Park Hill South baseball will lean on strong pitching

After achieving a 14-9 record last season, the Park Hill South Panthers lost a group of seniors known for their hitting. While the 2011 campaign will bring back a core of seniors to take their place, Josh Walker’s team will need to find a way to replace the hitting in order to be successful behind what is sure to be a talented pitching staff.

“I think our overall record will hinge on our hitting. With our pitching and defense we’ll be alright there,” Walker said. “We’ve got a core group back from last year. It’s not the same core, but they have the same values that are carried on and learned from their peers.”

The Panthers’ strength will be on the pitching mound with their senior left-handed ace Adam Schemenauer towering at 6’9”. With a letter of intent already submitted to Louisville, Schemenauer will be looking to lead Park Hill South to a strong season while also keeping one eye on being potentially drafted later this year.

“I think I’d do a disservice not to tout him. I’ve got a lot of scouts contacting me, I mean 6’9” lefties don’t grow on trees,” Walker said. “He’s got a lot to look forward to.”

Don’t expect a step down when Schemenauer is out of the rotation though, as first basemen John Christopher will also play a role for the Panthers on the mound.

“John is getting looks from colleges too, so it’s not like we’re losing a lot when we go from Adam to John,” Walker said. “We’ve got some other guys that can give us some big innings too.”

Walker says his team has focused heavily on scrimmaging in the early season. Getting innings under their belt early will allow them to work on the more particulars as the season progresses. While South is neither a veteran or young team, they could start as many as eight seniors on opening day, but along with their sophomore catcher will see a few underclassmen fighting for positions. Returning with varsity experience from last year include infielders Brice Turner, Kendrick White, and Kyle Wilenbrink which will give the Panthers a good foundation to build around.

“We’ve got some experience,” Walker said. “Looking pretty good defensively and pitching wise, just have to get them to swing the bats.”

South will start the season with five games in six days and their conference schedule will feature some long-distance trips with Belton, Raytown, and William Chrisman. The closest match-up might be their toughest as Winnetonka will bring back a quality squad this season.

From year to year, Walker believes there is one constant that he hopes shines through each season and that is having kids who are also good teammates.

“We carry over some strengths like communication and teamwork,” Walker said. “I think the kids get along well with each other which is something we try to build into the program.”