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Dulles District Baseball 2012 Selections
*unanimous
First Team
Outfield
Josh Sweet, SO, Woodgrove HS *
Danny White, JR, Loudoun Valley HS
Lorenzo Calderon, JR, Heritage HS
1st Base
Scott Van Steelant, SR, Woodgrove HS
2nd Base
JJ Sarty, SR, Woodgrove HS
3rd Base
Mat Irish, SR, Briar Woods HS
Shortstop
Jackson Rogers, SR, Potomac Falls HS *
Designated Hitter
Cabot Phillips, SR, Loudoun County HS
Utility Player
Zack Hopeck, SO, Heritage HS
Catcher
Matthew Reed, SR, Woodgrove HS *
Pitcher
Jackson Rogers, SR, Potomac Falls HS *
Danny White, JR, Loudoun Valley HS
Dulles District Most Valuable Player: Jackson Rogers, SR, Potomac Falls HS
Dulles District Coach
of the Year: Joe Terango, Potomac Falls
HS
Second Team
Outfield
Jake Wright, SR, Loudoun County HS
Sam Bass, SR, Potomac Falls HS
Connor Sullivan, JR, Dominion HS
1st Base
Ethan Carlyon, JR, Loudoun County HS
2nd Base
Tyler Rice, SR, Potomac Falls HS
3rd Base
Jared Goldberg, JR, Potomac Falls HS
Shortstop
Cavin Clyde, SR, Loudoun Valley HS
Trevor Pike, JR, Woodgrove HS
Designated Hitter
Tyler Rice, SR, Potomac Falls HS
Utility Player
Matt Jeffery, SO, Woodgrove HS
Catcher
JT Page, SR, Potomac Falls HS
Pitcher
Zack Hopeck, SR, Heritage HS
Brandon Orbe, JR, Potomac Falls HS
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Scott Van Steelant posts record of 7-1. ERA of 1.80, beats Jackson Rogers and Potomac Falls. But isn't even awarded any all-district honors for pitching. WHAT A JOKE!!!!
ReplyDeleteObviously Scott Van Steelant had a great year on the mound. Nevertheless, by calling the process a joke, you diminish and denigrate the four players who were chosen in the pitching category. Eight coaches voted for what they believed were the most deserving. They saw all these players during the year. They were privy to the numbers for each player. Parents (and the general public) do not have this data, other than for their own son, which experience says in many cases, is inflated. I believe the coaches are in the best position to make the call. By the way, Woodgrove got 4 different players on first team while Potomac Falls only got one. Potomac Falls clearly had the superior team this year but didn't see any complaint there.
DeleteGreat points -- and well said -- AND again everybody keep in mind that a lot of this has to do with the Dulles District naming just 2 pitchers to first team and 2 pitchers to second team and not releasing any HM as per district policy. Compare that with Liberty District, with one less school than Dulles, where 5 pitchers got first team honors and 2 more named to second team and another HM for a total of 8 honored or double the honorees ...
DeleteAnother point to consider is that stats and numbers can be tricky ... a lot of coaches with two looks at teams can simply go off which players stood out to them on those given nights ...
In the end, a players designation for all district or all region or all state does not change the bottom line: their contribution to their team ...
Now good luck to all in Regionals and beyond!
I agree that both Potomac Falls and LV had superior teams than Woodgrove. I feel that Woodgrove has much better individual talent that just didn't transform itself into a team as well as the above two and that is why the All-District is lop-sided as well. The All-District/Region/State selections are individual awards though. Before its all over you will see 4 players from Woodgrove: Sweet, Reed, Sarty and Jeffery all be D1 (as Reed and Sarty already are). That's almost half the line-up. Again, it hasn't transformed itself on the field as a "team" yet but the play-offs aren't over either.
DeleteAs Dan wrote, the problem is with district policy. The district should consider increasing the number of pitchers honored each season. A more reasonable number might be three each for 1st and 2nd teams, perhaps even four.
DeleteBut I can see their reasoning in keeping the numbers small. They want to create a single team lineup that consists of the best players to be used in a game, and in a "typical" district game a team will use just two pitchers.
The result is that Van Steelant, who deserves mention, gets none. He's not the only one in that position, to be sure. And had he been mentioned, which of the other three pitchers would I remove? That's a tough call. Each has had an excellent year.
Just to see how tight it is at the top, after last night's semifinal Jackson Rogers was 8-1 and had yielded 11 total runs in 58.0 innings. If they're all earned then his ERA for a 7-inning game is 11 x 7 / 58 = 1.33. That's 1.71 for a 9-inning game.
Yet Van Steelant handed Rogers' his only district loss in four years of play - by allowing just 1 run when Rogers allowed 2. I wouldn't want to face either of these pitchers! Too bad we won't get to seem them facing each other next year, though Regionals may give us the opportunity.
Until a millionaire donates the funds necessary to provide official statistics for each game, we'll have to rely on the coaches to decide this sort of thing. The numbers can indicate a batting title, golden glove or pitching title, but even MLB uses human opinion to choose the MVP honor.
I think that the policy of creating a single team is the best approach. I think that the number of pitchers should stay at two, just like it is. If you go to 8 pitchers as suggested then you water down the award. Maybe a more reasonable approach would be to only give a player one award. If he gets it as a pitcher then is it also reasonable to argue that he was also a 1st team position player when he only would have played half the season at that position? I realize that Rogers got two this season and this isn't targeted against him because I do believe he was the POY. Just saying that if the intent is to honor as many players while still keeping the total number low and the integrity of the awards then it's something to consider...
Delete“You give Jackson Rogers a lead, and there’s no one better out there with the ball right now probably in the state of Virginia,” said Woodgrove Coach Brad Bauder, whose team’s 12 wins equals the total from its inaugural season.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is a joke! It's all about whichever coach lobbies the most for their players.
ReplyDeleteIt's not always about numbers, all the coaches vote for POY! I don't now Jacksons #'s off hand, but my guess is they are the same or even better then Steelants. Jackson can pitch and he deserves the award!!!
ReplyDeleteI think the first post about Van Steelant wasn't arguing about Rogers winning Player of the Year -- an award much deserved in my opinion and hard to argue given he led Panthers to such a great season -- it was about Van Steelant not getting one of the four pitching nods. As for the voting, it is always a delicate and often times political dance to be in those all-district meetings. In some sports, the coaches have a good understanding of each other and the voting is not too emotional and in some sports coaches emerge from these meetings with bitter feelings year after year. I'm just glad the media doesn't do the picking because then a lot of grief would be coming my way! In defense of the Dulles District coaches, let's give them some praise for picking a nearly true number of players for each team -- not so easy with 9 teams in the district -- while some districts end up picking every starter available by the time they are done with first, second and HM selections.
ReplyDeleteSide note: if you left a comment not showing, it didn't make a point that moved the conversation forward. If you want to lobby for a player that was left out or praise a player that was picked we would love to have your input but if you are just being snide, silly or mean ... then you have to find a comments section from another media outlet to let loose!
ReplyDeleteWere you in the room during the selection?
DeleteHa ... they meetings are coaches only and I'm not sure I would want to be in on that!
ReplyDeleteI cannot comment on the above mentioned pitchers except for Jackson. I'm the mom of the second team selection for 2nd base and DH (Tyler Rice), and I've known Jackson ever since t-ball. Not only is Jackson an excellent ball player on the field, but he is also a leader on and off the field, as are ALL seniors at Potomac Falls. We are blessed this year to have such an amazing group of fine ball players who respect each other and respect the game of baseball. Congratulations to Jackson and to all baseball players who were selected. More certainly are worthy of selection. Stop whining out there and be happy for these great ball players who have provided some of the best memories we parents can have!
ReplyDeleteI have to give Kristin Stubbs a shout out for putting her name on her comment when most people go the "anonymous" route! Plus she's a good friend of Viva Loudoun over the years!
ReplyDeleteGoing back to one of my original points, that Jackson Rogers was not the question first posed (Rogers we can all agree, simply amazing prep career!) ... our original comment poster that started the thread has a follow up that I have edited down to the basic fact that (not my opinion, but what the viewer commented!):
"Jackson Rogers deserves the player of the year award and he gets my congratulations, he is a bulldog on the mound, but I stand by my statemant that Scott Van Steelant not being the other 1st team pitcher is a joke" ...
So like many of these things, both sides will have to agree to disagree ... it may be harsh to term it a "joke" but then again advocating for your home team player is now always "whining" ...
Bottom line: we care passionately about our young athletes and the high school sports we play ...
Now let's see if the Dulles District teams ... from Potomac Falls to Woodgrove ... can do some damage in the regional tournament and beyond ...
My hope is that, unless Dulles teams face each other, that everybody in Loudoun roots for the other Dulles teams to do well ... remembering that a rising tide raises all boats and the better any Dulles team does is a reflection of the great competition we had in the district this year!
Dan, I appreciate your comments back. You are right - we all advocate our own. Perhaps "whining" was not the best word choice. I've been on both ends before as a parent... when Tyler's surgery took him out of the game for a year after getting the nod for a starting position as a sophomore on varsity on a competitive Potomac Falls baseball team. It hurts! We see our players' best and their worst. No doubt are there more players out there who are worthy of selection. I sure don't envy the positions the coaches have when making those tough choices! Now let's go win Regionals!!!!
ReplyDeleteLet us not forget the closers. Who entered the games ahead or behind on the score board; with runners on base, to strike out the batter, or get that needed ground ball for the last out and preserve the victory for their starter and their team.
ReplyDeleteThe coaches of these players Jackson Rogers, Scott Van Steelant and Danny White had players who entered the game and held the opponents scoreless. This alone requiries mentioning, as the pressure at that point requires a skill and confidence to get the baseball in the strike zone. A task in and of itself is difficult.
So you coaches make sure you inform your players of YOUR GRATITUDE. That will go along way. . . .
Thanks to all your comments ... I actually can relate to the athletes (no really, just ignore what I look like today!) and even those that come away from these All District type things with a little pride nicked ...
ReplyDeleteIn the end, getting the coaches (and teammates!) gratitude and respect is always greater ...
Case in point: My senior year in football, I was captain of my team's defense at outside linebacker. When our All City picks came up, both my teammates at Inside Linebacker were honored and I was stuck at the HM spot despite having been second team as a JR ...
I was hurt and blamed (wrongly I'm sure!) my coach for not fighting for me at the selections. I should have blamed the 2 games I missed with injury which meant 2 coaches weren't going to vote for a guy they saw in street clothes only!
I was very bitter, including the entire night of our football Awards Banquet ... until I was honored with the final award of the evening, basically the Coaches Award for all-around effort, contribution given in the name of a former player from our school that had died several years earlier in Viet Nam ...
It was a complete surprise as I never felt like a favorite of the coaching staff but I knew in my heart I had worked my tail off and given every ounce of effort to being the best player I could be ...
I will never forget the lack of maturity I showed after not having been picked for All City and also the emotion with which I accepted the award. As any of my youth teams I have coached know, I can get emotional at any awards ceremony!
32 years later, the trophy sits in my office, the only one I have kept over the years from my playing days ... To me it is a symbol of what hard work and effort can accomplish ...
OK .. I return this forum to the current athletes and not us old school guys ....
I have seen many of the players grow up into the fine young men they are today.While every kid who put on a HS uniform wanted to be Dulles District 1st or 2nd team, the fact remains..... only the best can(should)be named to the squad. All coaches have their favorite players from over the years that they vote in.The talent level in Loudoun County has grown over the years and with that, it has and will continue to draw college scouts to our players.
ReplyDeleteI wish all the Seniors, who I have watched play for many years, all the best with their future playing in college.
As for Jackson- he put a smile on my face one night after a long long battle... he said"$%$$# threw a great game, and it has been a long time since anyone made me look that silly at the plate,and $%$$# did it twice." I thanked him, told him I would pass that along,shook his hand and wished him the best in college. To me, that is what it is all about.
Sometimes as parents WE forget that this game is so much fun to play. We bring in all the drama and debates. The kids at the end of a game or season could care less about all of our parental opinions and bleecher coaching. They just can't wait to grab the bat bags and hit the dirt again.
They(the players) grow so fast and before you know it, they are away in college where you do not get to see them take the field every Tuesday/Friday night. You do not get to see the joy and happiness in thier faces as you did, when for 50 cents you could get them a snow cone at Bill Washington(now Jeff Cobb).
I will forever cherish the times I have had with all the young players I have seen grow up and compete with and against my sons.
Best of luck you 2012's!!! Hit them hard & strike them out.
Woodgrove has yet to put it all together on the field yet.. but looked pretty impressive today in a blowout of Heritage. Watch out for the Wolverines in the regional tournament with 4 D1 prospects (2 of them pro prospects), and a great supporting cast.
ReplyDelete