THURSDAY PRACTICE UPDATE

Practice today will be from 3:30-5pm in the High School gym.  We may be done by 4:30-4:45 but we'll say 5pm just in case.  I will tell the boys in chapel today.  I'm still waiting to hear about fields for the weekend.  I will let you know as soon as I can.

Thursday Practice (2/27) - CHANGE!!!

It looks like it is going to be pretty cold tomorrow night at 5pm (low 30's with windchill in 20's).  Therefore, we are most likely going to have an indoor practice instead.  We will likely spend some time in a classroom going over some things and then possibly some time in a gym.  I cannot find out until tomorrow when we can get a gym but I will let you know as soon as I can.  It is possible that we might practice right after school. 

Please be watching email tomorrow and I will notify the boys as well in chapel.  For now, just know that our practice location will mostly likely change tomorrow.

2014 LAMS BASEBALL TEAM

Congratulations to those who have made the team and thank you to all who tried out.  There were obviously some very difficult decisions for all the coaches to make.  Once again, please know that a lot of thought, discussion and prayer went into the decisions.

The following boys have made the Lipscomb Academy Middle School baseball team for the 2014 season.
 They are in alphabetical order:


1.  Aaron Adamaitis
2.  Sam Colley
3.  Stroud Cook
4.  Chase Ford
5.  Jonathan Hudson
6.  Matthew Jones
7.  Ben Lowery
8.  Jackson Mangrum
9.  Matthew McCormick
10.  Addison McNeely
11.  Connor Pylkas
12.  Trey Rogers
13.  Grant Rathburn
14.  Vinny Romano
15.  Grant Sanderson
16.  Caleb Silva
17.  Brennan Smiley
18.  Chris Smith
19.  Nate Smith
20.  Sutton Smith
21.  Will Smitherman
22.  Lee Tallent
23.  Tate Williams
24.  Jake Woodard

Managers - Luc Cantrell, Alex Moore

After a couple of weeks of practice, these boys will be divided into a Varsity and JV team based on skill and ability shown in practice.

All 24 members of the team will meet in Coach Thweatt's room after school this Thursday (February 20) from 3:15-4:00pm. 

We will practice this weekend either Saturday, Sunday or both.  Details will be announced soon.

TRYOUTS ON FOR TODAY (TUESDAY 2/18)

TRYOUTS TODAY WILL BE ON FIELD 1 (This is a change!)  FROM 3:30-5PM.  PLEASE BE ON TIME. 

THE 24 MEMBERS OF THE 2014 LAMS BASEBALL TEAM WILL BE ANNOUNCED HERE ON THIS BLOG AT 8PM TONIGHT.

TRYOUTS POSTPONED TODAY (Wednesday)

Due to the cold weather, potential precipitation and the fact that we'd like to see these boys at their best, we have decided to postpone tryouts today. 

We hate to put it off, but we feel it's best for now. 

Due to the day off of school Friday, potential for family travel and Winterfest, we cannot have tryouts this weekend either.

Therefore, our final day of tryouts will most likely be Monday or Tuesday afternoon (location/times to be announced)  We will watch the weather over the weekend and let you know for sure by Sunday afternoon.  Please plan on tryouts and then practice every day next week.  In other words, please keep all afternoons open.  Once tryouts happen and the team is decided, we will begin practice immediately.  We will obviously be a little behind due to this delay in the tryout process and will need all the practice days we can get.

Once again we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Tryouts Update (updated Tues. afternoon)

It's looking more and more like tomorrow (Wed.) might not be a good weather day after all.  I will make an official call by noon tomorrow so please be watching email for an update on whether or not we will have our 2nd round of tryouts. 

IF we cannot have tryouts tomorrow, we will have to postpone announcing the team.  We really do need one more day of tryouts as we felt like Sunday wasn't enough and we would like to see the boys again.

Despite the outlook for good weather, Thursday is not a possibility due to my involvement in 6th grade Medieval Night that afternoon and evening. 

Therefore, IF tomorrow doesn't work, we will try to go with the next good weather day after Thursday.  That could mean Friday afternoon, Saturday or Sunday again.  I realize this may cause conflicts, but we need to get these tryouts complete as soon as possible.  I would love to get these done by the end of the weekend. 

Please just be watching your email and www.lamsbaseball.com for updates.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.  Hopefully the weather will be decent enough tomorrow and we can just go with it.

TRYOUTS CONTINUE WEDNESDAY!!

After talking with the other coaches, we feel like we do need to see the boys one more time before making any final decisions.  Therefore, we are going to ask EVERYONE to come back to a 2nd tryout session on Wednesday of this week.  This will be at Warner Park Field 1 (corner of Old Hickory and Vaughn Rd in Brentwood) from 3:30pm-5pm.

If at all possible, please have your son there with all equipment on time.

If weather is an issue, I will email and post on www.lamsbaseball.com.  Please be watching on Wednesday.

The 2014 team will still be announced this Friday, Feb. 14 at 2pm on www.lamsbaseball.com.

Let me know of any questions.

LAMS BASEBALL TRYOUT INFORMATION - IMPORTANT!!!

After numerous discussions with the other coaches and looking at every weather forecast available, it looks like TOMORROW (SUNDAY) is going to be out best day of next week to have tryouts.  Therefore, we are asking ALL BOYS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT FOR LAMS BASEBALL to come tomorrow afternoon.  Here is the schedule:

1:00PM - 2:30PM  Pitchers and Catchers ONLY in the Auxiliary Gym at Lipscomb Academy!  This is for boys that are willing or wanting to pitch or catch.  If your son is NOT wanting to pitch/catch, there is no need to come during this time.

2:45PM - 5:00PM  ALL BOYS at the Lipscomb Academy Baseball Field.  We will do a rotation where each boy will get to bat twice in the cage, field, and catch flies in the outfield. 

Important Notes:

 - If you have an unavoidable conflict with these times tomorrow, please let me know asap and we will work something out.  However, if there is ANY WAY you can make it work, please have your son there.  Since our team does not have our own playing or practice field, we have to take what we can get on the one decent weather day of the week.

 - PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE.  We want to get each boy as much time possible to demonstrate his baseball skills so arriving on time or even early is greatly appreciated.

 - School policy says that NOBODY can tryout without a health form.  PLEASE have these for me if I haven't gotten it already.  No exceptions.

 - Please have your boys bring all equipment necessary!!  Also have them dress appropriately.  Even though it doesn't look like it will be raining, it will still be cool (40's).

 - Wednesday of next week looks to be decent weather so we will use this as a backup day if we feel we need to see anyone or everyone again.  Please keep Wednesday afternoon open if possible. 

 - IMPORTANT - There will be several coaches there evaluating each boy.  Please know that the decision on whether or not a boy makes the team is not one person's decision.  It will involve many combined scores and evaluations, much discussion and most importantly prayer.

 - Out of the approximately 35 boys trying out, we can only keep 24 boys.  It will be based SOLELY on ability and skill when it comes to baseball.  Grade (7th or 8th) will have NOTHING to do with it.

 - The 24 members of the 2014 LAMS Baseball Team will be announced via www.lamsbaseball.com on Friday, February 14 at 2pm.  A practice schedule for the following week will be announced at that time.  After two weeks or so of practice, the 24 boys will then be divided into a Varsity and Junior Varsity team.  This will again be based SOLELY on ability and skill and grade (7th/8th) will not be a factor.

- We respectfully request that all parents that are staying please try to refrain from giving the coaches any input and/or coaching your son during his tryout.  However, because of numbers, we might need a few dads to help at a certain station.  If you are willing to help, please let me know tomorrow when you arrive.  We truly appreciate the help, but obviously, whether or not you can help tomorrow has no basis as to whether your son makes the team or not. 

- PLEASE let me know of any questions and I will do my best to answer them. 

We covet and appreciate your prayers and support during this week as we as coaches will obviously have to make some tough decisions.  Again, please know that we will do so after much discussion and prayer and based on our judgement of each boy's baseball skills.

On behalf of the coaches,


Albert Thweatt