2008 Season NewsFlashes


Welcome back Baseball Bucs! We look forward to a great 2008-2009 school year.

** Don't forget! www.laneybucsbaseball.webs.com

** Senior Josh Whitesell has signed on to play baseball at Lenoir-Rhyne College in the
tough SAC-
8 conference. Josh had an incredible senior season on the mound posting a 6-1 record
with a 1.78
ERA. Josh also helped the Bucs out at second base and first base and posted a .314
batting
average. The signing took place on Thursday, May 29, in the school's library. Several
family
members and friends looked on as Josh made it official to join Coach Paul Knight's
program in
Hickory ,NC. We wish Josh the best of luck and all of us in the Buc family will
continue to
follow his career with great interest and much pride.

** Laney baseball handed out annual awards for the 2008 season on Thursday, May 29, at
the Laney
High School Winter \ Spring Athletic Banquet. Winners of these awards were: Justin
Somers - Most
Valuable Player; Matt Hickey - Most Improved; and Brian "Peanut" Jordan - Coaches
Award. Also
being honored were the 2008 4A\3A Mideastern All Conference selections: 1st Team -Josh
Whitesell
and Ryan LaGrange. Honorable mention - Jeff Ferrell. Congratulations to all of our
award winners.

**The Laney Athletic Banquet will be held on Thursday, May 29, at 6:00. The event will
be held
in the school cafeteria. All teams will be represented and each sport will hand out a
Coaches
Award, a Most Improved Award, and an Most Valuable Player Award.


* The "Battle of Little BucTown" between Trask and Noble , originally scheduled for
Monday, May
19, has been re-scheduled for Thursday, May 22. Game time will be 4:00. EOG testing
from Monday
to Wednesday at both schools is the reason for this move. We will feed the players
after the
game. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see everyone at the park.

** Wilmington Post 10 try-outs will be held on Thursday, May 15, beginning at 5:00 at
Legion
Stadium. Players should bring practice gear,equipment, and a certified birth
certificate to try
out.


* You can view all of the State baseball playoff brackets at www.nchsaa.org.

Laney- 0
Fuquay Varina - 5
*(5-6-08) ECU signee Kevin Brandt tossed a four-hitter and Fuquay Varina plated four
first
inning runs to close out the Bucs season with a 5-0 1st round playoff victory. Jeff
Ferrell
pitched well but was the victim of some tough breaks early to fall behind 4-0. After
that ,
Ferrell cruised until a unearned run in the sixth. Josh Whitesell came on in relief
and induced
a double play ball and got a strikeout to end the inning. The Bucs finished the year
at 14-9
overall.


Laney- 3
Ashley - 8
*(5-6-08) Ryan LaGrange, Jeff Ferrell, and Bob Hiatt each had two hits as the Bucs
fell on
Senior Night, 8-3. Josh Whitesell suffered his first loss of the season as the Bucs
lost for the
third time in the past four games, falling to 15-8. The Bucs will head into the
playoffs on
Friday night as they travel to Fuquay Varina in the first round. Fuquay has posted a
22-2 record
so far this year , finishing second in the tough Tri-Eight conference.



*Player of the Week (Apr. 28-May 4) Josh Whitesell has been named "Player of the Week"
for the
tenth week of the 2008 season. Josh pitched eight innings allowing only 5
hits ,striking out 8,
in a no decision effort against Hoggard on Tuesday. Josh followed up that fine
performance with
a 4-4 effort at the plate on Friday against White Oak. For his outstanding
performance, Josh
Whitesell is our "Player of the Week." Runner -up(s):Justin Barnes, Kyle Legates.
(Players of the
Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building performance).


Laney- 11
White Oak - 2
*(5-2-08) Josh Whitesell belted out four hits and Justin Barnes added two hits ,
including a
three-run homer, to lift the Bucs to a 11-2 win over White Oak on Friday. Matt Hickey
and Bob
Hiatt also had two hits apiece for the Bucs, who improved to 15-7 on the year, 7-4 in
conference
play. Kyle LeGates picked up the win in his first varsity start by pitching six
innings of five
hit, five strikeout baseball. Dallas Perdue struck out the side in the seventh to
finish out the
game. Jeff Ferrell also added a two-run home run. The Bucs take the field again on
Tuesday when
they entertain Ashley in the regular season finale. This will also be "Senior Night"
for the
Bucs as they honor Matt Hickey, Josh Whitesell, Justin Barnes, and Brian "Peanut"
Jordan. We ask
that everyone in the Buc family be early for the pregame ceremony honoring these fine
young men.


* This Saturday (5\3) is our fundraiser at Food Lion in Ogden. We strongly encourage
everyone (players and parents)to come out and support our program. We will be there
from 10-3.
If you have any questions, please contact Beth Hiatt.


*Justin Somers had surgery this morning (Thursday, 5\1) to repair a broken jaw. There
was no
nerve damage and the doctor felt he would be back playing sports in 3-4 weeks. He is
currently
in recovery and will return home this afternoon. Justin was involved in a accidental
collision
at home plate on Tuesday night against Hoggard. Please keep Justin and his family in
your
thoughts and prayers. Also, thanks to David Coleman of Hoggard who was involved in the
collision
with Justin. David was very apologetic and expressed concern about Justin's condition.
Thanks
for being first-class David.


* Last week, Danny Lorenzini and Justin Somers were inducted into the National Honor
Society.
Students may be inducted based on the following criteria:

-Maintain a 3.6 GPA and the high standards of scholarship, leadership, service and
character
that were used as a basis for selection.
-Perform Individual Service Project-
-Participate in at least one NHS Sponsored Service Project
-Peer Tutoring

National Honor Society Pledge

I pledge to maintain high scholastic standing,
to seek the light of truth,hold as fundamental
and worthy an untarnished character,to endeavor
intelligently and courageously to be a leader,
and to give of myself freely in service to others.
In doing so, I shall prove myself worthy of a place
in the National Honor Society.

Congratulations to these two outstanding student-athletes!

Laney- 2
Hoggard - 3 (11 innings)
*(4-29-08) Josh Whitesell pitched brilliantly, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 8
in 8
innings, but Hoggard scored a run in the top of the 11th inning to defeat the Bucs, 3-
2. Ryan
LaGrange and Justin Somers each had two hits to lead the Bucs , who fell to 14-7 , 6-4
in
conference play. All four conference losses have been in extra innings. The Bucs
travel to White
Oak on Friday and then finish their season at home on Tuesday against Ashley.


* Whew! We fell behind in our "Player of the Week" awards so we will do our best to
catch you up:
*Player of the Week (Apr. 21-Apr. 27)-Jeff Ferrell has been named the "Player of the
Week" for
the ninth week of the 2008 season. Jeff started the week by pitching a perfect seventh
inning (3
strikeouts)on Monday then getting 5 rbi's on Tuesday against New Hanover. Jeff
finished the week
pitching 8 innings against West Brunswick, giving up three hits while striking out 13.
Jeff
becomes our second two-time winner of the award. For his outstanding performance, Jeff
Ferrell
is our "Player of the Week." Runner-up(s): Josh Whitesell, Jeremy Bland.
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)


*Player of the Week (Apr. 7-Apr. 20) - We combined the two weeks that included Spring
Break
(Ashley Tourney) and the following week in which there was only one game (at New
Bern). Although
there were many good performances during these two weeks (Josh Whitesell shutting down
Butler,
Dallas Perdue hitting against Ashley, Scott Hall pitching against Hoggard, and Justin
Somers
batting versus New Bern just to name a few),the support showed to us at Ashley
(tourney)and at
New Bern, not to mention the unbelievable effort given at the Air Show fundraiser, our
choice
for the "PLAYERS of the WEEKs" are the parents of our players. We have an amazing
group of
parents and we all want to let you know how much you are appreciated. Thanks again for
all you
do for our kids!

Laney- 0
W. Brunswick - 1 (10 innings)
* (4-25-08)Jeff Ferrell threw 8 innings of two-hit, 12 strikeouts baseball, but West
Brunswick
scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 10 inning to defeat the Bucs, 1-0. The
loss drops
Laney into a three-way tie with West Brunswick and Hoggard for first place in the
Mideastern
conference. Ferrell was dominant throughout the night but was aided by excellent
defense from
the Laney fielders. Josh Whitesell stroked two singles to pace the Bucs at the plate.
Laney (14-
6, 6-3)left nine runners stranded on base, including five in scoring position. The
Bucs play
next on Tuesday when cross-town rival Hoggard comes to visit. Game time is 6:00.



* Justin Barnes has been designated as a NC Scholar this year. Justin will be
attending a
breakfast on Friday morning from 8:30 until approximately 10:30 in his honor. Students
are
designated NC Scholars by participating in a rigorous curriculum and maintaining a 3.5
(unweighted)G.P.A. Congratulations Justin!


Laney- 12
New Hanover - 1
*(4-22-08) Jeff Ferrell drove in 5 runs and Josh Whitesell scattered 5 hits in a 12-1
defeat of
New Hanover on Tuesday night. Ferrell had a three-run homer and a two-run double while
going two
for three on the night. Jeremy Bland drove in three runs with two doubles. The Bucs
got another
impressive outing from Whitesell, who upped his record to 5-0 on the season. Whitesell
struck
out five in six innings of work while only throwing 64 pitches. The Bucs (14-5,6-2)
travel to
West Brunswick on Friday.


Laney- 10
N. Myrtle Beach - 6
*(4-21-08) The Bucs jumped out early and then turned it on late to pull by N. Myrtle
Beach , 10-
6 , on Monday. Dallas Perdue singled home two runs in the top of the seventh to break
open a 6-6
tie and the Bucs added two more on the way to their 13th win of the year. Ryan
LaGrange and Josh
Whitesell added three hits apiece to lead the way at the plate. Justin Somers added a
two-run
homer in the sixth to get the Bucs back in front after they had fallen behind 5-4 in
the bottom
of the fifth. The Bucs slammed four doubles with Whitesell, LaGrange, Matt Hickey, and
Jeff
Ferrell each getting one. Somers , Perdue , Ferrell , and Scott Hall all saw mound
time with P)
Perdue picking up the win. The Bucs visit cross-town rival New Hanover on Tuesday.



* Busy weekend for the entire Laney Buc family as many of our players and parents were
involved
in community events. First, on Friday, the Bucs JV and Varsity teams took part in the
wonderful
opening ceremonies held at Supper Optimist. As stated earlier, the majority of our
players
participated in the baseball program at Supper Optimist and they were able to show
their
appreciation on Friday. There have been many compliments directed toward our kids
about their
attendance and the first-class manner they showed on Friday. Our kids walking from
team to team
and wishing them luck on the upcoming season was priceless. Also, on Saturday and
Sunday, our
parents and players helped volunteer at the Air Show at Wilmington International
Airport.
Many,many thanks to all who volunteered their time on behalf of Laney Baseball. It is
greatly
appreciated. The Thunderbirds were awesome!

Air Show Volunteers: Freda Stephenson ,Cely LaGrange,Randy LaGrange,Ryan
LaGrange,Michael Hilla,
Brandon Manley,Kim Manley,Corbin Bednarczyk,David Bednarczyk,Kristen Bednarczyk,Jayne
Anne James,
Bradley James,Brian Deschamps,Braxton Graham,Joy Graham,Raleigh Stoughton,Kyle
Legates, Luke
Tendler,Joyce Grady,Beth Hiatt,Jeff Hiatt,Bob Hiatt,Marie Jordan,Brian Jordan,Jeannie
Jordan,
Sue Hickey, Matt Hickey,Kelly Whitesell,Todd Whitesell,Josh Whitesell,Ashley
Bescher,Rick Ferell,
Jeff Ferrell,Vicki Ferrell,Scott Hall,and Gary Hall.




* Laney Baseball is proud to take part in the Supper Optimist Opening Ceremonies this
Friday,
April 18th, at 6:30. All but six of the current Varsity and JV Buc's participated in
the fine
program operated by Supper Optimist. Laney is proud to be a part of Opening Night at
Supper
Optimist and the strong bond that exist between the two programs. Best of luck to all
the
players and future Bucs.



Laney- 5
New Bern - 4
*( 4-16-08) Laney committed four errors in the first three innings to fall behind
three runs and
then staged a furious comeback to defeat New Bern , 5-4. Laney scored three runs in
the fifth
inning (five hits in the inning) to tie the score and then plated two runs in the
seventh
to take the lead and hold on for the win. Josh Whitesell scattered five hits through
six
innings, allowing only one earned run while striking out six, to earn his fourth win
of the
season without a loss. Laney (11-5, 5-2) were led at the plate by Justin Somers,
Dallas Perdue,
Scott Hall, and Jeremy Bland who all had two hits. Whitesell added a double for the
Bucs. Laney
will take the field again on Monday, April 21, when they travel to N. Myrtle Beach for
a non-
conference game. Game time is 6:00.





*JV BUCS UPDATE: The BUCS JV squad won one and lost one during spring break last
week, running
their overall record to 10-2. The Bucs won an extra inning affair versus New Hanover
on Monday 6-
5. Raleigh Stoughton earned his second win of the season, coming into a tight
situation in the
seventh inning and shutting down the Wildcat bats. Kyle Valente knocked in the winning
run in
the top of the eighth inning with a single to right, scoreing Kyle Legates. On Tuesday
the Bucs
suffered their second loss of the season, 5-9 to Ashley. Several defensive miscues
combined with
timely hits from the Ashley bats contributed heavily to the outcome. The JV BUCS will
be in
action again at 5:0 on Wednesday April 16 at home versus New Bern, and again on
Thursday April
17 beginning at 5:00 at West Brunswick.

* Laney Baseball is now on the world wide web! Please visit
www.laneybucsbaseball.webs.com from
time to time to check up on the Bucs. This site is still in it's infant stage so
please bear
with us.We will continue to keep our page on the school site (both addresses will have
the same
info)but this will enable others to search (google) for the baseball program
specifically. Please
feel free to sign our guestbook and leave upcoming dates, events, suggestions for the
site, or
just say hello. Thanks to everyone for your continued and outstanding support.



*Ashley\Cape Fear Yacht Sales Tourney (Apr. 7-9)

Day 1 Laney- 3 (10 inn.) Day 2 Laney- 14 (6 inn.) Day 3 Laney - 1
Butler-4 Ashley- 4 Hoggard- 9

Laney's Josh Whitesell pitched six innings of 3 hit, one run baseball but Laney could
not hold
on as Butler came from behind to defeat the Bucs, 4-3, in 10 innings on Day 1 of the
Cape Fear
Yacht Sales Baseball Tournament. Laney (10-5, 5-2) rebounded on Day 2 by taking
advantage of
some Ashley miscues to post a 14-4 win. On Day 3, Hoggard jumped out to a early 6-0
lead and
cruised the rest of the way to defeat the Bucs, 9-1. More info on the tournament to
come.




*Player of the Week (Mar.31-Apr. 6) Justin Somers has been named the "Player of the
Week" for
the sixth week of the 2008 season. Justin was outstanding in pitching the final three
innings
vs. Mt. Tabor , allowing no hits on the way to a 4-3 nine inning win. Somers also had
five hits
in the split doubleheader (Game 1 vs. Jacksonville) with one being a triple and three
doubles.
Justin continues to display a great work ethic with a "team first" attitude. Justin
becomes our
first repeat winner of this award for the 2008 season. For his outstanding
performance, Justin
Somers is our "Player of the Week." Runner-up(s): Josh Whitesell, Dallas Perdue.
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)



* The doubleheader between Mt. Tabor and Laney , scheduled for 11:00 a.m. today (Sat.,
4\5\08)
has been canceled due to weather. Laney would like to thank Coach Lovelace and his Mt.
Tabor
team for traveling to Wilmington and we wish them a safe trip back home. We also wish
them the
best of luck for the remainder of their season.


Laney- 8 Laney- 4
Jacksonville- 0 Mt. Tabor-3 (10innings)
*(4-4-08) The Bucs took the field again for the first time in a week and rolled to
their fifth
conference victory by defeating Jacksonville , 8-0. Later in the evening the Bucs got
another
win by getting past Mt. Tabor, 4-3, in nine innings. In game one, Jeff Ferrell limited
the
Cardinals to just two hits in six innings while striking out 10. Freshman Dallas
Perdue pitched
the seventh giving up one hit while striking out three. At the dish, the Bucs were led
Ryan
LaGrange and Justin Somers who banged out three hits apiece. Somers had a triple and a
double
among his three hits. Bradley James also added two hits. In the nightcap, Josh
Whitesell pitched
five innings of no-hit ball and the Bucs came from behind to beat Mt. tabor, 4-3.
Justin Somers
had two doubles for Laney and Jeff Ferrell added a double and a home run that tied the
score in
the bottom of the seventh. Dallas Perdue added two singles , including the game winner
with the
bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Somers picked up the win on the mound by
throwing three
innings of no-hit relief. The Bucs (9-3,5-2) will entertain Mt. Tabor on Saturday with
a
doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m.


* JV BUCS UPDATE: The Junior Varsity has had a very successful first half to its
season, off to
a 9-1 start, 5-0 in the conference. After losing the first contest of the season to
New Bern (9-
8 in 9 innings), the BUCS have strung together nine consecutive victories. Sophomore
Kyle
Legates has led the BUCS pitching staff with outstanding performances verses New
Hanover,
Hoggard, and Ashley. Freshman Mike Hilla also has performed extremely well for the
BUCS, earning
victories against conference foes Jacksonville and White Oak. Offensively the BUCS
have shown
outstanding consistency, scoring double digits in six of their 10 games.


* JV SCHEDULE UPDATE: The JV BUCS have rescheduled their game versus West Brunswick
(from March
18) to April 17. The game will be played at West Brunswick at 5:00. The game scheduled
on April
25 has been changed to a home game versus West Brunswick.


* Laney's home game with Mt. Tabor was canceled today and will be made up as part of a
doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Also, due to poor field conditions,
Friday's
conference game, originally scheduled to be played at Jacksonville, will now be played
at Laney
beginning at 5:00. With the weather remaining uncertain for the next few days, please
check back
for more information.



* Laney's baseball game scheduled for today, April 2, at North Myrtle Beach, has been
postponed
due to the inclement weather. The make-up date will be on Monday, April 21, at North
Myrtle
Beach. Game time will be at 6:00. The JV game for today , April 2, originally to be
played at
Topsail High School, will now be played at Laney. Game time is 5:00. (Note: JV game
has now also
been canceled.)



* Player of the Week (Mar. 24- Mar. 30) Jeremy Bland has been named the "Player of the
Week"
for the fifth week of the 2008 season. Jeremy has continued to progress on offense,
becoming
more and more consistent each week. This past week, Jeremy got the Bucs started in the
first
inning with an RBI single, giving Laney a lead it would never relinquish. He also
reached base
two other times on walks.Jeremy has played flawlessly at third base giving the Bucs
one of their
most solid 3rd basemen in some time. Jeremy practices hard and has leadership
qualities not
often seen in underclassmen (Sophomore). For his outstanding performance, Jeremy Bland
is
our "Player of the Week." Runner-up(s): Jeff Ferrell.
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)



* Tomorrow ,April 1, Ryan LaGrange and Kyle Valente will represent Laney at UNCW for
the
regional Math Meet (Corbin' and Mason' sister Tabitha Bednarczyk will also represent
us). Please
wish them luck if you see them. Winners will place and move on to the State Math Meet.


Laney- 12
Ashley- 1
(3-28-08)* Jeff Ferrell threw a three-hitter and Laney banged out ten hits to down
Ashley 12-1
in six innings. Ferrell helped himself at the plate going 2-3 with a double and a
three-run
homer. Robert Hiatt added two hits and two RBI's while Justin Somers added a solo home
run.
Leading 2-1 in the fifth, Somers got things going with a mammoth solo home run to
center and
Ferrell unloaded his three-run homer four batters later to up the lead to 6-1. In the
sixth, the
Bucs got a two-run single from Hiatt, an RBI double from Ferrell, as well as RBI
singles from
Josh Whitesell and Bradley James. Ferrell struck out eight batters in six innings. The
Bucs play
next at N. Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, April 2, at 6:00. The next home game for Laney
will be on
Thursday, April 3, when they host Mt. Tabor of Winston Salem at 6:00.



Laney- 8
White Oak- 0
(3-25-08)* Josh Whitesell gave up two hits in five innings of work and Ryan LaGrange
and Matt
Hickey each had two hits as the Bucs defeated White Oak 8-0 on Tuesday. Whitesell
struck out 7
as he raised his mound record to 3-0. Hickey and LaGrange continued their hot hitting
and Jeremy
Bland ,along with Whitesell, added a double. Laney (7-3, 3-2) travels Friday to Ashley
for a
6:00 tilt with the Eagles.



* Player of the Week (Mar. 17- Mar. 23) Matt Hickey has been named the "Player of the
Week"
for the fourth week of the 2008 season. Matt was Laney's most consistent hitter for
the week,
garnering four of the Bucs nine hits in games against West Brunswick and Hoggard. Matt
charted
well on all of his offensive charts this week and continues to carry himself like a
veteran
senior leader. For his outstanding performance, Matt Hickey is our "Player of the
Week." Runner -
up(s): Scott Hall, Bradley James, Jeff Ferrell, Ryan LaGrange.
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)




Laney- 1
Hoggard - 2 (8 innings)
(3-21-08)* Jeff Ferrell threw a two-hitter for the Bucs but it was not enough as
Hoggard
scored on a bloop single in the bottom of the 8th inning to get the win. Matt Hickey
led the way
at the plate for Laney with two hits, including an RBI single in the second. Laney
managed only
three hits in the game off Hoggard starter Scott Coleman and reliever Derek
Thackson ,who struck
out two batters with the go ahead run on second in the top of the 8th inning. Laney (6-
3, 2-2)
will return to action on Tuesday (3-25-08) when it hosts White Oak in another
Mideastern 4A\3A
conference game.



*Congratulations to the 2008 NC State games nominees from Laney High School.

-East\West Senior game : Josh Whitesell
-Region 2 Underclassmen Games : Jeff Ferrell, Justin Somers, Robert Hiatt, Ryan
LaGrange, Jeremy
Bland
-Please visit www.ncsports.org (high school-baseball)for information pertaining to
this year's
event.


Laney- 3
West Brunswick - 4 (10 innings)
(3-18-08)* West Brunswick scored 3 unearned runs , including one in the top of the
10th
inning, as West Brunswick won a wild Mideastern 4A\3A conference game , 4-3. Laney
committed 4
errors, equaling their season total , and left runners on base in all but two
innings. Justin
Somers (1-1) suffered the loss for the Bucs despite giving up only one hit in three
innings of
relief. Josh Whitesell started for the Bucs going 6 strong innings and giving up three
runs.
Only one was earned. Laney managed only five hits in the contest. Laney (5-2, 2-1)
will return
to action on Friday when they travel to Hoggard.



* Player of the Week (Mar. 10- Mar. 16) Josh Whitesell has been named the "Player of
the Week"
for the third week of the 2008 season. Josh extended his scoreless inning streak to 11
in
pitching a three hit shutout against Jacksonville (3-11-08)in five innings. Whitesell
finished
his outing with 6 strikeouts . Josh has also played solid defensively at first base
for the
Bucs. Josh charted well on his bullpens and continues to improve on his Senior
leadership role.
For his outstanding performance, Josh Whitesell is our "Player of the Week." Runner -
up: Robert
Hiatt, Justin Somers, Jeff Ferrell.
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)



Laney- 2
New Hanover - 0
(3-14-08)* Justin Somers had three hits and Laney rode the three hit pitching of
Jeff Ferrell
to squeak by New Hanover 2-0 in a Mideastern 4A\3A game. The Bucs (5-1, 2-0) plated
one run each
in the first and third innings to give Ferrell all the run support he would need. The
Junior
right-hander finished the game with 7 strikeouts. Somers led off the bottom of the
first with a
single and scored on Dallas Perdue's steal attempt. In the third, Somers hit a one out
triple
and scored on Robert Hiatt's ground ball. Jeff Ferrell had Laney's only other hit, a
fourth
inning single. The Bucs will take the field again on Tuesday as they host the West
Brunswick
Trojans.


*Schedule change: Due to Mid-term exams, the game between Laney and West Brunswick on
Tuesday (3-
18-08),originally scheduled to be played at West Brunswick High School, will now be
played at
Laney. The game time will also be changed to 5:00. The game scheduled on April 25th
between the
two teams will be played at West Brunswick.


Laney -10
Jacksonville-0
(3-11-08)* Josh Whitesell threw a three-hitter and the Bucs banged out 10 hits to
open
conference play with a 10-0 win over the visiting Jacksonville Cardinals. Whitesell
threw only
50 pitches in the five inning affair,shortened due to the 10 run rule. Junior Robert
Hiatt led
the way offensively with three hits while junior Justin Somers and sophomore Ryan
LaGrange each
had two. Laney (4-1, 1-0) will host county rival New Hanover on Friday at 6:00.




*Player of the Week (Mar. 3-Mar. 9) Jeff Ferrell has been named the "Player of the
Week" for
the second week of the 2008 season. Jeff was outstanding in pitching the Bucs to a 4-3
win
over North Myrtle Beach on Thursday (3-6-08). Ferrell gave up only two hits in four
innings and
finished his outing with 7 strikeouts . He also had an RBI single and stole a base.
Jeff also
had a solid showing on his practice proficiency charts . For his outstanding
performance, Jeff
Ferrell is our "Player of the Week." Runner -up: Scott Hall
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)




Laney-4
N. Myrtle Beach- 3
(3-6-08)* Laney jumped out early and then held on late for a 4-3 non-conference
victory over the
North Myrtle Beach (SC) Chiefs. Jeff Ferrell got the start for the Bucs and had
another
impressive outing. The junior right-hander pitched four innings allowing only two hits
and
striking out seven. Josh Whitesell pitched the 5th and 6th innings, allowing no hits
and
striking out three. Scott Hall earned his second save of the season by getting through
a bases
loaded ,no outs ,situation in the seventh. Sophomore Jeremy Bland and Ferrell each had
a run
scoring single. Robert Hiatt had two hits for the Bucs. Laney (3-1, 0-0))opens it's
Mideastern
4A\3A schedule on Tuesday when it faces Jacksonville at home. Game time is 6:00.




JV : Laney-11
S. Brunswick-0
(3-5-08)* The Laney JV team evened its record at 1-1 with an 11-0 victory over the
Cougars.
Laney opened its season with a heart-breaking 8-7 extra inning loss at New Bern. On
this day
however, the Bucs would not be denied. Caleb wells pitched brilliantly, allowing only
one hit,
and striking out seven. Hitting stars were Kyle Legates and Kyle Valente, each
stroking a single
and a double. Raleigh Stoughton added two singles. The Bucs will travel to
Jacksonville on
Tuesday for their conference opener.




*North Carolina State Trooper David Gould visited with the Bucs today (Mar. 5) and
talked with
the team about drinking and driving. Trooper Gould presented a MADD (Mothers Against
Drunk
Driving) sponsored video which showed the poor , and sometimes fatal, decisions teens
make when
they get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. After the video, the team had the
chance to
inspect the car of a Highway Patrolman.
Trooper Gould is no stranger to Laney Baseball. He was an assistant coach (Head JV) in
2005 and
2006. He joined the Highway Patrol after serving as PE teacher at Ogden Elementary for
3 1\2
years. We would like to say thank you to Coach Gould. The Bucs are extremely proud of
you!




*Player of the Week (Feb. 25-Mar. 2) Justin Somers has been named the "Player of the
Week" for
the opening week of the 2008 season. Justin was outstanding in pitching the Bucs to a
1-0 win
over West Forsyth on Friday. Somers gave up only one hit , a sixth inning infield
single and
finished the game with 8 strikeouts while walking only two. He also scored the winning
(and
only) run in each of Laney's 1-0 wins. He also charted the highest in all of the Bucs
offensive
proficiency charts and also scored high during his bullpens. For his outstanding
performance,
Justin Somers is our "Player of the Week." Runner -up: Ryan LaGrange
(Players of the Week are chosen based on game, practice, classroom, and team building
performance)



* Schedule change: The game between Laney and N. Myrtle Beach , originally scheduled
for this
Tuesday, March 4, at N. Myrtle Beach, has been re-scheduled for Thursday, March 6, at
Laney High
School. Game time will remain at 6:00. The game that was to be played at Laney on
April 2
between the two teams will now be played at N. Myrtle Beach High School. Game time
will be at
6:00.


LANEY - 5
WEST FORSYTH - 6
(3-1-08)* Laney rallied from six down but fell just short in the bottom of the seventh
with
runners in scoring position. Jeff Ferrell was the hard luck loser , surrendering just
three hits
and striking out nine in four innings of work. Freshman Dallas Perdue worked the last
three
innings,giving up three runs in the fifth but then settling in to retire the side in
order in
the sixth and seventh innings. Ryan Lagrange led Laney with two hits and Justin Somers
had an
RBI single. The Bucs will next play on Thursday at Laney against N. Myrtle Beach. Game
time is
6:00.


LANEY - 1
W. FORSYTH- 0
(2-29-08)*Laney got another impressive pitching performance , this time by Justin
Somers, and
Matt Hickey drove in the winning run with a sixth inning RBI single as Laney improved
to 2-0 on
the season with the win. Somers gave up only one hit , a sixth inning infield single
and
finished the game with 8 strikeouts while walking only two. Scott Hall pitched the
seventh to
get the save. Somers opened the sixth with a single and stole second. Hickey then
singled him
home with the winning run. Josh Whitesell had two hits for the Bucs. Laney plays West
Forsyth
again on Saturday at 11:30.


LANEY -1
NEW BERN -0
(2-27-08)*Laney opened its 2008 baseball season with a victory over New Bern by a
score of 1-0.
Laney got impressive pitching performances from senior Josh Whitesell and junior Jeff
Ferrell,
who combined to throw a two- hitter. Whitesell threw the first four innings while
Ferrell
pitched the last three. At the plate, the Bucs were led by sophomore Ryan LaGrange who
drove in
Justin Somers with the winning run with a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh.
LaGrange
had three of the Bucs six hits. Laney (1-0, 0-0) will play next at home on Friday (2-
29-08)when
they host the powerful West Forsyth Titans at 6:00.


*Today's varsity baseball game (Tue.,Feb.26) against New Bern High School has been
postponed due
to bad weather. The game will be played at Laney High School tomorrow, Feb. 27, at
5:00. The
Laney JV team will also make up their game on Wednesday as they make the trip up HWY
17 to
play the Bears. Game time in New Bern is also 5:00.