Friday, May. 09, 2008

Panthers Stopped

CHHS Baseball

By Kevin Lonnquist

Staff Writer

Sometimes, a season with great expectations can sometimes be hard to live up to.

Colleyville Heritage enjoyed another strong season under third-year coach Alan McDougal. The Panthers won 20 games, made the playoffs and had several players sign with Division I or junior college programs.

But the early-season hopes were centered on this ballclub competing for a Class 5A state championship. That didn’t happen. The Panthers were eliminated by Coppell in the bi-district round last weekend.

Coppell won the first game last Friday on its home field, 2-1. The Cowboys then swept the series with a 9-2 victory in the second game last Saturday at Colleyville Heritage.

The Panthers closed their season at 21-12 and were eliminated in the bi-district round for the second consecutive season.

Key losses: RHP Kyle Duncan, OF Tim Maitland, OF Randall Thorpe, 3B Patrick Palmeiro, INF Kyle Kubitza

Key returners: LHP Aaron Gilbreath, INF Steven Hill, OF Bobby Schneider

Highs: Fans became excited when the Panthers equaled the best start in school history at 13-2. They marched through the non-district season and won their first District 5-5A game over Richland. A five-game winning streak in the middle of the season pretty much locked up a postseason berth.

Lows: Several losing streaks put the Panthers in danger of missing the postseason. They were also swept by Carroll and GCISD rival Grapevine.

What went well: The Panthers were a dangerous offensive team, as they averaged nearly seven runs per game. Power was never in short supply as the Panthers crushed 24 home runs. Maitland hit well over .400 with six home runs and 33 RBIs. The pitching staff was also solid with a 2.51 earned-run average. Gilbreath led the team with 85 strikeouts. However, he was plagued by a shoulder injury at the end of the season.

What caused struggles: Hitting with runners in scoring position was the big issue with this team. In the four-game losing streak to end the season, the Panthers scored only five runs. It also became an all-or-nothing type of lineup. If they weren’t hitting home runs, the Panthers were striking out. Colleyville Heritage averaged about seven strikeouts per game.

Coach Alan McDougal said it: "We always competed in every game this season. It was frustrating that we didn’t hit as well with runners in scoring position, but that’s the game. This group will always have great expectations every season."