Spring Roundup: Apr. 16-23

Park Hill Boys Golf
Beat Platte County in their final dual match of the season last week at Tiffany Greens with a 171-182 victory. Colby Buehler medaled with a score of 41.

Park Hill South Boys Golf
Bested Ray-Pec last week by a large margin with a 178-202 win. Matt Barry medaled in the match with a score of 39.

Park Hill Girls Soccer
…despite a 3-0 loss to Liberty to start the week, the Lady Trojans bounced back with two wins against St. Joe Central and Truman to improve their record to 7-9 on the year. Karra Kennedy, Regina Bolin, Lyndi Plattner, and Allison Maier contributed goals in their victory against St. Joe Central. Katie Hibbeler accounted for the lone goal in Park Hill’s 1-0 win over Truman.

Park Hill will participate in the Oak Park Tournament over the weekend.

Park Hill South Girls Soccer
While a tie is not a loss, it certainly isn’t a win as Park Hill South knows all too well from playing to two unsatisfying ties last week, the first a 1-1 tie against Lee’s Summit and the second a 2-2 tie against Notre Dame de Sion. The Panthers did manage to put out a 2-1 victory against Blue Springs South in their final game of the week improving their overall team record to 10-1-2 on the season. Crystal Lenhert and Courtney Claassen scored South’s two goals. Claassen continues to lead the team in goals with 16.

They play Liberty on Friday, hoping to end their losing streak to the Blue Jays, who ended their season last year in sectional play.

Park Hill Baseball
…improved to 10-3 on the year last week after going 2-1 in the Northland Tournament. They opened the week with a close 2-1 loss to Fort Osage. Logan Sloniker gave up two earned runs, but struck out eight batters in five innings. Park Hill bounced with a 9-5 win over Platte County in extra innings after Zach Anderson’s three run homer opened up the Trojans margin in the tenth inning. Park Hill went on to defeat Liberty North the next day 2-0. Dalton Moats pitched a complete game, striking out an impressive 15 batters and only allowing three hits.

Park Hill South Baseball
…got some much needed victories in the Northland Tournament last week after suffering two losses to Liberty North and Staley. They beat Platte County 12-2 and Kearney 4-0 after solid pitching performances from Ryan Cockriel, who struck out six against Platte County, and Corey Land, who struck out eight against Kearney. Coach Josh Walker says their offense has come along and added to their quality pitching of late.

“We a finally taking good at bats and getting great starting pitching,” Walker said.

Park Hill Tennis
…improved their team dual record to 11-2 last week with two additional wins against Staley and Liberty after previously beating Park Hill South earlier in the week. The 6-3 victory over Liberty marked a fitting way to commemorate Senior Night for three seniors who won their final home watches.

The Trojans will participate in the Suburban Northland Tournament and Brandon McPherson Doubles Classic over the next two weeks before defending their district title at Staley the second week of May. Varsity starters’ records for Park Hill are as follows: Michael Jones (10-5 in singles, 10-3 in doubles), Max Schoettger (11-5, 10-3), Chris To (8-5, 9-4), Louis Reinmiller (7-6, 9-7), Noah Higgins-Dunn (7-6, 8-9), and Trevin Howerton (9-2, 10-4).

Spring Roundup: Apr. 9-14

Park Hill South Girls Soccer
…took control of their conference last week with three conference victories. Anna Courtney scored two goals in South’s 4-1 victory over Raytown South with Crystal Lenhert and Katie Lindsey also putting in goals for the Panthers. In a 4-2 win over Raytown, Shay Jackson, Alysa Guzman, Courtney Claassen, and Abbey Johnson contributed goals. To end the week, Jessica Lee secured her seventh shutout of the year as Park Hill South defeated William Chrisman 3-0. They will be competing in the Blue Springs South Tournament all this week before returning to home to play against Fort Osage next week.
Courtney Claassen leads team in goals (1st in points), Shay Jackson in assists (2nd in points). The Panthers are now 8-1 overall, 6-0 in conference on the year.

Park Hill South Girls Track
…took first place at Northwest Missouri State University out of 11 teams early last week in the Bearcat Invite, edging out Chillicothe by 17 points out of nearly 1000 earned. Leading them were first place finishers Audrey Rothers in the 110 hurdles and Blake Reser in the triple jump. Reser also brought home second in the long jump. Contributing additional team points with their third and fourth place finishes were Tori Kerr in the discus (3rd), De De O’Toole in the 3200 meter race (3rd), Rothers in the high jump (4th), Morgan Keesee in the shot put (4th) and discus (4th), and the 4x800 relay team of Erin Stump, Lizzy Jurries, O’Toole, and Madeline Homoly (4th).
Park Hill South took eighth out of nine teams at the Winnetonka Invitational later in the week. Jessica Hayes placed second in the high jump while fourth place finishes were secured by Kyndal Mills in the triple jump and Jessica Hayes in the 300 hurdles.
They host the Park Hill South Invitational this Friday.

Park Hill South Boys Track
…finished fourth out of 11 teams at Northwest Missouri State University’s Bearcat Invitational to start last week. The 4x100 relay team of Bryan Robinson, Craig Scott, Marcus Harris, and Nick Griffith clocked in a first place time. With second place finishes were Jalen Ross in the 300 hurdles, Max Rodgers in the pole vault, and the 4x800 relay team of Mitch McDonald, Mason Homoly, Lendon Calhoun, and Abdi Sarbessa. Cody Kildow took third in the discus.

The Panthers didn’t finish the week they way they were hoping to at the Winnetonka Invitational last week as they finished last out of nine teams with just 19 points.

Park Hill Baseball
…increased their winning streak to four to end the week last week with two wins. The first came against North Kansas City when the Trojans rallied from a 6-2 deficit to score five runs in the final inning to win 7-6. Zach Anderson contributed two RBI’s while Zach Thompson and Dalton Moats scored two runs apiece. Moats struck out nine in his outing against Smithville on the way to a 7-1 victory over Smithville on Friday. Moats, combined with Nick Jones and Cooper Gardner to hold Smithville to only three hits the entire game. Austin Lewis, John Balsamo, and Moats had two hits apiece while Jacob Vanvacter contributed two RBI’s.
Park Hill is now 8-2 coming into the Northland Tournament this week.

Park Hill Girls Soccer
…split their two games at the Smithville Tournament last weekend. Despite allowing a goal in their own net, Park Hill was able to defeat Harrisonville in penalty kicks 4-3 after the game was tied 1-1 after regulation. The Trojans fell to Staley 2-1 in the next game. Abby Peoples scored Park Hill’s only goal.

Park Hill/Park Hill South Golf
Park Hill South came away with a match victory after a strong outing against Liberty, St. Joe Central, and Park Hill last week at The National. Austin Dorrell medaled for the Panthers with a score of 74. Park Hill South’s top score of 313 bested Liberty at 334, St. Joseph Central at 388, and Park Hill at 389.

Park Hill Boys Track
…placed fifth out of 13 teams at the Blue Springs Invitational last weekend with 61 team points. Leading the way with their first place finish in the 4x800 meter run was the team of Riley Fahrenholz, Kyle Pudenz, Joe Walton, and Nate Huffer. Deven Belew in 400 and Cain Winebrenner in the 1600 took home second place finishes. Steven Clopine in the high jump and Dondrell Hardiman in the 300 meter hurdles placed third.

Park Hill will participate in the Park Hill South Invitational this Friday.

Park Hill Girls Track
…took ninth place out of 11 teams with 26 points last weekend at the Blue Springs Invitational. Taylor Cofield took fourth in the pole vault and fifth in the triple jump to lead the Trojans in points. Also getting fifth place finishes were Kim Rau in the 3200 run and the 4x800 relay team of Rau, Joanna Grauberger, Chelsay Lewis, and Brooke Bischof.

Park Hill will participate in the Park Hill South Invitational this Friday.

Park Hill nine off to strong start

Strong pitching keeps a minor losing streak from stretching into a major one.

Case in point: Park Hill’s 4-0 start to the season was snapped last week with a 9-8 extra inning loss to Lee’s Summit West. The Trojans dropped a second in a row to Blue Springs the following day 4-1 before ending the week with two wins against Ruskin 12-3 and Truman 3-0.

Park Hill’s 6-2 start to the season has largely been credited to a strong pitching staff, which has been able to maximize their strikeouts while limiting their walks. With strong pitching, the Trojans believe they’ll be able to muster enough defense behind it to be a competitor when the district tournament rolls around in May.

“Our pitching has been real well. We’ve got four guys, three of which we needed to come through for us as starters. All of them are a little different,” Coach Greg Reynolds said. “We’ve got a plan of attack for our staff, so we’re going to stick with that. If you have three really good starters, you’ve got a good chance in districts.

Marcus Cross, Dalton Moats, Logan Sloniker, and Nick Jones have seen a lot of innings for the Trojans along with several other reliable pitchers from time to time. While the Trojan pitchers are tallying up good numbers in terms of strikeouts, the Park Hill offense has been limiting their strikeouts and hopes to put it all together for a strong one-two punch moving forward.

“We haven’t gotten all three of our guys hot at the same time with our three, four, and five hitters yet,” Reynolds said of Zach Thompson, Zach Anderson, and Nick Jones, who serve as the heart of Park Hill’s lineup.

One of the keys they believe has led to their early season success has been the quality weather so far this spring which allowed them to use the field more than they normally would in March.

“The biggest thing is we got to get onto the field in the preseason and actually see some live pitching and go through situations,” Reynolds said. “It makes everyone feel good; it brings a more positive thought process. We’ve had a chance to see what we had early.”

Having played a number of district opponents already and seeing positive results, the Trojans hope their game develops even further and gives them a shot at a desirable one or two seed in the district tournament.

“I don’t think we’ve playing anyone you could say is a bad team this year, but probably not anyone you could call a great team either,” Reynolds said. “We’re probably competing for one of the top seeds right now, but everyone is real close, so there are a lot of games to be played still.”

Park Hill plays North Kansas City and Smithville this week before beginning the Northland Tournament next week.

SPRING OUTLOOK: Park Hill Baseball

Last year’s 12-13 Park Hill baseball team featured a lot of underclassmen in key roles, part due to injuries and part due to necessity. Coming in 2012, this means the Trojans come back with a strength that could come in handy in a sport as strategic as baseball: depth. It also means there are several positions up for grabs among more than enough capable players.

“We played a lot of underclassmen last year and they ended up getting a lot of playing time. It was good for our lower levels in promoting competition,” Coach Greg Reynolds said. “We’re exciting for the kids that will be fighting for jobs, it gives us a little flexibility.”

One of the players thrown into the fire as a sophomore last year was pitcher Logan Sloniker who racked up 50 strikeouts in 38 innings, posting a 4.80 earned run average. It was a tough position to be in for a young player, but using it as a foundation should pay dividends this season.

“Sloniker was thrown in as a sophomore,” Reynolds said. “He’s one of our best when it comes to conditioning and coming in for weights, but it takes a toll. This year we’re hoping to get a lot more help for him in several different ways.”

Returning for the Trojans and providing a solid group to build around are shortstop Zach Thompson, outfielder Zach Anderson, and outfielder/pitcher Dalton Motts, who, with Sloniker, will represent the heart of the lineup with a combined 74 hits and 39 runs batted in. Third baseman Jake Jones, catcher Ryan Winters, and second baseman Austin Lewis return as starters from last year’s team. Marcus Cross, Chris Heustis, Adam Fosdick, Paul Safford, Brent Collins, and Jose Reyes will also contribute.

Park Hill’s depth is probably most evident in the outfield where they have several players who can cover ground and when not starting serve as potential base running threats including John Balsamo, Cooper Gardner, and Seth Ell. This will be key since Anderson’s lone home run last season serves as the only evidence of power returning offensively for a Park Hill team that will rely on line drives and speed to their advantage.

“I think our outfield strength in terms of depth is better than it is anywhere else. We look at this team and think that defense is going to make the difference, so that’s how we’re deciding who wins a position. With that said, speed in the outfield is important. Some of our best teams have had that.”

Pitching is an area Park Hill feels confident in with four solid options to choose from. Cross, Sloniker, and Motts will see significant innings on the mound. Jake Jones, who is recovering from an arm injury, and Nick Jones will see relief opportunities throughout the season.

Park Hill starts the season off at the KC Metro Tournament before hosting Oak Park and St. Joe Central next week.

Spring Weekly Roundup: April 11-15

Park Hill Boys Tennis
... led by Michael Jones win 10-4 in the top singles matchup they beat Lee's Summit North 7-2 to start off last week. Blake Barnard and Christian Reinmiller also won in their number one double competition 10-6. They next welcomed Ruskin and with a combination of all skill levels beat the Eagles 8-1. Later in the week, they traveled to Pembroke Hill where they fell 5-0 before inclement weather prevented the meet from being completed. They'll compete against Liberty North Wednesday and Blue Springs South Thursday.

Park Hill South Boys Tennis
...improved their overall dual season record to 5-1 last week with a two 9-0 wins against Belton and Fort Osage. Top singles players Zack Royle and Griffin Smith are undefeated at 6-0 on the year.

"They're non-stop, they are just going after the ball constantly," Coach Glynis Chambers said of her top two players."Griffin's got a solid left-hand which can be an obstacle for many players and Zach is a really strong hitter."

Solidifying their lineup, the Panthers have Jim Geary, Justin Dixon, Josh Lukens, and Abhi Gullapalli contributing at the varsity level with Chris McCarthy finding himself pushing those above him in competing for and sometimes stepping into that sixth spot on the roster.

"Our top six players are not only great tennis players, they take their academics seriously, and are overall awesome young men," Coach Glynis Chambers said.

Park Hill Boys Track
.. had another strong performance last week as they placed first overall as a team in the Winnetonka Invitational. A number of Trojans earned top finishes with first place medal winners including Cain Winebrenner in the 1600 meter dash, Nick Smith in the discus (161' 2"), Luke Bossert in the pole vault (12' 6"), Trace Norfleet in the long jump (22' 5.25") and triple jump (44' 9"), and the 4x800 relay team of Nathan Koehler, Joe Walton, Riley Farenholz, and Winebrenner. Runners-up with second place finishes included Anthony Arens in the 100 meter dash (10.88), Quenton Noble in the 200 meter dash (22.8), Nate Huffer in the 3200 meter run (10:48), Smith in the shot put, Nick Shepherd in the high jump, and the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. Burt Taylor in the 100 meter run, Joe Walton in the 800 meter run, Dondrell Hardiman in the 300 hurdles, and Artis Norfleet in the long jump all came in third with their respective performances. They'll compete this week at the Kansas Relays at KU before hosting the Park Hill Invitational next week.

Park Hill Girls Track
...saw some strong performances at the Winnetonka Invitational last week with two top finishes. Stephanie Atkinson continues to standout for the Trojans as she earned first place in the pole vault. Also finishing first was the 4x100 relay team of Thomas, Belcher, Moss and Battles. Marche Belcher in the 200 meter run and the 4x800 relay team of Lewis, Grauberger, Bischof, and Ebbrechet finished in second place while third place medal winners included Davon Thomas in the 200 meter run, Bailey Cation in the long and triple jumps, Belcher in the 300 hurdles, Chelsea Lewis in the 800 meter run, and the 4x200 relay team of Battles, Belcher, Moss, and Thomas.

Park Hill South Boys Track
...with a strong performance in the Winnetonka Invitational, the Panthers scored 101 team points which was good enough for third place. First place finishes included James Bowlin in the 800 meter run and Christian Hildebrandt in the high jump. Second place finishers included the 4x800 relay team of Bowlin, D.J. Johnson, Abdi Sarbessa, and Connor Allison, Johnson in the 400 meter run, and Dillon Ryel in the pole vault. Cody Kildow in the discus, the 4x100 relay team of Lucas Gardner, Jones, Josh Gordon, and Andrew Davis along with the 4x400 relay team of Bowlin, Gardner, Johnson, and Ryel all received third place finishes. They will compete next this Friday at the William Chrisman Invitational.

Park Hill South Girls Track
...placed second in the Winnetonka Invitational. The handful of first place finishes came from Tori Kerr in the discus, Blake Reser in the long jump and triple jump, and the 4x800 relay team of Jessica McCoy, Lizzy Jurries, Logan Tucker-Nelson, and Samantha Roy. Roy also placed first in the 800 meter run. Jen Carlson in the high jump, Tucker-Nelson in the 800 meter run, Hannah Carlson in the 300 hurdles, Lauren Goner in the triple jump and the 4x100 relay team of Chandler Termini, Allyse Edwards, Hannah Brown, and Reser all finished as runners-up in second place. They will compete next this Friday at the William Chrisman Invitational.

Park Hill Baseball
... entered this week with a four game winning streak after victories against Park Hill South (5-2) and North Kansas City (1-0). Nathan Shores (.381, 12 RBI's) and Zach Thompson (.326, 9 RBI's) continue to lead the Trojans on offense. But Shores's impressive 0.69 ERA in 20 1/3 innings and Logan Sloniker's 33 strikeouts seem to be what are making the difference for Park Hill which is now 8-6 on the year. They hope to continue their success in the opening round of the Northland Tournament this week against Excelsior Springs, Staley, and Smithville.

Park Hill South Baseball
... despite a solid win against William Chrisman 6-0 earlier last week, the Panthers continued to see a lack of run support for strong pitching performances as they dropped games against Park Hill (5-2) and Winnetonka (2-0). Park Hill South, now 5-9 overall, will hope to combine their good pitching outings with some offense this week as they play three games against Liberty North, Oak Park, and Kearney in the Northland Tournament this week.

"Our pitchers all threw well, but we did not back them up with anything," Coach Josh Walker said.

Park Hill Girls Soccer
...had a rough week at the Smithville Tournament last week. Losses to Smithville (2-0) and Staley (4-2) started out the week, but the Trojans were able to salvage the last game by pulling out victory against Harrisonville after the game went to penalty kicks after a 1-1 score during regulation. They're now with a remaining game against Truman this week followed by matchups with Liberty North and Lee's Summit West next week.

Park Hill/Park Hill South Boys Golf
Park Hill South pulled out a one stroke victory ahead of Liberty last week in a quad meet competition that also included Park Hill and St. Joe Central at the National II last week. Park Hill South's 336 total team score bested Liberty's 337. Park Hill followed with a score of 352 and St. Joe Central trailed with a stroke total of 377.

Spring Weekly Roundup: April 4 - 9

Park Hill South Girls Soccer
... cruised through another week with three victories to increase their impressive record to 9-1. All three games were blowouts with wins against Raytown South (10-0), Winnetonka (9-0), and Fort Osage (7-0). Katie Riojas and Emily Hanlon are leading the team in goals with 10 and 9, respectively. Abbey Johnson and Courtney Claassen follow with seven a piece. Claassen has also contributed 13 assists. Alexis Mikulich continues to dominate as the Panthers' goalkeeper as she has only allowed three goals all season and has recorded eight shutouts in nine games. The Panthers are currently 4-0 in the conference as they look to run the table undefeated. They'll host William Chrisman before playing in the Blue Springs South Invitational next week.

Park Hill South Girls Track
... had several athletes excel at the Kearney Classic last Friday afternoon. Leading the pack for the Panthers was Hannah Carlson's second place finish in the 300 meter hurdles. Also placing in that event was Audrey Rothers with her eighth place finish. Blake Reser finished third in the long jump with a distance of 15', 8.25". Reser also placed fifth in the triple jump. She was accompanied with several other fifth place finishers in the likes of the 4x800 and 4x100 meter relay teams, Audrey Rothers in the 110 hurdles, and Samantha Roy in the 800 meter dash. Their next competition with be in the Winnetonka Invitational at Staley this Thursday.

Park Hill South Boys Track
... Max Rodgers in the pole vault and Cody Kildow in the discus led the Panthers with third place finishes in the Kearney Classic last week. The 4x100 relay team placed third with a 44.86 time while James Bowlin placed fourth in the 1600 meter run coming in with a time of 4:31. South hopes to improve on some of their performances with higher finishes this week in the Winnetonka Invitational.

Park Hill Baseball
... went 2-1 last week with victories against Truman (5-1) and Ruskin (18-0) while their lone defeat came to Blue Springs (7-0). The Trojans are now 6-6 on the season. They'll play at North Kansas City in their only scheduled game this week before competing in the Northland Tournament next week.
 
Park Hill South Baseball
…. went 2-1 last week with all three games being decisive. The victories included Raytown South 10-0 and Belton 5-0. John Christopher pitched a complete game and only allowed three hits against Raytown South while gaining run support from Sam Laney and Kendrick White who went 2-3. Adam Schemenauer struck out 18 Belton batters while Blake Phillips went 3-3 with 4 RBI’s. The sole loss on the week came at the hands of Liberty by a score of 11-1. Kyle Willenbrink and Ty Elley both went 1-1 in their plate appearances. Coach Josh Walker said their defense didn’t help them any in their loss against Liberty, but sees improvement overall even though they occasionally see setbacks.

Trojan baseball looking for consistency

The Park Hill Trojans are experiencing the ups and downs of early spring baseball after going 2-2 over the last week to bring their overall record to 4-5 on the season. Most recently, they fell 5-1 to conference foe Lee's Summit West Monday afternoon after giving up three runs in the first inning from a combination of walks and throwing errors. While the loss put Park Hill one game behind the Titans in the conference race, the Trojans have seen some quality competition thus far in this early season and coach Greg Reynolds doesn't necessarily consider his team in a tough spot right now despite some inconsistencies and the recent absence of slugger Adam Vanderpool.

"They came together on Friday at St. Joe and we played a very good game, I was happy with how we responded," Reynolds said of the 5-1 victory. "I wasn't unhappy with the way we played tonight (against Lee's Summit West), we just didn't get any clutch hits. When you're without a kid who basically hit .400 as a junior last year, it causes a ripple effect through your whole program."

Reynolds says the baseball from other teams in the area he's seen so far this season has been fairly good.

"The high school baseball I've seen this year is good and the pitching is real well. Got a lot of guys that are throwing strikes and can work quickly," Reynolds said.

Which is what he's beginning to see glimpses of from his own pitching staff and hopes to roll that over to the entire rotation. The undisputable ace thus far has been senior Nathan Shores followed by sophomore Logan Sloniker who are sporting 1.05 and 3.70 ERA's entering this week. Jordan Burnidge rounds out the third spot in the rotation.

"He's (Shores) thrown strikes and his the top two pitches are good enough to keep us in any game. We play better defense when he's pitching because he's around the strike zone and has good rhythm," Reynolds said. "Logan makes other teams beat him with their bat, not through walks. Jordan has the stuff, when he has the control, he's as good as anybody."

Shores and Jake Jones make up the strength of the Trojans' offensive with a combined 21 hits and 15 RBI's accounted for entering this week.

"Jake was hitting the ball in some pretty clutch situations from the six-hole, so we moved him into the four hole to replace Vanderpool," Reynolds said.

Prior to the loss to Lee's Summit West Monday and victory against St. Joe Central last Friday, the Trojans beat Liberty North (5-3) and lost to Oak Park (2-5). They'll play Ruskin and Truman before preparing for four games in the Northland Tournament next week.

Measuring stick: Park Hill, PH South skippers use season-opening tourney for evaluation

Seeing a season start off on a good note is something all coaches strive for, but after all the games are played at the end of the season it’s what you accomplish in those key conference and district games that count the most. Those sentiments were echoed last week from Park Hill and Park Hill South coaches Greg Reynolds and Josh Walker as neither team walked away from the KC Metro Leadoff Tournament satisfied with their first performances of the year.

“You can either go into this thinking you need to win all five games in order to get a good start to your season or you can approach it like spring training and get a better idea of what you have. We used more pitchers than we usually would,” Reynolds said. “I like it because you find out a lot about your team.”

Park Hill went 2-3 on the week with victories over Lee’s Summit North (13-6) and Ray-Pec (10-9). Other than Rockhurst, two of their three losses came in games where they carried a tie into the sixth inning, but gave up four runs each time to end the game. Those losses were at the hands of Staley (5-1) and Oak Park (13-9).

“I was pleased we were in every game except against Rockhurst,” Reynolds said. “With so many inexperienced guys on varsity, I think it woke some guys up.”

Reynolds says he was glad to see the ability to use the sacrifice bunt as well as they did, but would like to see improvement on their base running despite not having great speed. He expects Nathan Shores and Luke Burnidge to contribute on the pitching mound while three or four others attempt to player their way into the rotation. Park Hill also hopes a strong closer will emerge in the coming weeks that will be able to prevent those costly runs associated with fatigue in later innings.

Park Hill South didn’t see very much success either as they fell in four of their first five games last week in the lead off tournament. Their sole victory came with a 9-2 win over William Chrisman. The Panthers also saw two close games slip away in the late innings. In fact, they went to extra innings both times. The first was an eight-inning pitching duel against Blue Springs South 3-2 followed by an 11 inning game against Lee’s Summit West in which they eventually fell 10-6.

“We did not have a good week,” Walker said. “We made a lot of errors, but our pitching was pretty good. Nick Ferraro had the best week on the mound.”

While their defense was shaky, the first week did show signs of optimism in the Panthers’ hitting which was initially a concern. Scoring runs did not seem to present a problem for South as they averaged a strong seven runs a game over the course of their first five games.

With the season now well underway the 1-4 Panthers look to Staley, Fort Osage, and Raytown this week to establish more winning ways while the 2-3 Trojans Liberty, Oak Park, and St. Joe Central.

Park Hill baseball hopes to build on stellar 2010

After coming off the school’s best baseball season in history where their 17-6 record advanced them to the state quarterfinals for the first time, Park Hill returns just two starters and a handful of lettermen to the 2011 squad. While this year’s team will have a lot of new faces, the Trojans and coach Greg Reynolds know in order to build a program it requires successful seasons every year.

“Last year was great, but this year we have a chance to put our program where we want it to be,” Reynolds said. “Coming back after losing 11 seniors, playing well, putting together a record we want and getting back to the playoffs, now that would put our program where we want it.”

The three most experienced players returning include first baseman and slugger Adam Vanderpool, second baseman and pitcher Nathan Shores, and pitcher Luke Burnidge. These three will serve as the most experienced of their fellow teammates, but Reynolds believes there are several advantages to having a young team with positions up for grabs and players needing to prove themselves.

“One of their strengths is they are understanding things a little quicker than some of the more experienced teams we’ve had around,” Reynolds said. “We’ve got a lot of options for the things we consider holes right now and fighting for varsity jobs which will make us better, the competition will help.”

The firepower that came with last year’s team will be substituted for the Trojans’ focus on sound strategy and basics which thankfully cater to some of their emerging strong points.

“We’ve got some guys that can put the ball in play, but not with the power we did last year,” Reynolds said. “We’re going to have to play more small ball this year.”

There are a handful of players Reynolds will seek additional support from. Zach Thompson (SS), Zach Anderson(C), Jake Jones (3B), and Adam Fossett (2B/OF) will contribute to what will likely be a strong infield. While Jones and Fosdick will be interchangeable at the lead-off and middle lineup slots in the order at first, Reynolds says Thompson is baseball savvy and Anderson can play just about any position he’s needed at, creating a well-rounded group of athletes.

Reynolds sees two keys to this year’s squad. The first is the amount of walks his pitchers give up. Secondly, being able to bat around .300 as a team or slightly below means they won’t have to rely on the long-ball as in the past.

A young team will be paired with a difficult schedule featuring district or conference implications almost every time they step on the field. The untested Trojans hope to use it as a challenge.

“Every game will be very important. I don’t see a lot of games where it won’t mean very much,” Reynolds said. “Plus, with our kids wanting to prove themselves in a fighting battle for every game, I’m thinking we’ll take each pitch a little more seriously.”

Resilient Trojans fall in quarterfinals, set new precedent

After winning their first district baseball championship since 1997, the Park Hill Trojans took it a step further last Tuesday as they advanced to the state quarterfinals with a win against Truman 5-3 to record the school’s first ever playoff victory. After giving up three runs early, pitcher Daniel Jessen held Truman steady the rest of the way allowing Park Hill’s offense to take over including two key RBI’s from James Vega.

The win led them to a quarterfinal matchup with Rockhurst (21-3) on Friday. Blue skies and eighty degree temperatures added to a near-perfect baseball atmosphere for an unprecedented crowd turn-out lined around the field. Coach Greg Reynolds talked about the mindset the Trojans looked to take against an intimidating Rockhurst team.

“They’re exactly like we are. They make errors. They put the ball in play. In baseball it doesn’t matter how big or what the name of your school is,” Reynolds said. “It just matters if you have nine or ten quality guys to put on the field each day.”

With Park Hill down 2-0 in the second, Adam Vanderpool hit a solo home run to make it 2-1. A two run homer in the fourth made the score 4-1 in favor of Rockhurst before Vega evened it up with a three run homer in the fifth. The Trojans kept finding themselves battling back, something they’ve held to their advantage all season. Rockhurst gained critical runs in the sixth and seventh to put Park Hill down 6-4 going into the last inning.

Leading off with the top of the lineup, Trojan fans hoped for another comeback. Nick Hughes walked to start the inning followed by two quick outs. Vanderpool ripped a double to right-center field scoring Hughes from first to make the score 6-5. With runners on first and second and two outs, Alex Otto’s shot to centerfield didn’t quite have enough power as the ball was caught for the final out of the game.

“We’ve come back a lot of different ways with a lot of different guys this year. The last couple games we’ve had guys hit home runs late in games that haven’t hit one all season. You can’t keep doing that, eventually you’ll get stung,” Reynolds said.

The mood was somber as 11 seniors ended their high school careers, but there were little words needed between Reynolds and his team in their post-game gathering to express their accomplishments.

“These guys know how to play the game. There’s nothing I can tell them. I’m proud of them and I told them that. These seniors took us to a spot we never thought we’d be and they did it because they listened, followed directions and showed discipline,” Reynolds said.

The slate is nearly wiped clean next year as the Trojans return five lettermen, two of them starters, from this year’s team.

“I hope it’s a carry over. Baseball is like a lot of sports where it’s always a learning experience with new players coming in. Our job as a program is to not have a letdown,” Reynolds said.

Trojans win districts, look to seal place in history

It didn’t seem like the Class 4 District 16 championship game would ever finally get played after being delayed several days due to the weather, but it was well worth the wait for the Park Hill Trojans (16-5) as they defeated St. Joe Central 10-8 Saturday to advance to the sectional round of the state playoffs. The few days wait was nothing compared to the wait they had to endure for their first district title since 1997, a year before the opening of now district rival Park Hill South divided the district into two high schools.

A win Tuesday against Truman (15-6) would represent the first time a Park Hill baseball team has won a playoff game in five attempts. Advancing would likely mean a showdown with a talented Rockhurst squad on Thursday.

Coach Greg Reynolds gives credit to a strong senior class and things falling into place at the right time for their impressive run through one of the areas’ toughest districts.

“We’ve got 11 seniors with varying degrees of playing time and every one of them has had to overcome something. They deserve this,” Reynolds said. “We had our pitching staff the way we wanted it and everything set up to the point where we knew if we put the ball in play we’d have a good chance.”

Senior Clay Smith, a stronghold on the pitching mound throughout the season, led the Trojans past Park Hill South in the district opener before also notching the win in the title game.

“We knew we had a chance to be strong and it wasn’t because of the talent, it’s because we’re all friends and we could play together with that chemistry,” Smith said.

Reynolds believes the Trojans reached a turning point mid-season during a double-header against William Chrisman.

“We had a couple selfish acts during a stretch earlier in the season where we knew we wouldn’t be able to beat teams like Kearney and St. Joe Central,” Reynolds said. “We wouldn’t beat them unless we did it as a team and the kids really bought into it.”

It was a team effort in Saturday’s title game as an offensive battle ensued as Central scored two runs in the first inning. Park Hill came back in the second inning as Alec Kennedy batted Adam Vanderpool in followed by Daniel Jessen scoring on an error to tie it at 2-2. Central added a run in the third before a two-run homer from Park Hill’s J.D. Weyer made the score 4-3. Central then brought in ace Keaton Steele to quiet the Trojan bats, but they sealed their title in the fifth by taking advantage of a huge opportunity. With the Indians up 6-4, Park Hill had the bases loaded and no outs. James Vega scored on an interference call and an Alex Otto sac fly scored Weyer to tie the score at 6-6. Kennedy used the momentum to blast the Trojans ahead with a three run homer making the score 9-6. A Nick Hughes RBI later scored Weyer for the sixth run of the inning for the Trojans. Central added two more runs, but it wasn’t enough as Park Hill claimed the title with a 10-8 victory.

The team discussed what a district title would mean, but the immediate focus was on the next game.

“This is a group that is playing one more day for each other. It doesn’t matter who you play anymore, it just matters that you’re playing,” Reynolds said. “If you believe you can beat anybody, which we’re starting to get there, we’ll be alright.”

Trojans best Panthers, look to title game

With scattered showers and sometimes thunderstorms canceling a majority of last week’s games, the Park Hill and Park Hill South baseball teams had a longer break between their final regular season game and first round district games than they would have liked. The weather was no different this past Saturday, but district tournament officials were determined to get the game in even with the variation of light sprinkles and steady drizzle. The muddy dirt and gray skies were equally as satisfying as the performance on the field.

“We knew something that shouldn’t determine a district game between two good teams at this level might come into play,” Park Hill coach Greg Reynolds said of how the conditions could affect the game.

Pitching would come into play as pivotal in such conditions and the first two innings demonstrated just that as the only base runner came from Park Hill when Nathan Shores was hit with a pitch, but he was caught leaning and picked-off before the next pitch was thrown to end the inning.

“Anytime the ball touched the ground, you’d need a new one,” Reynolds said. “After two or three pitches it’d be soaked.”

Things picked up in the third when Park Hill’s Daniel Jessen led off the inning with the game’s first hit. After Jessen was sacrificed to second, a Nick Hughes line drive to left field was dropped leaving the Trojans with runners at second and third with one out. Park Hill South’s Pat Brady got out of the jam by delivering two important outs with the final being a strikeout of J.D. Weyer. In the top of the fourth, Park Hill South got on the board when a failed pick-off attempt at first got past the first baseman allowing Matt Robaska to score from third to make the score 1-0.

Passed balls from both teams all day were caused by the sloppy ground conditions, but came back to bite Park Hill South in the bottom of the sixth as they gave up four unearned runs to the Trojans. A James Vega walk followed by two passed balls allowed him to score to tie the game 1-1. With runners at first and second and two outs, Shores’ swinging bunt was thrown into left field in an attempt to get Chris Burr at third, which allowed him to score. Alec Kennedy and Shores later scored on two additional passed balls making the score 4-1.

For the most part, the game was well-pitched by both sides. Each team only had three hits while Park Hill struck out eleven batters and Park Hill South got five. The Trojans closed out the game in the top of the seventh and advanced to the district semifinals against Kearney.

After lossing earlier in the season 10-0, a tremendous performance from pitcher Daniel Jessen allowed the Trojans to upend Kearney's title hopes as they upset the Bulldogs 7-4 to advance to Saturday's title game against St. Joseph Central.

Trojan Baseball having up and down season, but win when it counts

With a large contingent of experienced seniors returning to this year’s Park Hill baseball team, expectations are high. After a strong start supported by both offense and pitching, the Trojans are now trying to find what many teams are searching for at the mid-way point in the season, consistency. While 4-0 in conference, a 6-4 record has come with its ups and downs as the Trojans look to find its groove.

“I don’t think we’ve improved where we need to yet, we’ve been inconsistent on both sides,” Coach Greg Reynolds said.

Last week was reflective of how the season has gone up to this point as they lost an extra inning game 6-4 to Excelsior Springs in what Reynolds says was one of their worst performances of the season. They bounced back the very next day against Staley as a 12-strikeout performance from Clay Smith led the Trojans to a 7-4 victory, described as one of their best performances. The following day, pitcher Daniel Jessen held a talented Kearney team to just three runs through six innings before the flood gates opened in the seventh resulting in a 10-0 loss.

“Some of the up and down can be attributed to the pace of the high school game because it revolves so much around the pitching rhythm and the speed at which they work,” Reynolds said.

While it has been hard to tell which Trojan team will take the field each day, they’ve won the important games they’ve needed so far in conference play and are leading the chase for the title as they enter the second half of their conference schedule. With seven games this week, the Trojans will have the plenty of chances to work out some of the kinks as they’ll finish the week at the Kearney Tournament with four games in three days.

“Our highest expectations come from ourselves,” Reynolds said. “Just because you have a lot of seniors coming back people think it makes it easier and it just happens on its own, where in reality other teams know that so they’ll usually put their best pitcher up against you.”

The next two weeks of conference games will likely decide the champion, but with Truman and Park Hill South just behind Park Hill in the standings, Reynolds says it might come down to the last game when Park Hill plays Park Hill South on May 15. By then, the Trojans hope to be back to full strength after resolving some of their injuries and exhibiting the consistency they aim for.

Loaded with seniors, Trojans looking for big season

With eleven seniors returning from a 13-10 team last year, the Park Hill baseball team won’t need too much time to warm up this spring as they bring back a healthy amount of experience. This senior class not only has experience from last season, but many of them have been playing varsity since their sophomore year including Alex Otto at second base and Daniel Jessen at third who will be returning as third-year starters in what is shaping up to be a strong infield. Junior Adam Vanderpool is showing strong potential at first base while Austin Kepler will head up the catching duties with Jake Sobbe also seeing some time behind the plate. Other seniors likely to contribute include outfielders Nick Hughes, James Vega, and Alex Kennedy along with infielders Chris Burr, Clay Smith, Lyle Fryear and J.D. Weyer who batted .370 last season.

The only question coach Greg Reynolds hopes to answer early this season is who will be able to produce on the pitching mound for the Trojans. Solid pitching outings could take the Trojans to a higher level with the defensive experience they hope to have supporting them. One of the areas Reynolds has focused on early leading up to the first games is his team’s mental approach.

“We try to focus on the mindset you have to have every time you’re at the plate, making a pitch, or what you’re going to do when a ball gets hit to you,” Reynolds said. “One of the things that is frustrating is you can’t just flip a switch and make it happen, it takes time.”

Having been able to work with many of his players for several years, Reynolds sees it as an advantage because they know what to expect: a simple, but consistent message of being better than last year.

“That’s the good thing about being a varsity kid for three years is you’ve heard it from me for three years,” Reynolds said. “It’s not like I’m telling them something that isn’t being said to any other high school player in the state.”

In a conference and district that in some years can feature some of the state’s top competition, the Trojans will look to challenge local teams like Liberty, Oak Park, and Kearney for the top spot this year. Relying on his seasoned seniors, Reynolds thinks they have the chance to be a really good team if they maintain the right mindset.

“If they go out there and say we’ve been playing for three years and everything is going to be great, then it might not work out that way,” Reynolds said. “If they can get on a roll and really start believing in what they’re doing, then they could go a long way.”