On Monday, May 1, 2006, the Viking baseball team travelled to Monroe, GA and SWEPT the George Walton Academy Bulldogs, winning the first game 16-9 and the second game 6-1.
FPD will play at North Cobb Christian in the Final Four on Friday, May 5th at 4:00 pm (Game 1) and Saturday, May 6th at 1:00 pm (Game 2). If there is a split in the first two games, game three will be played on Saturday afternoon.
First Presbyterian Day baseball coach Tee Mitchell wanted his team to enter the playoffs on a hot streak.
With recent wins over Mount de Sales and Stratford, FPD looks like a different team than the one that started the season.
"I think we're peaking at the right time," Mitchell said. "Beating Stratford was a huge confidence-builder. They have one of the best offenses in the state."
The Vikings resurgence has come from the leadership of Michael Bridges. The senior catcher, who has signed with Southern Union, has helped Mitchell ease four sophomores into the starting lineup.
Bridges, however, has had an impact on the mound as well, pitching a perfect game and also getting the important win over Stratford.
"He's such a competitor," Mitchell said. "He was our closer last year. We needed him to start and he's responded. He wants the ball with the game on the line."
FPD (11-12) travels to Westfield today at 4 p.m. for the Class AAA best-of-3 opening series.
-Compiled by Jonathan Heeter of The Telegraph staff
Baseball team finishes strong in Region 2-AAA play
1
2
3
4
5
6
Runs
Hits
Errors
Mt de Sales
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
5
FPD
0
4
0
3
0
5
12
11
1
Thursday, April 13, 2006: The FPD baseball team defeated Mt de Sales Thursday night 12 to 1 in region play. Michael Bridges strong pitching performance kept the Cavilers in check allowing only one run and two hits. Solid defense and an 11 hit attack by the Vikings helped seal the win. Players with multiple hits for FPD were Tyler Ricketson (2 for 3, 3 RBI’s), Jeremy Smith (2 for 3, 5 RBI’s), Ben Childs (2 for 3), and Kane Putnal (2 for 3).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Runs
Hits
Errors
FPD
1
0
0
3
0
1
0
5
5
2
STRATFORD
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
5
0
Tuesday, April 18, 2006: The FPD baseball team continued their win streak Tuesday night by beating Stratford 5 to 1 behind another solid effort on the mound from Michael Bridges. The first three hits by the Vikings (a solo homerun by Camron Valetini, a two out double by Michael Bridges followed by a 3 run homerun by Jarrett Clubb) was all the offense the team would need to win the game. The Viking defense turned two double plays in the middle of the infield to keep the Eagles off the bases.
GAME 21
STRATFORD
AB
H
1B
2B
3B
HR
R
RBI
SAC
SO
BB
KANE PUTNAL
2
2
JOHN HARPER
3
1
1
1
JEREMY SMITH
3
1
1
1
MICHAEL BRIDGES
3
2
2
1
1
CHANDLER BROOKS
1
1
JARRETT CLUBB
3
1
1
1
3
2
CAMERON VALENTINI
3
1
1
1
1
1
TYLER RICKETSON
3
2
BEN CHILDS
3
2
ZACK WALKER
3
3
Totals:
27
5
1
2
0
2
5
5
0
14
1
Michael Bridges signs baseball scholarship
FPD senior co-captain Michael Bridges signed a baseball scholarship with Southern Union Community College (Alabama)during activity period on Thursday, April 27th at 9:50.
Avg.
RBI
2B
Hits
Sophomore
.325
18
6
26
Junior
.450
24
10
35
Senior (Current #'s)
.440
15
10
22
Awards
Sophomore: All-Region & Best Defensive
Junior: All-Region, All-State, All-Middle GA, Best Offensive & MVP
Michael is currently 5th in the FPD record books for hits in a single season (35).
Michael Bridges throws perfect game!
FPD senior Michael Bridges pitched a perfect game against CFCA Friday, March 31st. FPD won the game 10-0 in five innings. Michael faced 15 batters, striking out 6 and allowing no walks nor hits. His effort was backed up by a great defensive game by infielders Jon Adams, Jarrett Clubb, Tyler Ricketson and Ben Childs.
2006 Baseball Selection Dates
Varsity Selection Dates
January 11 & 12 (4:00-6:00)
Junior Michael
Bridges - IF/P (1st Team) and seniors Daniel Stokes - OF/P (2nd Team) and Parker Suit - P (Honorable Mention) were
named to the 2005 Macon Telegraph All-Middle Georgia Baseball
Team.
Parker Suit signed a baseball
scholarship with Presbyterian College on Thursday, July 21, 2005.
Head coach Elton Pollock could not join us on signing day due to
NCAA regulations, but did email a quote on July 21 stating, “Parker
Suit is a great acquisition for the Presbyterian College baseball
program. He displays a lot of poise on the mound. Parker has a
good fastball and a great breaking ball. He reminds me of a young
Richard Barkley, who was one of the best pitchers in Presbyterian
College history and also played professionally in the New York
Yankees organization. Parker should come in and make an impact as a
freshman.”
Presbyterian
College is a Division II school located in Clinton, South Carolina
that currently competes in the South Atlantic Conference and is in
the process of applying to be classified as a NCAA Division I
program.
Front L to R: FPD Baseball Coach
Tee Mitchell, Parker Suit '05, Dr. Jim Suit, Mrs. Nancy Suit Standing L to R: Former FPD Assistant Jim Markert, Coach
Jimmy Turner, Coach Casey Jones
Suit was in the
starting rotation for three years at FPD, earning All-Region honors
three years and All-State and All-Middle Georgia honors his junior
and senior year.
Parker finished his
career at FPD with a record of 22-7 as a starting pitcher with 206
K’s and a 1.44 ERA his senior year. Parker’s 1.44 ERA at the end of
his senior season ranks him third on the all time single season
record just behind John Rocker '93 (Atlanta Braves) and Tyler
Gottlieb '04 (Stetson University).
Who: Michael Bridges, junior
pitcher/ catcher/ secondbaseman Why: Bridges went 7 for 9 at the plate in FPD's opening round
doubleheader sweep of Dominion. He had four doubles among his
hits and drove in three runs. Bridges also was the winning
pitcher in the second game. Ht./Wt.: 5-10/160 Favorite Athlete: Ty Cobb Favorite Sports Team: Atlanta Braves Favorite School Subject: Chemistry Favorite Food: Subway Roast Beef Career Ambition: Athletic Trainer
On Tuesday, April 12th the FPD baseball team
completed a season sweep of Stratford by downing the Eagles 7-1.
Parker Suit (4-1) led the Vikings on the mound, allowing only one run
and five hits, while Michael Bridges was hot at the plate going 2-2
with a double.
The Vikings play at Mt. deSales on
Thursday, April 14th at 7:00 PM to finish their region schedule.
Tyler Gottlieb named All-Middle Georgia Baseball Player-of-the-Year.
Parker Suit earns Honorable Mention. Full Story
Tuesday,
April 28, 2004– FPD splits with Southland in 2nd round of state playoffs.
What was working out for FPD in the
first game didn't show up in the second game. Tyler Gottlieb
struck out 11 for the Vikings and Michael Bridges drove in four runs
to start the series off well for FPD. However, the Vikings
batters struggled in the second game, when what were falling for
hits in the first game were hit directly at Southland defenders in
Game 2.
Game 1: FPD win 9-1. WP: Tyler Gottlieb (8-3). LP: Hildreth. 2B: (F) Roger Wood, Michael Bridges. Top
Hitters: (F) Casey Adams 2-3, Wood 2-4, Bridges 3-4, 4 RBI.
Game 2: Southland win 5-3. WP: Sellars. LP: Parker Suit (8-3). HR: (S) Jones, Dixon. 2B:
(S) Hildreth. Top Hitters: (F) Daniel Stokes 2-4, Jones 2-3,
Harris 2-3. Record: FPD 21-7
Game 3: Wednesday, April 28, 2004
at 4:00 at First Presbyterian Day School.
FPD's Gottlieb focuses on plan By Sarah Meinecke –Telegraph
Staff Writer(smeinecke@macontel.com)
When First Presbyterian Day's Tyler Gottlieb was six years old, he
met Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
At
the time, however, Gottlieb didn't have a clue about Ryan's fame.
"We got a thing through the Make-a-Wish foundation and we went out
and saw Nolan Ryan in Texas," said Gottlieb, whose older brother
Nolan (not named after the pitcher) has cystic fibrosis. "To tell
the truth, I had no idea the magnitude of who I was meeting. He was
a guy on TV, but I had no idea I was shaking hands with the greatest
pitcher ever."
It's a good thing Gottlieb's mom and dad took lots of pictures.
Especially now that Gottlieb one day hopes to follow Ryan's
footsteps and become a major league pitcher. But first things first,
and next on Gottlieb's to-do list is to win the GISA state
championship in baseball.
After advancing to the second round by sweeping Westminster in two
games in last week's first round, Gottlieb and the Vikings face
Southland today at 2 p.m. in a doubleheader.
Gottlieb struck out 16 against Westminster, and allowed just four
hits for two runs in the complete game win.
"There are a handful of teams but I am not worried about them
because if you do that, you put them up high and you set yourself up
to lose," said Gottlieb, who recently signed with Stetson
University. "So I'm not worried about anybody truthfully, because
right now I think we're one of those teams to beat."
A
lot of which has to do with Gottlieb, who battled frustration at the
start of the season only to become one of the GISA's toughest
pitchers.
At
the start of this school year, Gottlieb decided to play basketball
for FPD - which he decided against his junior year to focus solely
on baseball.
"Last year I had five months to get ready and all my weight work
outs were patterned just to get ready for baseball," said Gottlieb,
a 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander. "I was in top shape for baseball
and I got off to a very good start. This year, my body was in shape
because of basketball and all the running, but as far as baseball
shape, where it is all back and arm stuff, I wasn't quite ready."
Not that Gottlieb would even consider trading in the GISA Class AAA
championship the FPD basketball team won this past February. Despite
working on his throwing on the weekends, however, his arm was still
not prepared when baseball games started the Tuesday following
Saturday's basketball championship.
The frustration of not being in top shape grew when the Vikings
first faced Tattnall - who shared the Region 2-AAA title with FPD.
Gottlieb pitched against Tattnall, which proved disastorous for him,
especially after giving up two home runs to Justin True and Trent
Faulkner.
"He was not sharp, and he didn't keep the ball down in the strike
zone," said FPD coach Terrell Mitchell, first-year coach for the
Vikings. "He obviously was not 100 percent, and he had been throwing
but there is a difference between coming out on the weekends and
long tossing and working off the mound."
Gottlieb adopted his usual baseball workout that concentrated solely
on building up the muscles in the trunk of his body and in his arm.
It's helped, as Gottlieb held the second-best record (7-3) in the
region, right behind teammate Parker Suit's 7-2 during the regular
season. In 58 innings pitched, Gottlieb walked 26 and gave up eight
earned runs for a .97 ERA.
On
the offensive, Gottlieb lead Region 2-AAA with 10 home runs. He had
a .440 batting average with 31 hits at 77 at bats heading into the
playoffs.
Gottlieb's stride to 100 percent was also apparent when he faced
Tattnall again on April 9. This time, the game had more meaning,
with the Trojans undefeated and sitting along atop the region and
FPD in close second.
Gottlieb struck out nine and gave up just four hits for zero runs as
FPD won 1-0, creating a tie in the region.
"I
was excited, (but) after the game is different once you go back and
look at tape," Gottlieb said. "There is still room for improvement
after that. That was nowhere near being a perfect performance
against them. There is still a lot of work to be done."
Thursday, April 23, 2004– FPD SWEEPS WESTMINSTER IN FIRST ROUND!
Tyler Gottlieb pitched
a complete game and struck out 16 in FPD’s 6-2 victory in the first
game against Westminster. Parker Suit picked up his 8th win
of the year in game two, a 5-0 win.
Game 1: WP: Tyler Gottlieb
(7-3). LP: Kevin Curry. 3B (F) Casey Adams. 2B:
(W) Curry. Top Hitters: (F) Roger Wood 3-4, RBI; (W) Curry
2-3. Record (F) 20-6.
Game 2: WP: Parker Suit
(8-2). HR (F) Morgan Jackson. 2B: (F) Jackson, (W)
Tebbs. Top Hitters: (F) Jackson 2-4, 3RBI, Casey Adams 3-4;
(W) Tebbs 2-3. Record (F) 21-6. Up Next: FPD v.
Southland, Tuesday, April 27, 2004.
FPD senior pitcher Tyler Gottlieb (7-3) will signed a baseball scholarship with Stetson University (Deland, FL) on Thursday, April
22, 2004 at 10:00 AM in the Middlebrooks Athletic Center.
At the conclusion of the regular
season Tyler led the Vikings with a .97 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 58
innings. At the plate he led the team with a .443 BA, 10 HR,
and 37 RBI in 70 at bats.
The Vikings host a first round playoff
(best of three) series against Westminster on Thursday, April 22,
2004 with the first game beginning at 1:00 PM.
Tuesday, April 13,
2004: The Vikings completed a season sweep of the Eagles
Tuesday night at Stratford behind another solid effort on the mound
from Parker Suit (7-2). Top hitters for the Vikings
were Roger Wood (2B), Morgan Jackson (2B) and Michael Duggan (1-1, 2
RBI).
