Originally posted by Parker D:
How is it nitpicking? Hadaway threw against 4 of their 6 post season opponents. Lang threw against the other 2, which were the 1st and 3rd best hitting teams (according to batting average) in class 2A. I was shocked Hadaway didn't throw the 2nd game vs. Davis County (which is why I went to the game), since they had Calvin Mathews ready to throw and Hadaway had from Saturday to Thursday to rest. Lang also threw the substate final vs. Hudson, who was the leading hitting team in 2A. Hadaway threw 4 innings on Tuesday, then on Saturday, then on Saturday at state, then on Saturday in the finals.
I totally agree with you on certain teams that ride one pitcher. I really hate the set-up and felt bad for those pitchers like Westphal and Samo, who did it in 2006 for Lenox.
I really wish the state would go back to a shorter tournament, even if it means playing the first round in 4 sites (maybe Marshalltown, Carroll, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines) and then they can play the semis and finals in Principal Park on the days they do now.
I like the current setup better it helps to prevent it from being a sport where one player can determine the championship.
I knew Cale Henke and Hudson well. I scouted Henke since he was in 8th grade and saw do well every year but struggle to get over the hump.
I knew about Martsching and Mathews at DC and followed the success of the team.
Both of those teams had very strong hitting stats, but pitching was always the strength because of the players I mentioned. They always had impressive records because they were playing mediocre teams most of the time. I would say AP and Denver were the best teams Hudson saw most years. Teams like East Marshall, BCLUW, West Marshall, DNH, GR, GC, and so on would have 1 or 2 solid hitters, but none really had much pitching so Hudson, AP, and Denver often lit them up.
Davis County saw a few tough teams during the season, but they didn't see much. Teams like Washington, Albia, and EB would give them a few solid games during some seasons but they didn't get a lot of big time teams. Iowa Mennonite, West Branch, IC Regina would have been great opponents to face each year, but they went with the same teams and didn't see many threats until at least substate, so the hitting was always in question.
I am not saying those were not formidable teams, as I thought Hudson would make a run at some point, but the hitting stats were a little deceiving.