6 errors & 10 strikeouts by us.

Thought this was supposed to be one of our most talented teams recently?

Sounds like we're just as mediocre as we've been for the last decade.

The last three seasons there has been plenty of talent to challenge for the OCC and to have 20 win seasons at Orrville...the guy in the opposing dugout last night would have had 20 win seasons and probably 2 OCC championships during that time. His team was polished, energized and had a purpose. That is the hallmark of those teams. What is the hallmark of our teams....errors, mental mistakes, baserunning miscues, bad decisions (players and coaches), finger pointing, playing afraid to lose, no fire, bunting when you are down by 5 runs or more, bunting when you are up 5 runs or more, bunting with the bases loaded, bunting with 2 outs, bunting in the first inning when the lead off hitter reaches base, bunting with no one on...but the best uniforms in Wayne County.

The team historically starts the season strong but fades by week 3 or 4. Kids work their tails off in the off season, but by about week 2 of the season, they are home by about 4:30 on practice days and regularly dont have practices on Fridays or Saturdays. They roll in for a Tuesday conference game many times having only had one short practice on Monday after having Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. Then again, if practice doesn't address a variety of areas and are always just a basic pre-game routine, what's the point? That's why the better teams in the OCC get stronger as the season goes and we we fade and play like we did last night...like it was a preseason scrimmage. If the pitcher doesn't shut the other team down with strikeouts...game over. Hitters never get into a rhythm and the offense sputters because we are either giving away outs all the time with bunts or the hitter fouls two bunts off and they are toast with 2 strikes. All but a few have any idea what their role is on any given day when they show up. They might be pitching, DHing, playing infield, catching, outfield, on the bench, getting DH'd for, leading off, batting 9th.

By about week 3 or 4 the wheels come completely off. We are out of the OCC, we start losing to weaker teams, losses start piling, up players are miserable start looking forward to the season being over and it just plain gets ugly.

This isn't new, pick any year over the last 8.

Interesting read in the DR...my sentiments exactly.. Teams in the area get up big to play us...said the kid from Triway wanted to pitch against us all season....can any of our kids say that?

Riders preseason rank in DIII was 13 and we were thought to be a contender for the OCC, especially with West Holmes essentially losing Snyder for the season and later Baird to injuries. At mid-season we are 8-6 (4-4 OCC), we are in 5th place in the OCC and are no longer in the top 25 in D-III. Canton Central Catholic is #7 in D-III at 17-4 and stands between us and a repeat trip to regionals.

We have Clear Fork this week, which has won exactly 1 OCC game, so on paper we should win 2 games. Then it is Lex who is undefeated and Wooster with 1 loss. If we split with both Lex and Wooster, it would be an 8-6 season. If we get swept, 6-8. I'll take the middle and say we finish 7-7 and 4th place. I will also guess we finish the year close to .500 as well, depending on who we make up games with at 13-13.

We should get a bye in the tournament and get a couple wins before we meet CCC, unless Tuslaw knocks us out. So at the end of the season I would guess we finish at 15-14.

Clear Fork 2 Riders 0. That is a devastating loss. CF did not strike out a single RR hitter, but we could only muster 5 hits and no runs. The team looks shell shocked and this could be where things go completely down the tubes. This is really hard to stomach.

Over the past eight years we've had weak, average and, this year, pretty strong talent. Besides the sub-par records year after year the only other constant has been the head coach. It's time for a change. I don't know what it will take to get it done but the parents of this junior class owe it to their kids to put some pressure on the school board and the superintendant to make a change.

You're lucky to have Scott Marshall.

Tell me about the committment of your players...where are your key players playing ball in the summer? Legion...travel teams?...or are they getting ready for football?

That was always a problem even when Smith coached...football is king and the baseball player's committment waned once summer workouts began.

Clear Fork 4 Orrville 0. Hits R Us....you're kidding right?

Hits, for the little I know, this is the most baseball centric team we've had in years...lots of baseball only kids who play year round.

I know of at least 4 kids (starters) who ONLY play baseball and a few others that play other sports, but baseball is their main sport.

Talked to someone tonight who said a split with CF would have been bad enough, but to get swept & shutout in both games...that it was downright embarrassing.

Hits...this is from the coach about a month ago in the Daily Record Preview:

It's been a long time since Orrville had a baseball team with as much talent, commitment and established success under its belt coming into a season.

Riders coach Scott Marshall candidly admitted he's never had a team he's been so excited to coach as the current group that's trying to become the school's first state baseball team since 1976.

"This is my eighth year coaching Orrville and before that I was at Rittman for four years and this is the best group I've ever been around," Marshall said. "And I've coached lots of good kids at both schools in the past.

"This is just a really special group that's a lot of fun to be around. Our team GPA would be through the roof if we added it up, they play for the team and they're kids who stay out of trouble. The community and high school should be extremely proud of them."

And with ace right-handed pitchers Kerr (6-2, 1.34 ERA, 63 Ks in 52 1-3 IP) and Schley (4-3, 2.71 ERA, 50 Ks in 49 IP) both back to lead the way, Orrville fans will be tracking the baseball team's progress this spring a lot closer than usual.

Kerr and Schley are near carbon copies of one another. Both have good, but not great fastballs at around 84 mph, but make their impacts by mixing in off-speed pitches, keeping the ball low and displaying pinpoint control.

"Trevor can throw any pitch in any given count," Marshall said. "He can have a full count and drop in a curve for strike three when most high school pitchers throw a fastball in that situation.

"Stuart also has very good location and they're both excellent hitters, too (Kerr batted .381 last year, while Schley hit .364)."

Kerr, who has a 3.7 GPA and wants to major in chemical engineering, is being recruited by Div. II Trine (Ind.) and several Div. III schools.

The 6-0, 180-pound righty said last year's tournament run has the team's confidence level much higher entering the 2013 campaign.

"We have a lot of experience back from last year and the years before," Kerr said. "We know what to expect and we're not as nervous or inexperienced as we used to be.

"We know what we have to do and have confidence that we can get it done."

Kerr is a co-captain along with fellow fourth-year varsity performer Kyle Johnston, who's built himself up from a 120-pound freshman second baseman to a 5-9, 190-pound senior shortstop, who's being recruited by Div. II Glenville State.

"Kyle's lived in the weight room and along with Trevor is leading by example as a senior," said Marshall, whose team graduated standouts Alex Samson (SS) and A.J. Perez (INF-P). "We also have five juniors who will be third-year letterwinners, so we have guys who have taken their lumps but have put the time in and learned how to win."

At 6-5, lefty J.T. Perez is the hardest thrower on the team and should wind up as a college prospect himself, Marshall said.

Kerr thinks the pitching will be there, but the team needs "to put up a lot of runs, which I think we can do."

Marshall, whose team was 8-6 in the OCC last year, said it's "uncharted water" for Orrville's baseball team to be labeled as one of the top contenders in the OCC and the Div. III Norwayne District.

Like McDowell at West Holmes, Marshall will remind his team often during the season that they can't take anyone lightly.


Lucky is your OPINION. A major disappointment is a FACT.

RedRider1;1434785 wrote:6 errors & 10 strikeouts by us.

Thought this was supposed to be one of our most talented teams recently?

Sounds like we're just as mediocre as we've been for the last decade.

Such NEGATIVITY...they're only "kids"! LOL!

Here is what I have as of 5/1/13

Lexington (9-1)
Wooster (7-2)
Madison (5-4)
Ashland (5-4)
West Holmes (4-5)
Orrville (4-6)
Clear Fork (3-6)
Masnfield Sr. (1-9)

Series62;1437174 wrote:Such NEGATIVITY...they're only "kids"! LOL!

Says the king of negativity and pot stirring.

You pick out my comment...which is true....saying the team hasn't met expectations. No player was called out by name.

Go troll someone else. Hilarious that you follow me around to a baseball thread of all places.

Hits, that has to be one of the least informed responses ever posted in any forum anywhere in the history of the world. "Lucky" is the very last word I would use to describe how it is to have Marshall as our head coach. I read some of your past posts on various subjects and was surprised to discover that we agree on many subjects. On this topic, however, your “Friend-of-Scott-Marshall” glasses are blinding you to what is painfully obvious to nearly everyone who has witnessed this disaster unfold game after game.

I know most of these players and for you to question their dedication and work ethic reduces your credibility to near zero. And you did it to defend a coach who, by his own admission, has one of the most talented and highly rated teams in years and yet just got shut out in two games by a team battling for the basement with Senior. You want to talk about dedication? Look at Orrville’s schedule: http://www.orrville.k12.oh.us/sites/orrville.k12.oh.us/files/files/Vbaseball%202013%20no%20Scrimmages.pdf. We had 1 Saturday double-header in April while Wooster and Lexington scheduled 3 each. Do you think it was the players who set this schedule? When you figure out why Marshall wants his Saturdays free you’ll understand who’s really dedicated to this team.

It’s time for a change.

Losing games to teams you should be beating is always frustrating for the players and the coach, but baseball is that type of game. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you do not bring your "A" game in every outing then you are setting yourself up for failure. I am not trying to defend the coach or the players, but what I saw yesterday against Clear Fork was simply pathetic. Looked like the kids didn't even want to be there and if the effort isn't there, nor will the wins be there. Being prepared each and every game falls on the coach and that comes from what is being taught at practice. Baseball as we know is all about repetition, repetition, and more repetition. If it is true that the coach is choosing to take Saturdays off to watch/coach his kids play traveling baseball, then his focus is clearly not on whats best for the program...and thats not what Orrville baseball needs!

RedRider1;1437197 wrote:Says the king of negativity and pot stirring.

You pick out my comment...which is true....saying the team hasn't met expectations. No player was called out by name.

Go troll someone else. Hilarious that you follow me around to a baseball thread of all places.

I read various sites on here, so if that makes me a troll...good!

No player...but, the entire team...and you're notorious for not wanting to have any "negative" comments about the "kids", the team. Hilarious is how you continuously contradict yourself!

Lots of other similar comments to mine...none calling any kid out by name.

You have no intentions to come here to talk baseball or the current state of Orrville baseball....just more pot stirring.

Loss to WH last week...1 run
Loss to Triway last Friday...1 run
Loss to CF Tuesday...0 runs
Loss to CF last night...0 runs

It's tough to win games when runs aren't being scored....let's strip all the other things out of the equation. Just like any sport...gotta score to win. I hope it's as simple as the entire team being in a funk, or pressing.....but it sure is tough to see us lay eggs, especially in conference games.

After this weekend, we close with 2 vs. Lex, at Dover, 2 vs. Wooster and at Perry.

That's a tough stretch to end things...but should prepare us for districts.

RedRider1;1437391 wrote:Lots of other similar comments to mine...none calling any kid out by name.

You have no intentions to come here to talk baseball or the current state of Orrville baseball....just more pot stirring.

I've never said I had intentions to talk baseball...I still read the pages whether you're on them or not. Similar comments, yes, but you're the one who says he despises negativity towards the team...until it comes out of you!

Good grief, series62, give it a rest already. You’re beginning to look like a stalker. How about we declare you the winner in your little self-made feud? Will that give you sufficient affirmation to let it go? You win! You win! You've successfully pointed out that, in your reading, someone may have been inconsistent in their postings on a barely read sports forum. Congratulations.

Interesting reading here that I just happened to come across as I searched for the next Indians thread.

Wow!

I blame track for the decline of baseball. Kids think that track is more "cool".

I look for the Riders to get tough at tournament time and do the job.

Go Riders!

rock turner;1437532 wrote:Good grief, series62, give it a rest already. You’re beginning to look like a stalker. How about we declare you the winner in your little self-made feud? Will that give you sufficient affirmation to let it go? You win! You win! You've successfully pointed out that, in your reading, someone may have been inconsistent in their postings on a barely read sports forum. Congratulations.

Shut Up!

rock turner;1437532 wrote:Good grief, series62, give it a rest already. You’re beginning to look like a stalker. How about we declare you the winner in your little self-made feud? Will that give you sufficient affirmation to let it go? You win! You win! You've successfully pointed out that, in your reading, someone may have been inconsistent in their postings on a barely read sports forum. Congratulations.

4 posts from rockturner and he is already frustrated with the nonsense that pours from his mouth! Get used to it.

Rock, Red rider and all..... It's been a while since I was in the loop for county baseball, so my comments were more of a question not knowing your players...( are your players putting in the time against tough quality competition?). Your coach should be driving that and making sure players are doing that, and not putting their gloves down in June. I knew/know Marshall from a decade ago when he coached my son in Jr. Legion. He was a mentor and positive influence for my son and others, and was widely and highly regarded as top notch, up and coming coach...which is the reason he got the Orrville job to begin with. I don't think Scott has forgotten how to play/coach baseball so I am at a loss to explain why your teams have underachieved. What do you think he's doing or not doing that contributing to mediocre teams? Is he not putting the best team on the field...playing favorites? Sometimes you just need a different face to tell you the same thing in a different way....coaches get 'stale'....maybe that's it.

I don't think it's got anything to do with him not playing the right kids.

Like most sports..the kids who put the work in are the ones who get (and are getting) the opportunities.

Like others have said...all the talent in the world may not amount to a hill of beans, especially when it comes to baseball.