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High School Baseball Poll - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Wednesday (March 24, 1999) ARUNDEL H.S. NO. 1 IN EASTON SPORTS COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER (www.baseballnews.com) POLL TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 1 ranked Arundel H.S. of Gambrills, Md. was scheduled to begin its 1999 season as the Easton Sports Original National High School poll took shape. Arundel, with a proven pitching corps among 11 senior stalwarts returning, was scheduled to play Thomas Johnson H.S. of Frederick, Md. in its season opener. The defending Maryland state champions could field one of its strongest teams in modern history this season as Coach Bernie Walter puts another juggernaut on the playing field.Meanwhile, No. 2 Barbe of Lake Charles, La., 19-0, was making a lot of noise. Barbe, coached by Glenn Cecchini, was forced to play eight games in one week’s stretch due to several rainouts but managed to remain undefeated — the highlight being a rousing 21-20 victory over nationally ranked West Monroe, La., as Cecchini was forced to dip into his JV squad for pitchers. Barbe won on a squeeze bunt to keep its perfect record.BHS pitching has been brilliant, with eight shutouts and 32 HRs in 19 games. The HR mark is a new school record, with the season only about half over. Eight different players have blasted HRs, as Barbe shows depth on both the pitching mound and on offense.The pre-season picks in California already are reeling from several upsets, which is common in that state, where so many talented teams play.Woodland H.S. in the Sacramento area took center stage with a 7-0 record and three consecutive no-hit victories by its pitchers.
Easton Poll Notes…Several Florida teams were doing well, with Wellington of West Palm Beach, 14-1, looking strong, along with Southridge of Miami, 12-1, coached by Fred Burnside. Southridge has a well-balanced team and has 27 SB in 13 games.Another Florida team, Brito of Miami, 14-2, has won 14 straight.Coach Rich Hofman of Westminster Academy, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has led his team to a 16-0 mark."I’m just stunned," Hofman said. "But we have received great pitching, with eight shutouts, plus four other games in which we held our opponents to one run. So that gave us 12 well-pitched wins in our first 16 games." Hofman is scheduled to play some tough Florida teams soon and feels this will be the true measure of how good his club really is.
(Top 30 Agate Follows)
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