Cobras baseball players sign national letters of intent

The Parkland Cobras baseball program and head coach Matt Kennedy are beginning to grow accustomed to seeing their players move on. This past week twelve players signed national letters of intent to continue their playing careers at four year schools next year.

Head Coach Matt Kennedy takes great pride in helping his players move on. "For me, its satisfying to see those guys move on and to help in that process," Kennedy said. Kennedy is also confident that his seven other unsigned sophomores will find places to play as they are also receiving interest from other schools.

The group consists of seven Cobra pitchers and five key position players who are headed to NCAA Division I and II schools. Left-handed pitcher Zach Hall will be attending Austin Peay State. Hall made nine starts and recorded a solid 6-1 record. Joining him at Austin Peay State is right-hander Brian Krolikowski, who started seven games, compiling a 2-1 record in thirty five innings pitched.

Four players have committed to King College in Bristol, Tenn. Third basemen Landon Wietekamp, who batted for .363 with four homers and 19 RBI; center-fielder Jake Pewitt who averaged .331 with 27 RBI; outfielder Tom Hooker who batted .300 while commiting no errors; and right-hander Mark Hode; who appeared in five games and threw four innings for the Cobras.

Shortstop Wes Minton and left-handed pitcher Bo Weir are headed to Central Missouri next fall. Minton received NJCAA First Team All-America honors after hitting .420 with six homers and 61 RBIs. Weir made 10 starts and led the team in strikeouts with seventy three while posting a 3-2 record.

The remaining four have taken separate career paths. Left-hander Clay Manering, who made eight starts last spring and compiled a 4-1 record is headed to Ball State University. First basemen Jeff Limbaugh, who batted .397 with 49 RBI will move on to Wright State University. Right-hander Josh Witt, who made 13 appearances last season while recording a 4-1 record has chosen the University of Indianapolis. Another right-handed pitcher, Brad Reedy is attending Saint Joseph's College next fall. Reedy, limited by a foot injury last year, looks to be a key contributor to the talented Cobra pitching staff this year.

Finding the right combination of on-field success, strong academic performance, and the ability to move athletes on to the next level is huge in the Parkland Athletic programs. Advancing players on to the next level is very important to athletic director Rod Lovett, who said, "It's something we do stress and it's something we have all of our coaches put emphasis on. That has been one of Matt's strengths." It is an indication of this strength and the effectiveness of the baseball program as a whole that 12 baseball players have made it official in the early signing period.