CMC/MVAL Archives
Subscribe to our NewsletterIjamsville, MD---Mike Frownfelter was named head baseball coach at Urbana last week. Frownfelter will take over for Kevin Kendro, who will be the Urbana athletic director. A Frederick County rule prohibits AD's from being a head coach.
Kendro had several accomplishments while head coach, including a spring 2002 game where Urbana beat Jefferson High School---ranked number one in the state of West Virginia---by the score of 14-9. This was the first game under Kendro.
The 2003 season brought more accolades. Urbana finished the season ranked #2 in the Frederick News Post baseball rankings and three players (Mike Cardany, Grant Hafer, and Matt Reynolds) were selected as All-State members and played in the Crown All-Star Game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
In the spring of 2004, Kendro's Urbana team enjoyed a storybook ride at the end of the season as they won the program's first ever-regional championship with a 3-2 win over top-seeded Bethesda-Chevy Chase at home and earned a berth in the state tournament.
The 2005 Kendro coached team (ranked in the top 10 in the greater DC area by “School Sports Magazine”) lost a 3-2 game in the 3A West Region Final against Frederick High School. That year, Steven Smith was named an All-State Player and played in the Brooks Robinson Classic at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The 2005 team also had one of Frederick County’s Scholar Athlete –Mike Cario
Frownfelter graduated in 1997 from Frederick High and was named All-State and played in the Crown All-Star game with Kendro (TJ). Was also named 1997 FNP All-Area/All Gazette. Played one year at FCC and played in the JUCO World Series,while earing second team All-Region.
After a season at FCC, Frownfelter became a three-year starter at centerfield for West Virginia and finished in top ten in three offensive categories while at WVU.
Frownfelter assisted Frederick High School baseball in 2003, while also assisting in football in 2005.
Kendro said, “We are extremely excited that we were able to get Mike to join the Urbana coaching family. His experience, combined with his professionalism, dedication, and enthusiasm for teaching the game of baseball make him a great fit.”
Frederick, MD---Frederick senior pitcher Billy Gross has signed a letter of intent with West Virginia University. The Mountaineers are planning on using Gross as a pitcher, but there is a possibility of also using him as a position player. The senior ace is a four year varsity player and is currently (5-0) for the Chesapeake leading Cadets. Maryland, Towson, and James Madison University were also interested in Gross.
New Market, MD---Linganore announced former junior varsity head coach Matt Troy will replace Bill Bailey as Lancers varsity head coach for the 2005 season.
Troy has nine years of coaching experience which includes the last two seasons as Lacer JV coach where he compiled a 17-6 record. The new Linganore skipper has also served as an assistant coach for the Mt. Airy Junior Amercian Legion team the past two years.
Marcus Jurado, Nick Depace, and Jimmy Stone will assist Troy.
Coaches Barnes and Reynolds also honored
Baltimore, MD---The Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches named four MVAL players to the 2005 Maryland Preseason All-State team at the preseason banquet held at Baltimore's Camden Yards Warehouse.
Williamsport's David Warrenfeltz and Aerick Taylor, North Hagerstown outfielder Matt Ridenour, and Thomas Johnson pitcher Mike Cholet were each named to the 2005 preseason team.
Liberty Coach Erik Barnes, who led the Lions to the 2004 2A state baseball title, and North Hagerstown Head Coach Shawn Reynolds, who led the Hubs to the MVAL-Antietam Conference Title, were honored as District V and District I coaches of the year for 2004.
Profile: Tyler Redick
By Brandon Oland, Frederick News-Post Staff
WALKERSVILLE -- It's pitch dark out, but Tyler Redick is awake. Classes at Walkersville don't start for another 80 minutes, but Redick is already at school.
Before every Walkersville baseball game this season, Redick joins several teammates at 6 a.m. for early morning batting practice at a makeshift cage in the school's weight room.
Three years ago, Walkersville coach Mike O'Brien started opening the gym early on game days.
Attendance is not mandatory, but Redick is usually there. Save for a few no-shows last year, Redick hasn't missed a morning since the program started.
Even when few teammates join him at such an early hour, Redick, a slick center fielder with a .581 batting average through last Wednesday, takes advantage of a chance to get in some early work.
"I always come out looking to make myself a stronger player," Redick said. "If you take a day off, there's probably somebody out there who could be getting better."
He's not big, but he's fast.
He's not loud, but he encourages his teammates.
He's modest, but he's one of the area's top players and had locked up a scholarship with Shippensburg University long before the season started.
Redick is role-model material. With just three seniors on Walkersville's roster, Redick's leadership is just as important as his frequent multi-hit games and his 23 stolen bases.
"You're lucky to coach a kid like that, to be honest with you," O'Brien said. "Tyler probably ranks as the best player we will ever coach here."
High praise from a coach who led the Lions to the 2003 Class 2A state title. Redick emerged as the starting center fielder during the title run, wowing coaches in an intrasquad scrimmage with his tremendous range in the outfield.
Having the ability to spray basehits all over the field was a bonus.
"We watched and we were like, 'Well, we just found our center fielder for the next two years,'" O'Brien said.
They were right. Last year, Redick hit .436 as a junior and made the News-Post All-Area first team. He was so popular with the seniors that when it came time for the annual senior picture, they asked to have Redick included.
"I told them, 'No, we can't break with tradition,'" O'Brien said.
He's in this year's senior picture, though, and he's also in the record books.
Redick has tied two school records this year for most runs (four) and stolen bases (four) in a game. At season's end, he could own the several others, including stolen bases in a season and highest career batting average.
This year presented Redick with a challenge: He's a soft-spoken guy, but the Lions had more sophomores than seniors and needed a leader capable of being more than a lead-by-example type.
Redick has become one.
"He's always talking to guys in the dugout and keeping everything positive," sophomore Adam Shapelow said. "He never yells, though. Never."
That's not his style. He's trying to show the younger players how to be successful, and they seem to share his work ethic.
More Walkersville players are coming to the gym early on game days than ever before. During a recent practice, there wasn't much talking or goofing off.
"I feel I'm obligated as a senior to have that leadership role," Redick said. "That passes down. Hopefully, when the sophomores are in my position, they'll do the same thing."
Such as waking up before dawn to perfect their swings and doing whatever it takes to get better.
"Tyler's a charter member of the morning hitting crew," O'Brien said. "He doesn't miss any. You can count on him to be there."
2010 SEASON RECAP
Catoctin's Smith commits to WVU
August 25, 2010---R.J. Smith chose to accept a scholarship to play for West Virginia University next year. R.J. chose WVU over several other schools because he liked the university setting and the idea of playing for former Catoctin-standout Pat Sherald. "With Coach Sherald there and the location of the university, it felt like home. I am excited about playing there."
Coach Franklin added, "We try to find a good fit for our kids. WVU seemed like a great fit for RJ. Pat is an outstanding coach. He's also one of the finest Cougars to ever wear our uniform."
MVAL may be coming to an end
By SHELDON SHEALER sheldon.shealer@herald-mail.com
December 10, 2014----For more than 40 years, Carroll County has been part of the Monocacy Valley Athletic League.
It appears that relationship is going to end effective June 1, 2015, and it could mean the end of the MVAL all together.
Sources from Carroll County football programs and the supervisors of Frederick and Washington county athletics confirm that Carroll County's eight member schools will leave the MVAL, the state's largest multi-county and most decorated football conferences, at the end of the school year. The reasons for leaving are not clear, and it applies to all sports — not just football. It is uncertain, according to two county supervisors, if the MVAL will even exist next school year.
A phone call placed to supervisor of athletics in Carroll County was not returned as of Tuesday evening.
One coach from Carroll County said a formal announcement on the county decision will be made Wednesday morning.
"I can't stress how disappointed we are of this decision," said Frederick County athletics supervisor Kevin Kendro, who said he was informed of the decision Tuesday morning. "The MVAL is one of the strongest leagues in the state. ... We didn't want to see this happen."
"I'm not sure what this news means for the league," Washington County supervisor of athletics Eric Michael said. "We're just hearing this today. There'll be some discussions in the near future. To me, everything is open again. We might join up (with Frederick County) or we might explore other opportunities."
For years, rumors circulated that the Carroll County schools would break away and form their own league, but those rumors faded each time the geographically aligned MVAL would iron out schedules for the 23 member schools.
Kendro said two weeks ago the MVAL Board of Directors approved a new football alignment that was based on enrollment as opposed to geography.
"It was as fair of a schedule that you can get," Kendro said, reinforcing that the schedule was voted on and approved. "I thought everybody liked it, the three supervisors liked it — apparently Carroll County did not."
Kendro said he did not know who made the decision to withdraw Carroll County from the MVAL, saying it must have been a principals and athletic directors' decision.
One issue that arose this month, according to a football head coach from Carroll County, was satisfying the desires of the coaches regarding football scheduling. Brad Wilson, the Westminster coach, confirmed he did not have an interest in playing most of the Carroll County schools, saying a steady diet of county-based 2A and 1A opponents would hurt his chances of making the football playoffs, which are determined by a point system that takes into account opponents' school size. Westminster is the lone Class 3A school in Carroll County.
There have been 24 schools in the history of the MVAL, of which 23 are members as of the 2014-15 school year. Those 23 schools have combined for 22 football state titles, 23 runner-up and 40 semifinal finishes since the state tournament started in 1974. (In some cases, those numbers include postseason accomplishments of current MVAL members prior to those schools joining the MVAL.)
All of the current 23 members have made at least one playoff appearance in football and have combined for 175 playoff appearances. Seven MVAL teams made the postseason in 2014. South Carroll was the only MVAL team to advance to the state semifinals this year after having a run of at least one football state champion from the MVAL every year since 2009.
"I'm a bit biased, of course, but I think the MVAL is the best conference in the state," Michael said. "You look at the playoffs (in all sports) and we're well represented. Each county has its niche in what it's successful in."
This past fall, the MVAL accounted for 10 team state titles: 3A, 2A, 1A volleyball; 3A and 1A field hockey, 2A and 1A boys soccer; and three cross country team titles. In addition, there were three cross country individual champions, a golf team and an individual runner-up; and runner-up finishes in field hockey and two in soccer. Interestingly, Westminster defeated Linganore in an all-MVAL field hockey state final.
"In education, we like to say that we do things in the best interest of our students," Kendro said. "That applies to athletics. We try to do things in the best interest of our student-athletes. At this point and time, I do not see how (Carroll County leaving the MVAL) is in the best interest of student-athletes."
Kendro said he has an interest in retaining the MVAL for Frederick and Washington counties, but that right now he doesn't know what direction the principals and athletic directors from the two counties will decide.
The MVAL has its roots in the early 1970s and pre-dates the MPSSAA football state playoffs. The original MVAL was started by basketball coaches. The first MVAL football season was in 1973, and the league included Francis Scott Key and North Carroll from Carroll County and Brunswick, Catoctin and Linganore from Frederick County.
In 1974, Boonsboro joined the football league, followed by Middletown in 1975, Walkersville in 1979, and Smithsburg and Williamsport in 1982. The MVAL remained a 10-team league for much of the 1980s until Linganore and North Carroll left for the Central Maryland Conference in 1987. North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown were added to the MVAL in 1989, returning the league to its 10-member status.
In 2003, the MVAL and Central Maryland Conferences merged under the MVAL title, restoring Linganore and North Carroll to the league, in addition to adding Frederick, Thomas Johnson, Urbana from Frederick County and Century, Liberty, South Carroll, Westminster and Winters Mill from Carroll County. In 2004, Clear Spring and Tuscarora joined. Clear Spring left the league after 2008 after five winless football league seasons. Manchester Valley (2009) and Oakdale (2011) are the most recent schools to join the MVAL.
South Hagerstown claims 1A Championship over Catoctin, 8-4</font size=+3>
by DAN KAUFFMAN, Herald-Mail / 2003
HARMANS, Md. - Mike Campbell was getting tired of being patient.
South Hagerstown's No. 3 hitter spent much of his time in Tuesday's Class 1A baseball championship watching and waiting for strikes that never came. He walked in his first three at-bats against Catoctin starter Will Delawter, seeing a grand total of two strikes.
By the time he came up in the sixth inning against reliever Chad Wolfe, Campbell's bat was starting to wear out his shoulder.
"If (a pitch) was across the plate, I was hitting it," Campbell said.
When Wolfe obliged with a 1-2 fastball, Campbell's bat came alive. His hard grounder through the hole at short scored Rob Peterson and Bryson Appel to break a 4-4 tie and sent the Rebels on their way to an 8-4 victory over Catoctin for South's second state title and first since 1996.
"It was right there, right where I wanted it," Campbell said. "It must have been a mistake."
"(He was) the right guy at the right time," South coach Ralph Stottlemyer said. "You can't ask for much more than that."
In truth, Stottlemyer got much, much more than that - and it wasn't just Campbell who practiced patience. Rebels hitters walked 12 times Tuesday, and while only two of those 12 came around to score, those walks kept Delawter and Wolfe from quick, low-stress innings and took a toll on their arms.
"I take those two guys on the mound any day," Catoctin coach Mike Franklin said. "We just didn't do it today."
Delawter wore down in the fifth, allowing two hits - one more than he had in the previous four innings - and giving up three earned runs as South cut a 4-0 Cougars lead to 4-3.
In the sixth, Ben Mertz led off by reaching on a ground-ball error, and Delawter hit Peterson in the head with a curveball that got away.
Franklin pulled Delawter for Wolfe, who gave up Appel's bunt single to load the bases, then threw a wild pitch to allow Mertz to score the tying run and Peterson and Appel to move up a base. After walking David Miner to reload the bases, Campbell connected for the game-winning hit.
"We started seeing the ball," Mertz said. "We were patient, we waited for the right pitch and we put runs on the board."
Phil Powell's RBI groundout scored Miner, and walks to Danny Lynn, Jeremy McAfee and Mertz forced in Josh Bussard - who reached on a fielder's choice when Campbell was retired at third - with another run.
Every South starter but McAfee either scored a run or drove in a run, and McAfee did his part, walking three times.
"Everybody wanted it," Campbell said. "We all came through in the end."
The Rebels' rally made a winner of Miner for the third time in the playoffs. Miner beat three aces - Clear Spring's Adam Mills, Southern Garrett's Chris Smith and Delawter - during South's run to the state title.
Miner struggled early, giving up three runs in the second inning on three hits - including doubles by Jason Johnson and Landon Hillard - and Miner's throwing error. Geoff Hillis' RBI single in the third made it 4-0.
But Miner was almost untouchable after the third, allowing one hit and no runs over the final four innings while striking out eight - including six in a row from the fifth through seventh innings. He finished with 10 punchouts.
"You could tell he got a little stronger and got more confidence," Stottlemyer said. "Once we tied the thing up, you could see it in his eyes, and I told him, 'This is where you've got to bear down.'"
March 27, 2003
Boonsboro 13, North Hagerstown 9
by Dan Spears, Herald-Mail
Hagerstown, MD--Wednesday's temperatures were all set up for nasty weather, so of course the Boonsboro and North Hagerstown baseball teams hit the ball like they didn't want to leave the field.
In the end, only darkness and Boonsboro's early burst kept the game from a continuance, as the Warriors built a 10-run lead, then hung on for a 13-9 victory in the Monocacy Valley Athletic League.
"Our pitching was pretty good until the game was over," Boonsboro coach Fred Kreiger said. "Then I was just glad it got dark."
The Warriors (2-0, 2-0) may have been cold because of the win, but their bats were red-hot from the start. Leading 4-3 after three, Derrick Metzger and Mike Fravel both had strong doubles down the left-field line in the fourth inning. They both scored for a 6-3 lead to back a solid, if not spectacular, four-inning effort from left-hander Craig Henson.
"We can swing the bat a little," Kreiger said. "Our pitching's OK and our defense is pretty good. Two out of three usually isn't bad."
But it's not as good as 9-for-12, which is how many Warriors reached base safely in the top of the sixth inning. Three hit batsmen, four singles, a walk and a double added up to seven runs and a 13-3 lead with darkness quickly eating up the horizon.
With an almost-sure defeat staring them in the face, the Hubs (1-2, 1-2) tried to play for another day. They got down to their final out, then put up six runs in near twilight - capped by a three-run homer by Matt Tedrick - but Nathan Kaetzel got a ground ball to second to end the game.
"(Boonsboro) put the ball in play all day, give them credit for that," North coach Shawn Reynolds said. "And that's the thing: we can't wait until our last at-bat. We've got to come out in the first inning and do that."
Fravel, Metzger, Nathan Kaetzel and Marty Kaetzel all finished with two hits for Boonsboro. T.J. Hose had three hits, including two doubles, and Matt Johnson had two hits for North.
Boonsboro 2 1 1 2 0 7-13 12 1
North High 1 0 2 0 0 6- 9 9 2
Henson, N. Kaetzel (5) and Himes, Werst (6). Hose, Johnson (6), Kelley (6) and Carbaugh. WP-Henson (1-0). LP-Hose (0-2). S-N. Kaetzel (1). HR-NH: Tedrick (6th, two on).
Williamsport 3, Catoctin 1
by Herald-Mail/FNP
THURMONT, Md. - First, Catoctin's Chris Kaleo lost his no-hitter. Then, Williamsport made sure he lost the game.
The Cougars' pitcher allowed no hits through 6 1/3 innings, but Williamsport pitcher Matt Mastiano started the game-winning rally in the top of the seventh as the Wildcats took a 3-1 victory in the Monocacy Valley Athletic League.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Mastiano singled, pinch-hitter Greg Small singled and Derrick Sweigert walked to load the bases.
Eddie Martin followed with a two-run single to right-center field and Josh Bowers capped the comeback with a run-scoring groundout for Williamsport (1-1, 1-1). Mastiano finished with seven strikeouts and allowed just five hits.
Catoctin (1-1, 1-1) got its run in the third when Jeff Swanson singled and Chris Legore doubled him in. Kaleo finished with four strikeouts.
"That was a real heart-breaker," Catoctin coach Mike Franklin said. "It was very hard to take...very tough."
Williamsport 0 0 0 0 0 0 3- 3 3 0
Catoctin 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Mastiano and Allen. Kaleo, Swanson (7) and Nesbitt. WP-Mastiano (1-0). LP-Kaleo (0-1).
March 25
North Hagerstown 7, Middletown 5
by Bob Paraliti, Herald-Mail
It was a simple game of give-and-take.
North Hagerstown baseball coach Shawn Reynolds had questions. The Hubs provided some conclusive answers.
Reynolds asked if the youthful Hubs would have enough defense to compete in the Monocacy Valley Athletic League. North settled the coach's heart rate with three big plays in the field to match up with some timely hitting Monday for a 7-5 win over Middletown.
"We only have three starters back from last season," Reynolds said. "I wondered if we had the defense to start the year out."
In last Saturday's opener with Brunswick, defense did the Hubs (1-1, 1-1) in with three errors in the first inning for three unearned runs. Monday, they were near flawless in the game shortened to 5 1/2 innings by darkness.
The first came in the third inning when starting pitcher Chris Schildt caught the Knights' Ryan McQuillen in a rundown between second and third on a steal attempt with runners on first and second. It allowed Schildt to get out of the inning without allowing a run.
In the sixth, reliever Cole Bellon picked Chris Lineham off first for the first out of the inning. It became a big play when McQuillen stroked a two-run double to right-center field - which could have been a bases-loaded without the pickoff.
The double turned into North's final defensive gem as center fielder Matt Johnson hit relay man T.J. Hose who connected with third baseman Aaron Davis to gun down McQuillen's attempt for a triple.
But the biggest of the plays may have been Schildt's pickoff.
"That was big," Reynolds said. "They had their No. 4 hitter coming up with none out and two on. It changed the inning."
Middletown took a 1-0 lead in the second on Ryan Lewis' RBI single.
North came off the pickoff to pick up four runs in the third off Middletown starter Chris Anderson. The Hubs took a 2-1 lead on consecutive doubles by Hose, Johnson and Eli Rivera.
Rivera's double was lined off of first baseman Randy Lawson's glove down the right field line where Trey Staub made the pickup. Staub's tried to get Johnson at the plate but his throw hit first base coach Steve Greathead in the head. The ball knocked the coach to the ground, where he stayed with a cut over the left eye, until and ambulance came.
After the half-hour delay, Bellon followed with a two-run homer for a 4-2 North lead. The Hubs added three in the fourth, capped by Johnson's RBI double, to take a 7-2 lead.
North 7, Middletown 5
Middletown 100 112 - 5 6 2
North 004 30x - 7 10 2
Anderson and Brandenburg; Schildt, Bellon (5) and Carbaugh. WP-Schildt (1-0). LP-Anderson (0-1). HR-North: Bellon (3rd, one on)
Smithsburg 5, Williamsport 1
by Herald-Mail
WILLIAMSPORT - Smithsburg's baseball team has begun a new era. New caps - black with a purple paw print on the front - and a new coach - Bill Fowkes, who previously won two Maryland Private Schools B Division State Championships for St. Maria Goretti.
Fowkes' hustling style was evident in a 5-1 win over the Williamsport Wildcats on Monday afternoon in a Monocacy Valley Athletic League baseball game.
"It's great to get a victory here today against a good ballclub like Williamsport," Fowkes said. "I think that our hitters did a good job of putting the ball in play against a quality pitcher like Ben Jordan."
Fowkes had plenty of praise for Smithsburg senior pitcher Mike Smith, who got the complete-game win.
"I thought that he did a tremendous job today," Fowkes added. "I think that he did what we told our pitchers: Throw strikes and let the defense do their job. He just took the ball and pitched like a senior today. Williamsport is a good-hitting team and I think that he just kept them off-balanced enough, so he could get a lot of flyball outs."
The only mistake that Smith made was giving up a solo homer to Eric Fitzgerald win the first inning
Smith allowed four hits and three walks in seven innings.
"I just threw the ball and let my defense take care of the rest," Smith said. "I think that we played them really well. We only gave up one run, while we got five runs. That is good compared to last year when we got 10-runned quite often. I think that we're going to be a good team and win some games in the playoffs."
Jeff Mills had three hits and scored two runs, while T.J. Bowser added two hits and two RBI for Smithsburg (1-0). Fitzgerald led Williamsport (0-1) with three hits.
"Smithsburg just played sound defense," Williamsport coach Rod Steiner said. "I liked the way that Brandon Fisher played at shortstop."
Smithsburg 5, Williamsport 1
Smithsburg 010 202 0 - 5 9 0
Williamsport 100 000 0 - 1 4 2
Smith and Dick. Jordan, Bowers (7) and Johnson, Allen (4). WP-Smith (1-0). LP-Jordan (0-1). HR- W: Fitzgerald (1st, none on).
Walkersville brings home second State Championship for MVAL, captures 2A title</font size=+3>
2003 / by John Cannon, Frederick News Post
HARMANS -- After striking out in his first two at-bats, Walkersville's Dustin Kolb thought Thursday's game was destined to be his worst ever.
It may go down as his best.
Kolb blasted a tie-breaking solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead the Lions to a rousing 5-4 win over Eastern Tech in the Class 2A high school baseball state championship game at Joe Cannon Stadium.
Fittingly, Kolb ended his turnaround day by sealing the win when he caught a pop up in left field for the game's final out. The junior outfielder then charged toward the pitcher's mound, where he dove into a celebratory pile with the rest of the elated Lions.
Senior catcher Ray Dorsey, the lone holdover from the last Walkersville team to make the state tournament in 2000, had a cut on his right cheek after diving into that pile -- but he wasn't complaining.
"There are plenty of memories in this game you can tell your grandkids about," Dorsey said.
Among those mental keepsakes were Kolb's homer, winning pitcher Danny Leatherman's ability to work out of jams and a hidden-ball trick play in the fifth inning.
Together, those components helped Walkersville win its third state baseball title, but plenty had changed since the Lions last accomplished that feat in 1999. This year's squad featured a first-year coach in Mike O'Brien and the team got off to an unpromising 5-5 start.
No problem. The Lions (16-5-1) simply rolled off a 12-game unbeaten streak.
"We started out real rough," Dorsey said. "Losing (former Walkersville coaches) Paul Merrill and Dorsey Gilbert ... they were pretty big shoes to fill, but our new coach did an outstanding job."
On Thursday, part of O'Brien's job consisted of telling Kolb to keep plugging away at the plate after his first two strikeouts.
"I thought it was going to be my worst game ever," Kolb said. "That's the most upset I've been in awhile."
When Kolb led off the sixth inning, he found a cure for those feelings by jumping on Eastern Tech starter Dan Hoskin's first pitch. The ball rocketed toward the left field fence, but Kolb wasn't sure it would sail over.
The ball cleared the fence with ease, landing about 380 feet from home plate. So much for Kolb's struggles at the plate.
"You can't let one at-bat get you down," Dorsey said. "You've got to stick with it and bounce back ... his just bounced a little further than some others."
Of course, the Lions still had a one-run lead to protect in the top of the seventh. Easter Tech had runners on first and second with one out after a Leatherman pitch hit Gerard Sokolis. Leatherman kept his composure, however, inducing pop ups to third base and left field to end the game.
"(After the homer) I knew we had the game because we had Leatherman in there," Kolb said. "He wasn't going to give up any runs."
Leatherman finished the game the way he started it -- trying to get out of a jam. The reliever entered the game in the fourth inning with the bases loaded, one out and the Lions clinging to a 2-1 lead. The Mavericks scored three runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead, but he blanked them the rest of the way.
"I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it," Leatherman said of the rally. "I knew we could come back, and the whole year we didn't start hitting (a lot) until the end. Duddy Kolb did today -- he hit a bomb. That was the biggest thing in the game."
Leatherman did some hitting himself, belting a pair of RBI doubles -- including one that tied the game in the fifth. He also initiated a trick play to help kill an Eastern Tech rally in the fifth inning.
Leatherman faked a pickoff to second and hid the ball while his middle infielders dove and his outfielders ran after an imaginary errant throw. Baserunner Dan Branch was thrown out trying to advance to third base. It wasn't the first time the Lions pulled off that play, which they call "The Shocker."
"That was third time -- we're 3-for-3," Kolb said. "That got everybody fired up."
Dorsey led off the fifth with his second double of the game, and he later scored the game-tying run on Leatherman's double.
The Lions attributed their turnaround from a slow start this season to an improved offensive attack. After all, the team was already stocked with an abundant crop of quality pitchers and dependable fielders,.
Oh yeah, the Lions also had Dorsey as a catcher.
"He calls all the pitches. We have faith in Ray as a three-year starter," O'Brien said. "He's been our rock. He's almost like a coach on the field."
Dorsey had a much different role when he last visited Joe Cannon Stadium -- he was a freshman JV call-up who hadn't spent all season with that team working toward making the state tournament.
"This year, because I was a senior , I can feel the emotion," Dorsey said. "It was worth all the hard work."
Kevin Murphy (middle) fields the ball to Kevin Linehan (1) to make a play at second in a 2006 game. Photo by: Tom Fedor, The gazette
By Patrick Stoetzer, Times Staff Writer
Forget Ocean City. Ryan Harrison is headed to a better beach.
Harrison, 17, signed Monday with the Montreal Expos, who drafted the right-handed pitcher in the 23rd round of the First-Year Player Draft. Harrison is reporting today to Melbourne, Fla., site of the Montreal Expos' Gulf Coast League club.
The South Carroll graduate had travel plans ready for Senior Week in Ocean City, albeit a few days after most of his friends made the trek to Maryland's Eastern Shore. Those plans were scratched Monday night.
"It's a pretty big load off my shoulders," said Harrison, adding he had been feeling pressure from colleges to commit. "Now I can go out and play baseball."
Harrison was the Times' Baseball Player of the Year after going 5-1 with a 1.46 ERA for the Cavaliers. He participated in Sunday's Brooks Robinson High School All-Star Game at Camden Yards and started for the North all-star team, and played American Legion ball for the Mount Airy Gold Star Post 191 squad.
As recently as last Monday he said he thought he would a late-round draft pick and would likely go to junior college for a year before signing a professional contract. But that was before Montreal drafted him on the advice of Expos area scout Alex Smith.
Harrison and his family met twice Monday with Smith, who laid out the organization's plans for one of their newest young arms. Smith said they went over topics like player development, housing and insurance before ironing out the financial portions.
The signing bonus and educational compensation the Expos were offering was more than enough to convince Harrison to say yes.
"That's a big decision for a kid who just graduated from high school [Saturday], to become a professional athlete and take that next step," Smith said. "I try to lay out everything I possibly can to make them feel comfortable.
"We spoke again on the phone and I drove back later that night. It's only an hour-and-10-minute drive, but it was worth it. I'd drive back at midnight if I had to."
Gary Harrison, Ryan's father, said Smith told them his son's signing bonus was comparable to that of an 11th-round pick. Club officials wouldn't disclose details, but Montreal's 10th-round pick in 2003, a high school player from Virginia, received a $50,000 signing bonus.
"I think it's the right decision to make," said George Richardson, Ryan Harrison's coach at South Carroll. "For a pitcher, they're going to take care of your arm. They've invested money in you.
"This was more than expected. I mean, he gets to go to Florida for the whole summer. How much better can it be?"
The Gulf Coast Expos' first game is Saturday, and the short summer season runs through Aug. 28. Melbourne is located less than one hour north of Vero Beach.
Harrison said he'll return home in September and stick to a pitching workout until spring training begins next March.
Harrison's flight leaves today at 1:45 p.m., leaving him little time to say goodbye to family and friends. Most of his buddies are in Ocean City this week, but Harrison has plans for a different kind of summer trip.
"That's the toughest part," he said. "I've never really been away from home for more than a week. But I'll get used to it. I had a chance to go after my dream. It was too much to pass up."
June, 2004
Angels take chance on Adenhart
by BOB PARASILITI, Herald-Mail
Apparently, an injured Nick Adenhart is better than no Nick Adenhart at all.
That seemed to be the philosophy of the Anaheim Angels, who selected the Williamsport High starting pitcher Monday in the 14th round of the annual major-league draft.
The Angels made the pick, even though Adenhart injured his pitching elbow on May 11 and faces "Tommy John" ligament replacement surgery and a long rehabilitation process.
The 14th-round selection fell well under where Adenhart was projected to go in the two-day, 50-round extravaganza. As the 2004 season started, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander was targeted to be picked in the top 10, possibly as high as third with the New York Mets.
Adenhart was unavailable for comment on Monday.
Adenhart wasn't the only player from the Tri-State area to get the call from the major leagues.
Adenhart, who possesses a 95-mph fastball and sharp-breaking curve, suffered his injury against the second batter in his May 11 start against South Hagerstown. Eleven days later, he announced he would need corrective surgery, which will be performed this month by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.
Adenhart has said his goal is to rehabilitate his arm to be able to pitch for the University of North Carolina, where he has a scholarship.
Once he attends North Carolina, Adenhart won't be eligible to be drafted again for three years - the 2007 draft. With their move, the Angels retain Adenhart's rights until then, if he decides to attempt a professional career earlier.
South Carroll's Harrison faces choice
By Patrick Stoetzer, Carroll County Times Staff Writer
WINFIELD, MD---South Carroll senior pitcher Ryan Harrison kept his baseball options open, holding off on making a final college decision just in case his name was called during the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.
Harrison's choice just got more complicated.
The Montreal Expos chose Harrison on Tuesday in the 23rd round (684th overall), giving the Cavaliers' ace something to think about over the next few weeks.
Harrison said he had planned to attend a junior college if he was a late-round selection, and pitch well enough to sign later. (If he goes to junior college, the Expos retain his rights until next year's draft. If he goes to a four-year school, the Expos would lose the right to sign him and he wouldn't be eligible for the draft again until after his junior season.)
Harrison, who went 5-1 with a 1.75 ERA this spring, now must choose between signing with the Expos and beginning his professional career or enrolling at a junior college such as Allegany Community College in Cumberland.
"It definitely makes it tough," said Harrison, who left school early Tuesday upon hearing he was drafted. "I could see myself doing either one. I definitely didn't think I was going this high."
The right-hander, whose fastball has been clocked at 92 mph, is the first South Carroll player drafted since the Orioles selected Jason Tourangeau five years ago in the 17th round. Tourangeau elected to attend college rather than sign.
Harrison's skills drew scouts all season, but Montreal area scout Alex Smith made sure he attended as many South Carroll games as he could fit into his schedule. Smith said he remembered watching Harrison at a baseball camp last year, and liked what he saw.
"He showed me a slider that was very intriguing," said Smith, who praised Harrison's arm strength and mechanics. "It was almost, at times, like an average major league pitch."
South Carroll coach George Richardson said Harrison's ability to throw four pitches - fastball, changeup, curveball and slider - effectively boosted his draft stock. Harrison just started throwing that nasty slider this spring, Richardson said. Once the scouts started coming to SC games, they wanted to see Harrison.
"There's times where his slider is, at the level where he is right now, unhittable," Richardson said. "Alex liked him right from the get-go. He likes that he has four pitches and movement on all of them."
The idea of Harrison pitching in the big leagues is distant. But at least it's an idea, the same once shared by others picked outside of the first 20 rounds, like major league pitching standouts John Smoltz (22nd), Roy Oswalt (23rd), and Mark Buehrle (38th).
"You try to dream a little bit with these guys, and he's already got some fringe there that could become major-league talent," Smith said. "It's possible for some more arm strength that will come through. We're excited about Ryan and the future he has with the organization."
Rebel's Miner drafted by San Diego
Hagerstown, MD---"This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me," said Miner outside the spring athletic banquet at South Hagerstown.
Miner's instructions could have him taking the scenic route to get to San Diego, but he's ready to try anything to play for the Padres.
"I'm really happy about this," Miner said. "I'm getting the chance to go to a young program and work with a young team."
San Diego selected Miner as an outfielder, but he spent most of the season pitching or playing shortstop for South Hagerstown. It might force Miner to meet the Padres halfway - like in Kansas - before he heads to the minors.
Miner is scheduled to visit Barton County College, a junior college in Kansas, where he has an offer for a full scholarship for basketball. Miner said he also plans to play baseball.
"They would like me to go and play in a junior college for a year and then come out to them," Miner said. "That's what I will probably do."
If Miner goes to junior college, the Padres would retain his signing rights for one year, after which he would be eligible to enter the 2005 draft.
Miner was arguably Washington County's top all-around athlete this school year. He played quarterback and safety for South's football team and became the county's all-time scorer in boys basketball while leading the Rebels to the Class 2A semifinals. He hit .450 for the Rebels, who finished 10-9.
Tuesday's phone call from the Padres made all of it worthwhile.
"The first day went by (without a call) and I got worried," Miner said. "But the second day hit and I got the call. I was all excited. My family was all happy for me because everything all finally paid off."
Frederick Cadets
2009 Maryland 3A State Champions</font size=+3>
