HUMBOLDT — As a high school coach, Brad Piley knows how he wants his players to play ball.
So who better to coach the younger players than Piley himself?
“I’ve done it from Day One,” Piley said of coaching the younger teams. “They get used to me and it makes it easier when they get into high school. Everybody knows how to set up and do simple things like base-running. They are used to it and you don’t need to focus on it in high school practice, so you can move on to other things and don’t have to work on the little stuff.”
One of Piley’s 14-and-under teams displayed all the qualities the veteran coach likes to see on Monday night at the Humboldt Sports Complex when they made quick work of Neodesha, winning 17-2 and 15-1 in a total of six innings.
“They play young and keep playing all summer,” Piley said. “It keeps our program going strong.”
Freshman Emma Johnson had her pitches working in game one and was able to mow through the opposing hitters after shaking off some nerves early with a hit-by-pitch on the game’s first batter.
Johnson is one of several players who will be debuting at the high school level next season and have a chance to make an impact.
“Emma threw the ball really hard,” Piley said. “She is going to be one that may get some varsity pitching time next year. The way she threw tonight, she could play varsity next year.”
As catcher, freshman Winter Snyder is soaking up Piley’s instruction like a sponge and feels it is giving her a big boost to hit the ground running next season and secure a varsity spot.
“It is fun because you get to know Coach more,” Snyder said. ”You get to know his signs and what he likes and doesn’t like. It is a lot of fun and you learn a lot of stuff.”
With the graduation of All-State pitcher Courtney Richey setting off a chain reaction that will likely move junior Rylan Wilhite from shortstop to the pitcher’s circle and senior Makayla McCall from catcher to shortstop, the Cubs will have a hole behind the plate.
Snyder is confident that she and Wilhite can work well together as the Cubs’ battery if given the opportunity.
“I’m really comfortable,” Snyder said. “I like our pitcher, Rylan. She is good. I roll with her.”
The 14-and-under Nail Benders have a pair of talented pitchers that are preparing to make the jump to the varsity level as well. After Johnson finished dominating her three innings of work in game one, Madison Gean took over right where she left off.
“They were good,” Snyder said of her two pitchers on Monday. “They were throwing strikes.”
Gean held the Neodesha lineup to just one run and the Nail Benders’ offense made sure the game was a quick one by posting 15 runs in the first two innings and allowing the game to be called after just 2 1/2 innings.
