Two players out for BH 6 weeks!!

[BHFAN]

Barbers Hill to host baseball tourney

By Michael Pineda

Baytown Sun 

Published March 6, 2008

It’s not as if the Barbers Hill baseball team has enough questions surrounding it without worrying about the rain. Yet that is at the forefront of Eagle head coach Gil Stalbaum’s mind with the 21st Annual Barbers Hill Baseball Tournament set to kick off today. Weather permitting, the Eagles will take the field at 4 p.m. against Smiley.

“There is a 70 percent chance of rain for Thursday and our fields are still wet from Sunday,†Stalbaum said. “We can’t take a whole lot more. If we have to, we would move it to Friday and Saturday and get rid of the last place games.â€

The Eagles need the weather to hold up as they try to plug holes brought about by injuries to Jake Ponder and Jay Burditt, the top two catchers in the system. Both players are expected to be out for six weeks.

Tony Carmona will move from shortstop to catcher to start a chain reaction that will place second baseman Clay Garner at shortstop and slide Cody Clifton in as the starting second baseman.

“We want to be sound defensively because our pitching is so good,†Stalbaum said. “Traditionally Barbers Hill has always swung the bats good.â€

The injuries have put more pressure on the offense as it looks to replace Burditt and Ponder’s production in the two and five hole.

The tournament will kick off at 10 a.m. as C.E. King and Dayton face off. At 1 p.m., Coldspring and LaMarque will play, followed by Barbers Hill and Smiley. The last game of the day will feature Silsbee and Westbury, two contenders to face the Eagles in the championship game. There will be a two hour, forty-five minute limit on games with a two-hour limit possibility if Thursday’s games are washed out.

The biggest thing for Barbers Hill will be to get games under its belt as district play looms around the corner. The team’s game against Port Neches-Groves was rained out on Monday.

“I don’t like the thought of getting rained out,†Stalbaum said. “We’ve got guys that need to get out there and get some work in.â€

[VOP]

what were the injuries? this may big a big blow for a team with post season hopes

[BHFAN]

I'm not sure maybe someone can fill us in??

[EAGLE07]

Jake Ponder broken finger in a cast... out appr. 6 weeks.

Jay Burditt had the tip of his finger sliced almost off attempting to bunt. Jay could be back in 3-4 weeks maybe sooner. BH will be fine. Carmona might be the best of the catchers defensively. Garner is solid @ short and Cody Clifton is solid @ second. Ponder's bat will be missed and Burditt's overall athleticism will be missed. BH needs both to back in time to get some work in before the playoffs begin. 

[Guest vpirate]

Hate to hear about the injuries.  Hope those guys get healthy.  Could be a special year for BH.

[VOP]

Hope they recover quickly and get healthy. You do need Ponder's bat for the post season. Hate to see a talented kid have multiple injuries.

[EAGLE07]

Hope they recover quickly and get healthy. You do need Ponder's bat for the post season. Hate to see a talented kid have multiple injuries.

We (BH ) appreciate that VOP. Ponder has had a rough season with injuries..no doubt about it. He's a gamer though, I imagine that he will make it back. Fortunately, for the kids' sake, they are both juniors and not seniors.