OVC

[hilljack]

Thoughts on how the OVC will play out this year?

[Firebreather]

OVC baseball will be pretty evenly matched with the favorite being the Blue Devils from Gallia Academy. The Hornets pitching will make them a contender but they always seem to lose a big game along the way.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

it'll be interesting to say the least. a lot of the teams were playing already. now it will mean way more.

[The Oracle]

Don't bet on it. Plenty of good teams in ovc

[LetsGoPSU]

Not sure what the Trojans have coming into the new league. We need to become competitive

[1906]

the blue kids should prevail

[Moses Guthrie]

Not sure what the Trojans have coming into the new league. We need to become competitive

Portsmouth returns a strong core from a competitive 2015 squad. Departing seniors include starting P, 1B, and CF. The Trojans defeated every team in the OVC at least once, except for Peake, who swept them with excellent pitching performances..
Portsmouth will put a very good product on the field in 2016. New head coach Matt Roy plans to play an extremely competitive non conference schedule in order to prepare the Trojans for conference play and ultimately the tournament.

Gallia Academy will definitely strengthen the OVC. They have an excellent program.

[bucknut24]

Gallia is the heavy favorite I would think although I don't know much about them. Grove returns young talent and their ace pitcher. Defending Champion Chesapeake (sounds weird right?) returns depth and hitting, but replaces two horses at the top of the pitching rotation. After that is a toss up. In order could be 1. Gallia 2. Grove 3. Peake 4. Portsmouth 5. Fairland 6. South Point 7. Ironton 8. Rock Hill

OVC is very deep and very talented. It will be a fun year

[olegoat50]

I think Gallia Academy is going to find out early in the season every game in the OVC is going to be a dogfight....I don't know how anyone can predict putting Gallia as a heavy favorite.....Maybe their going by the OVC being weak in football the last few years......Baseball and Basketball in the OVC is no pushover........ I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see any of the teams win the conference except RH .... I can't see putting Peak at top but I wouldn't be surprised like I said if they did win it...Peake won with pitching last year... They won't have that this year....Bucknut 24 gave his possible prediction of order.....I'm going out on a limb and saying his 5th 6th or 7th pick will win the OVC title.......No team will go undefeated in the OVC this year.. I'm also going to predict Gallia Academy wont finish in the top 3.........

[bbn77]

I agree with you on that olegoat. First place team will most likely have 2 losses. Depending on gallias pitching, I said they'd be heavy favorites because they could handle back to backs with grove or Chesapeake. As far as I know, CG only has one ace and Peake doesn't even have one. Everyone can hit, but the winner has to put together a decent rotation.

[olegoat50]

Pitching will be the key...That's why I feel Chesapeake will finish in bottom half.. I think Ironton will be in top 3 with 3 solid pitchers....My prediction of order ..........1. Ironton 2. Portsmouth 3. coal grove 4. South point 5. gallia 6. Fairland 7. Chesapeake 8. Rock Hill.... Like I said earlier I believe any team in OVC could win it all ....Rock Hill isn't a bad team it wouldn't be a miracle if they won it just don't think they have the pitching...... My top 4 are there because IMO they have pitching and are well rounded teams defensively......

[bbn77]

Needless to say it's probably the deepest the ovc has ever been in baseball. Hopefully one of these teams can take down wheelersburg and take over that regional spot. I could definitely see at least 2 ovc teams doing that

[hilljack]

Looks like a lot of parity in the OVC this year. My predictions are 1.Gallia 2.Coal Grove 3. South Point 4. Chesapeake 5. Portsmouth 6. Ironton 7. Rock Hill 8. Fairland. Rock Hill and Fairland could both possibly surprise and jump up a few notches. Ironton, Chessy, Ports and SP will be in the middle of the Pack. Gallia and Coal Grove fighting for the title. A lot of young talent out there, will be interesting to see who steps up.

[gametime]

RH will have a turf infield, something players will have to get use to.

[pirates87]

Needless to say it's probably the deepest the ovc has ever been in baseball. Hopefully one of these teams can take down wheelersburg and take over that regional spot. I could definitely see at least 2 ovc teams doing that

I hope that doesn't happen but if anyone can take Wheelersburg down, it would be coal grove and their ace, not so sure about gallia, haven't watched them.

[noreply66]

Gallia seems to always have good teams

[olegoat50]

I'm not so sure anyone in the OVC has what I would consider an overpowering ACE.....Or a finesse Pitching ACE.... .....Know nothing about Gallia other than they were down from the previous year.... 3 or 4 teams will be deep in pitching........There will be at least 3 teams with deeper pitching than Coal Grove in my opinion......

[olegoat50]

Players will love the turf... Rarely a bad hop...Big cut down on errors.....Better played games....Only thing they'll have to get use to is a faster infield and not getting hit in the face or sack from a bad hop...lol....In other words after taking infield before a game players will make adjustments and be ready......

[sportsfan11]

The only overpowering ace in OVC is the Grove's left hander but I'll be surprised if grove is in top 3

[olegoat50]

By overpowering pitcher by high School standards I meant a pitcher throwing 86 and up....I don't remember any pitcher for Coal Grove throwing that hard last year.....I remember 2 lefties Coal Grove had who were good pitchers but in no way shut down pitchers where teams couldn't put a bat on the ball...Just my opinion. .Not even sure whether they graduated or not..... I know one of them is back.. The closest pitcher being an ACE in my opinion is the Dameron kid from Fairland if he didn't graduate.....Most High School pitchers throw between 75-80....Speed is good but what makes a good pitcher is changing speeds....keep the hitters off balance...An overpowering pitcher is just what it says....Gets hitters out with speed....I didn't see any of those last year in the OVC. I know some of the other conferences had overpowering pitchers...Jackson for one........I'm sure there are more.. Most people over exaggerate the speeds in which kids throw...