quarterback throw for 2,220 yards and 16 touchdowns in nine games as the Yellow Jackets posted a 7-3 record.

 

“We had a good year, but we are by no means satisfied,” Monroe stated. “We want to be conference champs. That’s our immediate goal. Then we want to get into the [NCAA] Division II playoffs and see what happens.”

 

State’s spring drills began this week with a corps of truly committed players, Monroe said.

 

“Our numbers are down a little because we lost some guys that decided that they didn’t want to make the sacrifices needed in winter conditioning,” Monroe revealed. “Some of them couldn’t cut it. But the 50 guys that are here have been working hard. It’s been a pleasant spring so far.

 

“We’re doing all we can to put all of the pieces of the puzzle in place.” 

 

The cupboard isn’t bare by any stretch.

 

“We have what I call our ‘Big Three’ coming back: O’Brien, junior wide receiver Jermain King and junior running back Brian Mitchell,” said Monroe. “They’re our producers on offense so we’re pretty optimistic that we’re going to be good on that side of the ball.”

 

King had 15 catches for 722 yards for State, and was a second team all-WVIAC pick.

 

Although he missed three games due to injury, Mitchell racked up 876 and 10 touchdowns in just seven contests.

 

Monroe, in his fourth season as head coach at State, expressed confidence that the Jackets have a football program to be reckoned with.

 

“After another 7-3 season last year, I think a lot of people are realizing that this program is for real,” he said. “I think we’ve turned the corner. But it’s tough every year because everyone else is recruiting and trying to do the same thing. It’s tough in this conference. You have to be ready to compete every week. You have to play 60 minutes to survive.

“We’re working hard to produce more wins.”

 

The Black and Gold scrimmage is scheduled for April 25 at 1 p.m. at Lakin Field.

 

West Virginia University Tech

They may as well let Nitro Mayor Rusty Casto usher on Saturday afternoons this fall at Martin Field.

 

WVU Tech’s football team will have even more of a distinct Nitro flavor this season with the addition of former Wildcats all-state wide receiver Chris Fulmer who becomes eligible to suit up with the Golden Bears.

 

“Chris got caught up in a transfer situation [from Eastern Kentucky] that didn’t allow him to play last year,” said second year Tech coach Scott Tinsley. “But he is having a great spring so far. That will help us tremendously at a position that we were already pretty good at. But he makes us really solid.”

 

The Golden Bears already rely heavily on other former Nitro stars such as quarterback Michael Scott, running back Josh Culbertson and linebacker Jon Culbertson who are among the 62 players suiting up for Tech this spring.

 

Tinsley compiled a 49-22 record in six seasons as head coach at Nitro, including five playoff appearances and a Class AAA state runner-up finish in 2005. But his first season at Tech did not yield the same results as the Golden Bears suffered through a 0-11 year.

 

“We’ve had three practices this spring so far,” Tinsley said. “The attitude has been great. They’re working hard.

 

“Offensively, it has been fun to watch, but it should be. We have really nine of our [offensive] starters back. So I anticipate really good things happening this fall on that side of the ball.   

 

“We’re able to coach the fine points of the offense this spring rather than install it. That’s a big help. We felt like we were treading water last fall as we tried to get the offense in. It’s a lot more fun this spring.”

 

Defense is yet another story. Tech gave up an average of close to 40 points per game last season.

 

“We lost a lot of players on the defensive side,” Tinsley noted. “We weren’t real strong there anyway. We were forced to play a lot of kids both ways last year. We are very inexperienced on defense. That’s a real area of concentration for us this spring.”

 

One obstacle that will be averted this season is the issue of extended travel time. Tech, which plays at the NAIA level in the Mid-South Conference, was faced with bus rides in 2008 that included trips to Alabama and Mississippi.

 

“We have seven home games this year,” said Tinsley. “That’s great for us. We were definitely road warriors last fall. That surely played a role in some of our tough losses.

“We had three or four really close losses. Hopefully with the home games and less travel we’ll be a little fresher and we can pull those out this year.”

 

Injuries were an issue as well.

 

“Josh Culbertson was hurt in the fourth game last year,” Tinley noted. “He did not have to have off-season surgery. He is not going through contact this spring but he’s running full speed. Having him back at tailback will be a big plus for us.” 

 

Tech will hold its annual Blue-Gold scrimmage on April 25 at 1:30 p.m.

Buffalo embraces its baseball

Baseball means a lot to the community of Buffalo.

 

With ballpark improvements over the past several years, the Buffalo high school team is playing in one of the finest facilities in the state. With artificial turf , a new scoreboard, bright blue outfield walls and grandstands, it looks more like a minor league ballpark than a high school field.

 

“It’s a beautiful facility,” said sixth year Buffalo coach Jimmy Tribble. “There have been a lot of people in the community that has pitched in to help. That’s a real tribute to the people of Buffalo. A lot of them are construction workers, welders, people that have skills that are conducive to doing work around a ballpark. That has helped.”

Jimmy Tribble

 

Volunteers such as Mickey Lewis, Gary Stanley, Richie Harrison, Donald Tucker, Delbert martin, Jackie Scott and Clyde Raines are just some of the dozens of helpers that have helped make the Buffalo ballpark a success so far.

 

Creating an atmosphere for small town entertainment is also a goal.   

 

“We’re trying to have a place for people to come and enjoy the game of baseball, whether they have kids playing or not,” Tribble added. “It’s a good evening out in Buffalo. We’re getting there.”

 

The Bison have responded on the field, claiming a Class A state championship in 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2008.

 

“The kids are enjoying playing there,” said Tribble. “Some of the other teams that come here just say ‘Wow!’ They’re amazed. It reminds me of a place you would see in the Carolina League or the Appalachian League. It’s kind of an old throw back to the 1960s and 1970s.”

 

Buffalo may be ready to make a run at another state tournament appearance this season.

 

“If they work hard and come together they’ll have a chance to win their sectional and maybe get in their regional [tournament],” Tribble said. “We have some young kids. There’s a lot of good teams out there.”

Jason Lewis

 

Jason Lewis is just a junior. But with two first team All-state plaques already hanging on his wall, he’s counted on to be a team leader.

 

“Jason is a pure hitter,” Tribble said. “When he gets in a groove and is really swinging the bat well and is seeing the ball, there’s no one that can get him out. He can hit it. He was the first team All-state captain as a pitcher last year. He can make it either way this season.”

 

Chris Belcher, a senior, has proven to be one of the state’s top catchers.

Chris Belcher

 

“Chris was a second team All-state catcher last year,” Tribble pointed out. “You need a good catcher to win. He has a great arm. He’ll gun down runners. They don’t run a lot on him. He’s solid back there.”

 

Buffalo is blessed with another key pitcher in junior Jared Tucker.

 

Jared Tucker

“He’s one of our most improved players,” Tribble said of Tucker. “He’s really throwing the ball well right now. He would probably be the No. 1 pitcher for most Class A teams in the state. He’s also a pretty solid shortstop. He’ll have a good year hitting the ball.”