Watched Trey Killian throw tonight

[WarEagle44]

First time I ever seen him throw, that kids the real deal, another hog commit, just guessin he was settin 91 to 93 with a nasty slider

[ricepig]

That was the range he was supposedly hitting when he and Howard went head to head this spring. If his slider is on, he's hard to hit. Last year we chased him with 6 runs in the second inning. This year, he had 15 K's against us, it all comes dwn to location. I always thought that he had a very effortless delivery, looks like he is the real deal.

[WarEagle44]

He went against Mason Hope (5th rounder) he was throwing just a tad harder than Trey but Trey had better command of his pitches, Express won 8 to 0 Trey finished the game with approx. 10 to 12 K's I am guessing.

[ArkyTiger]

Best pitcher in the state..without a doubt. He will never step foot on the Razorback campus. He'll be a early-round draftee in '12.

[Bighog]

Best pitcher in the state..without a doubt. He will never step foot on the Razorback campus. He'll be a early-round draftee in '12.

They were saying the same thing about Dillon Howard.  Never say that they will not set foot on the Razorback campus.

[GHS_08]

I wouldnt care if I was the number one overall pick. Theres no way I would pass up playing at the U of A. Thats just me.

[ricepig]

Hmm, I could think of a few million reasons not to.

[BronxBomber]

Heard Killian hit 95 at the Area Code tryouts on tuesday in tulsa.  He is the best pitcher in the state, better than Howard already, and still has a year of high school left.  I think this kid has the potential to be a first rounder next year.  Would LOVE to see him in a Hog uni, but not sure he will have the chance.  Don't know if you can pass up a first or second round pic?

[ArkyTiger]

Best pitcher in the state..without a doubt. He will never step foot on the Razorback campus. He'll be a early-round draftee in '12.

They were saying the same thing about Dillon Howard.  Never say that they will not set foot on the Razorback campus.

Are you saying Dillion's going to school? That would be a MAJOR shock!

[Bighog]

If Dillon was not going to school then he should go ahead and become a millionaire instead of worrying about a Connie Mack trophy.

That is what I am saying.

[Bighog]

Heard Killian hit 95 at the Area Code tryouts on tuesday in tulsa.  He is the best pitcher in the state, better than Howard already, and still has a year of high school left.  I think this kid has the potential to be a first rounder next year.  Would LOVE to see him in a Hog uni, but not sure he will have the chance.  Don't know if you can pass up a first or second round pic?

If he is hitting 95 then he has NO BUSINESS playing with the Arkansas Express.  GO BIG TIME!!!!!!!
Does anyone know "Papa Joe Hayden's" phone number?

[Rizzo]

I do.

Papa Joe is the man.

Brian Hiler is who you need to talk to though. He's in charge of recruiting for the Redskins.

[BronxBomber]

Not sure what that means, go "Big Time."  The best players in the state are on the Arkansas Express Premier team, that's one of the best squads in the nation.  Not sure where he could go anywhere and be playing better competition or getting seen by as many pro scouts while also having a great bunch of parents/kids to surround yourself with.  And to top it off, he's getting coached by the best coach in the area.  May not like the man or his methods, but I don't know many men who know the game better than Bax.

[Bighog]

One of the best squads in the NATION?   
Are they going to Marietta Georgia this year?

Surely you do not believe that.

How many PRO scouts have you seen at a "BEST" baseball tournament?

You will do GOOD to see 3 "college" coaches at one of those tournaments.  And I guarantee one of those 3 will be from UALR. 

[ArkyTiger]

One of the best squads in the NATION?   
Are they going to Marietta Georgia this year?

Surely you do not believe that.

How many PRO scouts have you seen at a "BEST" baseball tournament?

You will do GOOD to see 3 "college" coaches at one of those tournaments.  And I guarantee one of those 3 will be from UALR.

Howard isn't going to college..book! As far as the Express goes, all of their Premier team was invited to Area Code by Clay Overcash. They had the most invited players of any team in the 5 states covered. 50+ college and pro guys in attendance. Next week in Memphis they will be playing in front of probably 100+ college and pro guys. Every guy on their Premier team will have a 4 yr. offer out of high school. Thats really what all this stuff is for,right? As far as Killian, he can pitch for ANY team in the country..including all the heros in East Cobb!

[ricepig]

If he improves half as much between his Jr and Sr year as he did soph and Jr, then he will be a better pitcher than Howard. Both are good, but Trey is more of a pitcher than a thrower.

[Bighog]

How much does it cost to play on the team?
How much do the players that ARE NOT on the Premier have to pay?  Do they get some type of discount since the scouts will not be watching their games?

Do ALL players pay (Are you SURE) to be on the team; or just the ones "looking for a 4 year scholarship"?

Where did Tony Sandifer, Garrett Sandifer or Preston Tarkington (ask his dad why he is no longer playing) wind up going to?

I do agree with you on Killian though.

[ArkyTiger]

Baseball showcasing is capitalism not socialism. The guy in charge sets the rate and you decide if its worth it to you. Nobody can force you to do it. Anyone that comes in thinking that equity is the name of the game will end up bitter. For the guys you mentioned, I know one of them had 4-yr. offers but didn't get "the" offer so he chose to go JUCO and work on his game and see if it comes in 2 yrs. There will probably be several current premiere team members that  do the same. JUCO is a legit route for any kid who loves the game. Its in NO way a knock on a kids ability to go to JUCO. The '12 class in Arkansas is the deepest I've seen in Arkansas for 20 yrs. The closest one I can remember was '05. There are very good players on all of the Express rosters..not just the premiere teams. The opinion shared that the 18 premiere team is one of the elite in the country is shared by many guys from Texas, Ok.,Indiana,Miss.,and Tenn. among others. Seperate the kids from the coach(apparently you don't care for him much)and realize that its a really good thing for Arkansas baseball.

[slurve]

One of the best squads in the NATION?   
Are they going to Marietta Georgia this year?

Surely you do not believe that.

How many PRO scouts have you seen at a "BEST" baseball tournament?

You will do GOOD to see 3 "college" coaches at one of those tournaments.  And I guarantee one of those 3 will be from UALR.

Big Hog(?) - You sound like a callous old fart. The reason they don't play in Marietta is because they choose NOT to play there. They play in the areas they are interested in attending school. They are past the point where they play in a tournament just because it is a "prestigious" event.

They have been playing at Baum since Thurs and have beaten Building Champions, Indiana Bulls, and Dulin's Dodgers. Today they play DBAT and it will be Killian vs their #1. Yes, there were upper division 1 coaches there. No UALR was not seen but, what if they were ?? Last I checked they DID make it to the NCAA Regionals. The pro scouts will be there today.

Why travel all over the country when this is available and the coaches come to them ?  They will, however, play in the Hagan Memorial next week in Memphis because some of the kids want some exposure to the TN, MS, LA scouts.

Every Express player that was invited to the Area Code regionals in Tulsa stood out. If you would like to confirm that with Overcash please do. I have his number if you want it.

Sounds like you have a burr in your britches over a certain coach with the Express.

[hogfan2003]

1 of the non-premiere Express coach's told the parents after a weekend "If you want your kids to be seen by these college coaches, you are going to have to take them to there camps." Parents reply was why the !#@$ are we paying all this money for!
The premiere team may be the exception, because Blake is on it, but the rest of it is a way to make a living.  Baxendale KNOWS baseball,  but he will take care of the parents and kids that are too his benefit.  He's no dummy.

[Arkyball]

Bottom line: Most parents and players have no idea how to get on a college baseball team.

Going to tournaments is nice, and if you are at the right place at the right time and have the right performance you might get seen that way. But it usually comes by contacting the colleges - or having a HS or summer coach contact the college - and going to their campus to meet the coaches and workout for them. In fact, even those guys who get "seen" at a tournament will have to do this at some point before receiving any kind of offer.

I have no problem with the Express or any other travel team. But my message to players and their parents is to focus more on enjoying being a HS baseball player and figuring out where you would like to go to school, and less time running around hoping to get "seen" by everyone.

[slurve]

One of the best squads in the NATION?   
Are they going to Marietta Georgia this year?

Surely you do not believe that.

How many PRO scouts have you seen at a "BEST" baseball tournament?

You will do GOOD to see 3 "college" coaches at one of those tournaments.  And I guarantee one of those 3 will be from UALR.

Big Hog(?) - You sound like a callous old fart. The reason they don't play in Marietta is because they choose NOT to play there. They play in the areas they are interested in attending school. They are past the point where they play in a tournament just because it is a "prestigious" event.

They have been playing at Baum since Thurs and have beaten Building Champions, Indiana Bulls, and Dulin's Dodgers. Today they play DBAT and it will be Killian vs their #1. Yes, there were upper division 1 coaches there. No UALR was not seen but, what if they were ?? Last I checked they DID make it to the NCAA Regionals. The pro scouts will be there today.

Why travel all over the country when this is available and the coaches come to them ?  They will, however, play in the Hagan Memorial next week in Memphis because some of the kids want some exposure to the TN, MS, LA scouts.

Every Express player that was invited to the Area Code regionals in Tulsa stood out. If you would like to confirm that with Overcash please do. I have his number if you want it.

Sounds like you have a burr in your britches over a certain coach with the Express.

Beat DBAT 6-3.

[Bighog]

They have been playing at Baum since Thurs and have beaten Building Champions, Indiana Bulls, and Dulin's Dodgers. Today they play DBAT and it will be Killian vs their #1. Yes, there were upper division 1 coaches there. No UALR was not seen but, what if they were ?? Last I checked they DID make it to the NCAA Regionals. The pro scouts will be there today.

...

Why don't you tell the board members how many PRO scouts were there today? 
Heck tell them how many COLLEGE scouts were there.

[Rebel Fan 84]

Well let me throw my two cents in since that is all it is worth...

Killian threw very well at Area Code but the guns I saw only registered 89/90.  I didn't see every pitch but I saw the guns on 3/4 of the pitches.  Regardless he was very polished and looked very good.  He was one of the better "pitchers" at the camp in my opinion.  Not saying he didn't throw 94 but I did not see it on a stalker.  Maybe someone was using a jugs??

As far as the Express being one of the top 18U teams in the nation....well c'mon get real.  To say that you would have to go to East Cobb and Jupiter and maybe a few spots in south Texas and California.  You would also have an invitation to Jupiter which is an elite event.  Which DBAT team did you play?  If it was one of their top two teams and Killion threw then that is the only arm on the Express staff that would give them a chance against a top team.

Now to address the comments about "every" Express player standing out at Area Code is exagerating slightly.  Two, maybe three, kids were above average and that is no knock toward the rest of the group.  There was a lot of good talent there.  I'm pretty sure I saw more than three kids wearing Express hats.  One thing is for sure, everyone that was there is capable of playing college baseball and possibly more.  Just making the event is a privelege.

[ArkyTiger]

Here's something FAR MORE IMPORTANT for you to consider for your life and for your kids....please read Matthew 16:26 and Titus 3:1-5. ALL OF US AND OUR KIDS will be judged for the life we live on the earth. We are all competitve people. I have had some of my worst moments as an adult, at baseball fields. I have made baseball an idol and my family has suffered greatly for it. I hate the atmosphere that this level of baseball creates. I find myself "selling" my son's attributes to other people who have seen him play since he was 5. I find myself being negative about really good kids because I want my son to have the spot-light. Just remeber that compared to eternity...NONE of this matters! I have to remind myself of this constantly. Having said all of this...my son is better than your son..   Thats a joke for those of you that are comedically challanged!

[ricepig]

It's just a game, sometimes I have to remind myself that, but that's what is comes down to, a game.

[Rebel Fan 84]

Good post ArkyTiger.

[2windy]

Howard signs with Cleveland for 1.85m, end of story.