Langley baseball coach Jeff Ferrell predicted before the season that the AAA Liberty District would be the toughest league in Northern Virginia to win. Two weeks into district play, there's no reason to believe otherwise.
His Saxons might be in position to prevail thanks to a balanced attack that was on display last week in wins over Fairfax (10-5) and Lee (3-1). Langley is 3-1 in the district and tied for first with Lee and W.T. Woodson.
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_____Games to Watch_____
BASEBALL
No. 1 Westfield at No. 5 St. John's, Thursday, 4: Two of the area's top teams from two of the area's top leagues match up in a classic public-private clash. Likely first-round draft pick Brandon Snyder and the AAA Northern Region champion Bulldogs are undefeated this season; St. John's is consistently one of the contenders for the WCAC title.
No. 10 W.T. Woodson at Langley, Friday, 6:30: The regular season race in the ultra-competitive Liberty District is already tight, and W.T. Woodson (5-3, 3-1) and Langley (8-2, 3-1) are in the mix. The teams enter the week in a three-way tie with Lee (5-2, 3-1). All-Met shortstop-pitcher Mike Bianucci is batting .500 with two home runs.
SOFTBALL
No. 7 Broad Run at No. 6 Oakton, Thursday, 5: This inter-county matchup features a pair of teams that are 6-1, with their lone blemishes coming in 2-1 games.
O'Connell at Potomac School, Saturday, noon: Senior pitcher Morgan Simpson tossed a no-hitter last week for Potomac School, which plays four games in six days this week.
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At the plate, Langley senior designated hitter Jimmy Saris is batting .533; senior catcher Nick Zahra is batting .360 and calls the pitches, a rarity at the prep level; senior outfielder Chuck Eller is batting .444; and junior third baseman Kevin Corey checks in at .346 with eight RBI. On the mound, Saris is 2-0 with a 1.18 ERA; junior Bryce Morrison is 3-0 and sophomore Daniel Hochberg is 2-0 after he defeated the Lancers on Friday, despite battling flu-like symptoms.
"We're just looking for consistency," Ferrell said. "That's what you need in this district, when you've got Lee, Woodson, Madison and McLean to deal with every night."
-- Tarik El-Bashir
