By Matt Corbett
The Daily Item
April 30, 2008 07:55 am
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Mid-term report cards are out
Now that the baseball season has passed the halfway point, it’s time for mid-term report cards.
Grades are based on a sliding curve (pardon the double pun), according to preseason expectations and performance to date. Schools are listed in alphabetical order. Grades and records do not reflect Tuesday’s results.
Danville (6-6, B-): A solid start has been tempered by a mid-season slide, but the Ironmen can still be a factor in the Susquehanna Valley League race as well as the District 4 tournament. This is a team that hasn’t reached its potential.
East Juniata (1-10, C): The Tigers — with two first-year head co-coaches — weren’t expected to have much of an impact this season, and the results haven’t altered that assessment.
Greenwood (2-12, C): The Wildcats were hit hard by graduation, and haven’t yet filled those spots. A struggling offense has produced the fewest runs in the Tri-Valley leage so far.
Lewisburg (2-10, C+): The youthful Green Dragons have been blown out on some occasions and competitive in others. Wins over Milton and Warrior Run should provide some incentive for the second half.
Line Mountain (5-6, C): For the first time in recent memory, the Eagles may miss out on districts. The defending Tri-Valley champs haven’t been able to fill all the holes created by the loss of five starters to graduation. Still, they’re very much in the District 4 hunt, but the second-half schedule isn’t particularly favorable unless they can pull off an upset or two.
Midd-West (8-5, B): These aren’t the Mustangs of the past three seasons, but then, they weren’t expected to be. They’ve rebounded after a slow start, and two more wins will guarantee a district playoff berth, where they could make some noise.
Milton: (1-11, D): The high point was a 10-9 loss to Jersey Shore. Even without Tony Fannick in the lineup until recently, the Black Panthers should have been better than this. The talent is there to be at least a .500 team. The rap against coach Walt Patynski is he’s too nice, too much of a players’ coach. It’s too late to rescue this lost season, but perhaps lighting a fire under this team could send a message for next year.
Mifflinburg (6-6, B): With plenty of seniors and a victory over Montoursville (not to mention a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to Shikellamy), the Wildcats have shown they can play with anybody. The problem has been a low-production offense. With a few more runs, this team could be 8-4 or 7-5. They’ll need to pick it up at the plate to make districts.
Selinsgrove (11-1, A+): The Seals get the highest mark not so much for leading the SVL, but for the way they bounced back after their only loss. No one’s going undefeated in this SVL, but blowing a 7-1, sixth-inning lead against Montoursville had to sting, the kind of loss that sends some teams into a tailspin. Not these Seals, who bounced back with wins of 11-2 over Milton and 6-4 over Shikellamy. With 1-through-9 hitting, solid pitching and steady fielding, this is a team to be reckoned with.
Shikellamy (9-3, A): The Braves have lost twice to Selinsgrove and by a run to Jersey Shore. They’ve beaten all the teams they should have, and have an early-season win over Montoursville. Even if they don’t win the SVL, they’ll certainly be a force in the D-4 Class AAA playoffs, where they’re the defending champs.
Southern Columbia (10-3, A): An early-season victory over Loyalsock helped set the tone for the Tigers, who may have the pitching depth to win the Mid-Penn Conference and make a run in districts. A 4-3 loss to Line Mountain, in which they surrendered three runs in the bottom of the seventh, is largely forgotten.
Upper Dauphin (8-6, B-): The Trojans were picked to finish second in the TVL, but a slow start has relegated them to the middle of the pack so far. Two wins over Midd-West have to be good for their confidence.
Warrior Run (1-11, C): With only a few upperclassmen on this team, the Defenders are a work in progress. A couple more wins would go a long way to improving the outlook for 2009.
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