Month: July 2018

Bobcats needing new Coach

Radford High School baseball program is looking for a new baseball head coach. Head Coach Greg Ridpath has informed RodneySportsNow.com that he has retired from coaching. Coach Ridpath also will not be the junior varsity head football coach or an assistant on the Bobcat varsity team. Coach Ridpath said, ” I want to spend more time with my son Nick, and my daughter in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nick will be a redshirt sophomore at William and Mary.” Nick is projected to see lots of action on the Tribe defensive line. Coach Ridpath remarked,” I’m proud and honored to have had the opportunity to coach at a school I was raised in and played football, baseball, and basketball for in my day. ”

Coach Ridpath had been the head baseball coach for the last three years. He was also an assistant for two years on the baseball varsity staff as well as junior varsity head baseball coach for three years. He was an assistant on the Bobcat football program for 10 years. He has served as eighth grade, junior varsity head as well in those 10 years.

VHSL dead period ends

Monday, July 9 teams can and will once again be back at lifting weights and practicing. A lot of teams will be at 7- on-7 practices. Coaches will get down to more details and preparations become more intense as the start of official practice is just around the corner. Scrimmages and benefit games will get underway in around five-six weeks. Excitement is just beginning.

Fri. Aug. 10 – Grayson Co. @ Radford – scrimmage- Time to be announced

Fri. Aug. 10 – JI Burton vs Fort Chiswell – scrimmage @ Emory&Henry – Time to be announced

Fri. Aug. 17 – Pulaski Co. @ Radford – Benefit game – TBA

Fri. Aug. 17 – John Battle @ Fort Chiswell – Benefit game – TBA

Fri. Aug. 24 – Regular Season Starts

Three out of four for the NRV Tigers

Radford…The New River Valley Tigers lost their first game of the weekend to Ironbridge (5-2) in a game played at VA Tech. The Tigers committed three errors leading to three unearned runs that they couldn’t overcome.

Tazewell’s Austin Parker was the hard luck loser as he pitched the first two innings. Chris Meredith and Austin Atkins both scored a run, as Grayson Co.’s Shawn Campbell knocked in a run as did Atkins.

The Tigers then would move to Radford University to take Team Virginia. They scored four times in the second inning as they went on to win 4-1. Campbell went four innings, giving up just one hit and striking out four to get the win. He helped himself as he knocked in a run. Fort Chiswell’s Leighton Dunford had two hits and scored a run. Besides Dunford, Andrew Neighbors, Carter Plunkett and Auburn’s Keith Reed all scored a run each. Those four also had an RBI each.

NRV then took on the Carolina Cubs and defeated them 10-5 as Jacob Stuart of Galax pitched 4.1 innings for the mound win. He struck out eight and allowed three earned runs. He also was one for two with a RBI. Campbell and Caleb Pritchard both had three RBIs each. Campbell also scored three runs and Chris Meredith scored twice.

The nightcap, late Sunday, saw the Tigers win 3-2 scoring in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and a three balls, two strike count, Nick Funk stroked a single in the gap to left center as Caleb Pritchard raced all the way from first for the dramatic win. Daniel Cook got the win as he went the last two innings. Stuart was two for three as well as Pritchard. Funk, Stuart and Cook had one RBI each.

The NRV Tigers head coach Todd Davis remarked, “This was a big win for us. We won our last three games after losing our opening Friday game.” He added by saying, ”I’m proud of how our guys competed and battled after that opening loss. We played and hit the ball better. We got some solid pitching even in the loss. Playing with wooden bats is very different and that’s what these guys are use to. Then pitching on artificial turf on the mound is not normal for us either.”

The three wins move the Tigers to 6-1-1 on the summer circuit. They will be back in action July 20-21, as they will be in Sevierville, Tennessee playing at Smokies Park.