Posted on Fri, May. 09, 2008

NOTEBOOK

Gritty effort helped make Heath's Daniel Webb a pitcher

By Mike Fields

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

Mark Cornelison

Heath ace Daniel Webb limped off the mound in the state tournament last year an inning after breaking his left foot. He's expected to be picked in the early rounds of the major-league draft but has signed with Kentucky just in case. File photo by Mark Cornelison | Staff

Heath pitcher Daniel Webb won a lot of fans with his gritty performance in the state baseball tournament last year.

After breaking his left foot in the first inning against Apollo, the junior right-hander battled through the rest of the game at Applebee's Park, basically pitching on one leg. He went the distance, striking out 10, but Heath lost 2-1.

As painful as that night was for Webb, Heath Coach Jimmy Long says it might have been a turning point in this ace's career. "I think that's when Daniel became a pitcher," Long said. "Before that, he was more of a thrower. That's when he started to learn to let his defense work behind him, and that he didn't have to strike out every batter. After that, his stock rose unreal."

Webb, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, now is rated one of the top high school pitchers in the nation, and he probably will get taken in the early rounds of the major-league draft in a few weeks.

Last season, he finished 8-2 with a 2.00 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 74 innings. This spring, Webb is 3-3 with a 2.20 ERA. He has 49 K's and 20 walks in 34 innings. Long said Webb could be 5-1 if not for the Pirates' shaky defense.

The pro scouts have followed his every pitch. "It's been a circus," Long said. "We had 45 scouts in our first game and anywhere from 25 to 40 every game since. It's crazy to think an 18-year-old kid comes under that kind of scrutiny. But Daniel has held his composure well. To do what he's done with all the hoopla is amazing."

Long said Webb's fastball was clocked at 95 mph "four or five times" against Walton (Ga.) during spring break, "and he's hit between 92 and 94 all year."

Last summer, Champ Webb, Daniel's dad, said he hoped that his son would get drafted in the first two rounds. "But we need a Plan B," he said. Webb took care of Plan B when he signed with Kentucky last fall.

Just in case Webb is drafted early and gets a big signing bonus, Long is chatting up the scouts. "My quote from day one has been, 'Don't forget the old coach with all that money,' " he said with a laugh.

"Seriously, I'm tickled for Daniel. He deserves all the attention. I've been in this business 35 years, and he's one of the hardest workers I've ever had."

• Pleasure Ridge Park is the No. 1 baseball team in the state, and No. 23 in the Fab 50 national ratings. The Panthers, led by pitcher/infielder Zack Cox and shortstop Zach Osborne, are 22-1, including a 14-0 record against Kentucky competition. Bill Miller's team comes to Lexington for the Fayette County Invitational Tournament this weekend. PRP faces host Tates Creek on Friday night. It plays Madison Central and Bowling Green on Saturday.

• Hopkins Central senior infielder Kari Jo Harris, who ended last fast-pitch season with a seven-game hitting streak, had at least one hit in her first 17 games this season for a 24-game streak. She is batting .476 this spring with 24 RBI. Harris has signed with Lee University.

• Rowan County junior slugger Amber Riddle has hit 12 homers in fast-pitch softball this season, giving her a state-record 31 in her career. Megan Shadrick, who played for Hopkins Central two years ago, had the old record of 30.

• Stingy pitching and solid defense carried Owensboro Catholic to back-to-back titles in the Touchstone Energy All "A" Classic. In its last five games at Applebee's Park, including last year's semifinals, the Aces' arms and defense allowed one run in 33 innings. "That's amazing," said Coach Allen Cox. "The last few years we've had two- or three-deep pitching, and that helps a lot. It's kind of nice. I don't think we'll have that the next couple of years, though, so we'll have to hit it."

• Perry Central baseball coach Bobby Keith Dixon won his 300th game last week. In 14 years, his Commodores have won seven district and three region titles.

• Brescia University senior first baseman Brett Hunt, who helped Dunbar win the 2003 state baseball title, is the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Hunt is hitting .400 with 55 RBI and 38 runs. Asbury junior outfielder Slade Halvaksz, another Dunbar alumnus, made the all-conference team, as did Asbury sophomore catcher Zach Monroe of Lexington Christian.

• Warren East football coach Ben Bruni said running back/safety Shenard Holton, who will be a senior next season, has scholarship offers from Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and Miami (Ohio), and that UK, Louisville, Auburn, Purdue and Tennessee are interested.

• Paris has hired Somerset assistant J.J. Everage as its eighth football coach in 14 years.

• , who has guided Dunbar's boys to three state soccer titles, received the Garnis Martin Outstanding Coach Award at the Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Association banquet. Other honorees: Thad Highbaugh of Hart County (Paul Young Male Academic Athlete); Bree Massie of Bourbon County (Female Academic Athlete); Joe Taylor of Johnson Central, Ed Hastie of Sayre and Marianne and Wayne Davis of Mercer County (Dr. Rudy J. Ellis Distinguished Service Award); Mitchell Irvin of South Oldham (National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Award of Merit).

• Henry Clay junior Annalee Abell has accepted a full scholarship to play volleyball at Georgetown in Washington. Abell, 6-foot-2, plays middle hitter for Henry Clay and is on the Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy's club team. She played for the KIVA team that won the 2006 USA Junior Olympics national title.

• , who played basketball and volleyball at Lexington Christian, signed to play volleyball at Transylvania.

• Sayre boys' basketball coach Gene Kirk and girls' coach Scott Sutton were surprised to see openings for their jobs listed in the Herald-Leader's sports calendar last week. It was a mistake. Sayre is looking for a couple of soccer coaches, but Kirk and Sutton are secure. That didn't keep them secure from taking a few good-natured verbal jabs from Athletic Director Bill Hill.

• Indiana high school basketball, which went from one to four classes 10 years ago, might go to three classes. The state's high school athletic directors are being surveyed about it. Indianapolis' 407 schools also would go to three classes for baseball, softball and volleyball, which have a four-class format. Football would keep its five classes.

• High school basketball will have a different look on free throws next season. The National Federation of State High School Associations approved a rule change that will move rebounders back a space in the lane to reduce fouls while rebounding missed free throws. The first rebounding spots on both sides of the lane will be three feet farther from the basket.

• Lindsey Wilson has signed Barren County's Lee Hubbard (25 ppg) and Adair County's Kalen Kimberland (15.5 ppg). Kimberland helped the Indians reach the 2007 Sweet Sixteen.

• Shelby Valley boys' basketball coach Jason Booher said Elisha Justice, a sophomore point guard, has been invited to the University of Florida's elite camp in August. Justice was MVP of the 15th Region Tournament as a freshman. Last season, he averaged 14 points and four steals.

• , who guided Waggener to a 22-6 record last season, is moving across town to become boys' basketball coach at St. Xavier. Klein, a St. X grad, succeeds longtime Tigers coach Joe Bergamini. Waggener has hired Green County Coach Toby Curry to replace Klein.

• Nathan Novosel, who helped Lexington Catholic reach the Sweet Sixteen semifinals last month, will play college hoops at the University of Rochester (N.Y.). Novosel (12.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) chose the Colonels over Centre and Transylvania. He also had scholarship offers from The Citadel, Bellarmine, Northern Kentucky and Georgetown. Rochester made it to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 last season.

• June Buchanan's Clark Stepp will sign with Austin Peay. Stepp considered playing for a year at Hargrave Military Academy, then going to a Division I school. "But nothing would be guaranteed," he said. "I decided I've already got what I wanted -- a Division I scholarship. I really like (Austin Peay Coach) Dave Loos. He's pretty straightforward and honest. I like that about him."

Baseball

Fayette County Invitational Tournament