FEAR 'LES': Colonels favored to repeat but Redhounds aren't far behind - Times Tribune of Corbin
The 2021 baseball season is wrapped up which means it's time for the ole Fear ‘Les’ crystal ball to make a very early Top 10 for the 2022 season.
Yes, the season is nine months or so away, but there is always room for another Fear ‘Les’ ranking before the start of the dead period.
With that said, let’s take an early look at how the 2022 baseball season could play out in the 13th Region.
1. Whitley County (31-10 overall, 20-2 vs. 13th Region competition)
The Colonels will look to repeat as region champions and could do just that with the abundance of talent they’ll return.
With only one senior (Luke Stanfill) on the roster, Whitley County will enter next season as the team to beat, and more than likely one of the top teams in the state.
Jeremy Shope’s squad will return 13th Region Player of the Year Cayden Petrey along with soon-to-be junior Grant Zehr, who led the team with 10 wins. Heck, basically the entire infield and outfield return from a team that averaged more than eight runs per game last season. With that said, they’ll definitely be challenged by my No. 2 ranked team.
2. Corbin (26-10, 14-4)
Name the only region team to beat Whitley County this past season? Yep, you guessed it, Corbin. Matter of fact, the Redhounds beat the Colonels twice, including in the 50th District title game.
Corbin loses six seniors off this season’s squad but returns so much young talent that they’ll be in the mix for the region title for many years to come.
Kade Elam, Jacob Baker, Cruz Cima, Mikey Neal, Jeremiah Gilbert, Bradric Helton, Will Landrum, Evan Poore, and Travis Smith return along with other talented players next season. If Whitley County doesn’t win the region in 2022 then Corbin could very well be the reason why.
3. Clay County (26-9, 16-5)
The Tigers lose some key players from this past season’s squad that failed to reach the Region tournament but they return the top four pitchers on their staff which means Clay County is right where they wanna be when it comes to winning the region.
John Hubbard returns along with his 8-1 record and 1.32 ERA along with Ben Buttery, Brandon Crawford, and Dalen Couch.
4. North Laurel (15-18, 8-5)
People forget the Jaguars were two outs away from puking off a huge upset in the 13th Region Tournament against Whitley County. They just could get any consistency going throughout the regular season.
North Laurel loses some key players from this past season and could get off to a slow start because of that, but in the end, they’ll be in the thick of things — they always are.
Losing players such as Connor McKeehan, Will Hellard, and Blake Vanhook is obviously going to hurt but players such as Eli Sizemore and Austin Smith returning along with a talented sophomore Class will help the Jaguars in the end.
5. South Laurel (20-12, 9-9)
The Cardinals are another team that will be hit hard by graduation but coach Trey Smith has his team headed in the right direction.
South Laurel will be losing four of its top six hitters but returns Hunter Bundy, who hit .370 during his freshman season while Ayden Smith returns for his junior campaign. His nine homers and 41 runs scored led the Cardinals.
Best of the rest
6. Knox Central (16-12, 14-6)
Mike Bright’s Panthers could be ranked too low. They’ve got enough talent returning to make a sun at the 13th Region crown, but their room for error is very small.
7. Jackson County (15-15, 8-11)
The Generals were surprised this past season and look to carry over the momentum they had during postseason play.
8. Middlesboro (17-15, 15-14)
The Yellow Jackets surprised everyone in the 13th Region by advancing to the 13th Region Baseball Tournament’s title game. They return a lot of underclassmen that will be ready to make another postseason run.
2021-06-26 15:00:00Z
https://www.thetimestribune.com/sports/local_sports/fear-les-colonels-favored-to-repeat-but-redhounds-arent-far-behind/article_c42c9098-e6c3-5b4f-b64a-11aedcfc4f26.html
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