SoutheasternOhioPreps.com

With several of the top players from 07 graduating, who is the early favorite for the SEOAL crown in 08? There are several players coming back who were impact players last year Wagner from Warren, Adam Young(healthy) from Zanesville, and many others that I am not all that familiar with. Your thoughts??

ATHENS...

Should be pretty good this year...
They didn't lose much to Graduation and get in return a JV team that won 23 + games the last 2 years...

Some very good young Baseball players in Athens..

Alex Cultice gone enuff said!!!!! he was that good......u cant replace him

Alex was a great player and a great student of the game and will be missed but the offense and defense should actually be stronger this year. The most evident place he will be missed is on the mound. For the first time in a few years this team will have to rely on good defense, good baserunning, and hitting with RISP. Although the move to D1 will hurt come Tourney time they should remain highly competitive within the league.

Zanesville has no go too pitcher or leader it will be tuff!!! Hopefully somebody will step up....

Logan only left 1 starter from last year and are returning a fine pitching staff. They struggled early but ended the season strong. They are looking foward to this year hopefully they will get the ball rolling early

to say the Blue Devils don't have any leaders is a BOLD statement. Granted they lost the person who has been the leader for the past couple of years but they do have experience coming back this year. Adam Young has been on the Varsity for four years and has seen first-hand what it takes to win and to be a leader. I look for him to bounce back from his off season surgery and continue his hot hitting from a year ago as well as step in on the mound.
If you had seen the off season/summer the returning players have had you would see great effort and vast improvement for the entire group. Watching some of the fall ball games the last two months Colten Maxwell is looking strong at the plate and on the mound. Shane Miller is really growing as a hitter and catcher and Kurt Young is improving greatly at the Shortstop position.
Who knows where everyone will fit in but the Blue Devils do have players coming back. The main ingredient for AC's success has been his defense behind him and low walk totals. If this group can avoid free passes in the pitching department I look for the defense to be there for them.

I know the coach certainly despises walks!

There are some very good, quality baseball players on this team, some you mentioned and others (such as J.T. Bunting, Cole Hudson, Wade Kaido, etc.) you didn't get to. What is starting to impress me more is how the numbers are starting to rise. There could be around 10 freshmen joining the program this year, and I think if we can keep those numbers similar each year, it bodes well for us.

Pitching will indeed be very important, but there is quality there.

Frankly, I'm excited about next spring.

Galia Im sure will be good like mentioned. They had a good team last year too. Great coach and they always know how to play small ball. They played us tough last year.

bluedevilpride.........i'm a Alex Cultice fan i didn't mean too apply there are no leader's on the team Alex was a leader for 4 year's it's tuff too lose a player like that i think u would agree .As for pitching there young and will improve they have the talent but what there missing is that big game experience but that will come this season.I don't think there are many senior's on the squad and ur right Adam Young is the only that come's to mind and he will lead the team i hope he stay's healthy.So i hope they have a good offseason and continue there winning ways.. GO BLUE

Don't forget there will be others that are missed from that team last year. Cory Swope at shortstop was one of the best around and it is showing it in his freshman year in college at Washington and Jefferson. Alex was a good pitcher but he didn't strike a lot of people out and if Zanesville didn't have a great defense like Young, Bunting, Swope and some of the others I don't think Alex's numbers would have been so impressive. I think some of us forget this is a team game and think only pitchers win games.

What happened to Adam Young i saw him on the side line at the Chilly football game on crutches

bluedevilpride

I think the early favorites for the 2008 s.e.o.a.l (North) season at this point would have to be Warren and Zanesville. Both of these teams still have a strong core group of players returning along with proven coaching staffs. Marietta will be in the mix and Athens may surprise some folks with some young talent coming up. Plus, Coach Gibson has always been able to get the most out his players no matter what the talent level. Logan should also compete as well. They are not loaded, but, they have some athletes that can play. I may weigh in later when the season gets closer to starting and I get the chance to see who will be playing.

Good luck everyone.

Go Warriors, set your preseason goals high!

I think Chillicothe will compete this year in League play.There will be some new faces out for the program this year.

ZBD ...

Broke an ankle again, in a pickup game recently. He'll be fine. Just seems to be a little snakebitten these days. His shoulder surgery went well, I'm told, and he should be rarin' to go come the start of the regular season.

Zanesville's other pitchers should come from Brandon Smith, Colton Maxwell, Cole Hudson and Wade Kaido, at the least (and the last three of those are only sophomores). There is some other good mound talent coming, too, but I would guess most of them to not quite be ready for "prime time." Never can tell, though.

I look for the very young Jackson Ironmen to compete in the league this year. Like I said they will be young, but i feel will do very well, the team that only won 7 games last year is no longer around.

Would someone please post Portsmouth's 2008 schedule???? Thank you.

North Division

Warren 11-1
Zanesville 10-2
Marietta 9-3
Athens 7-5
Logan 1-11

South Division

Gallia 10-2
Portsmouth 8-4
Chillicothe 7-5
Ironton 6-6
Jackson 4-8

The North Continues to be the dominant division. Gallia returns all starters with the exception of King. Granted he was a good one to lose, but Gallia will play well with more experience.
Chillicothe could go either way. They have some young experienced talent with the best catcher in the league. They could win it if they get hot.

Jackson will be a spoiler, they don't have enough pitching to compete for the title. Coyan is there only legit starter. He can't pitch every game.

I think Zanesville will definitely suprise some people. Kurt Young plays a great shortstop, and Zanesville should have a lot of other solid talent. I will also step out on a limb and say Athens will have a better season than many expect. Athens baseball will only get better from hear with great Junior, Sophmore, and Freshman classes.

gocubsgo- i wouldn't anoit Kurt Young the shortstop just yet. Some other talent on the team that might bid for that spot. Th problem with the middle infield this year is that there is some real good talent there, but with the new additions I am anxious to see how they will handle the BIG Game pressure. Last years defense was simply awesome. That's how they won the way the did. Also good offensive output will be a key which I don't see as a problem. More pitching will also help. I can't wait to see Adam Young and Cole Hudson on the mound. I really think this is going to be a great year for them and they will definitely be able to dominate a ball game. This team is going to be very solid. I wish it was baseball season now. Being someone very close to the Blue Devil baseball team it is going to take a heck of team to take the SEOAL title from this year. GO BLUE!!