The Centreville baseball team split two Concorde District games in a 15-hour span to end their regular season over the weekend. 

The Wildcats (8-11 overall, 5-7 district) defeated Fairfax, 11-3, on Senior night on Friday behind five shutout innings by junior LHP Ryan Ashooh and five RBI from senior RF Will Fuka, then dropped a 7-6 decision to Herndon on Saturday morning to conclude the regular season. 

As a result, Centreville will play in the #4 vs. #5 district tournament quarterfinal game on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. against Oakton. The higher seed and home team will be decided by a coin flip on Monday. 

On Friday night, Fuka went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run while Ashooh struck out eight and allowed just one hit to improve to 5-1 on the season. Senior DH Tommy Russell, senior 1B J.P. Nicholas, junior 2B Andy Viands and junior SS Chris Campbell each had two hits on the night. 

Saturday’s game, which started at 10 a.m. and was finally played after being rained out three times during the week, saw the Wildcats jump on top early 2-0 behind a leadoff home run by Nicholas and a run-scoring single by senior DH Bob McMican. Centreville, however, would then fall into a 6-3 hole when Herndon reached starting pitcher Connor Bach for a run in the fifth and two in the sixth. Fuka hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but the Hornets would win the game on a bases-loaded walk issued by Wildcats reliever J.T. Hampel in the bottom of the seventh. 

Nicholas would finish with three hits and McMican had two to pace the Centreville bats. Bach, who went 5 1/3 innings before yielding to Hampel in the sixth, allowed 11 hits while striking out two and walking two.

Tonight’s Centreville baseball game at Herndon has been cancelled due to the inclement weather. The game is rescheduled for tomorrow at Herndon at 6:30 p.m.

The Wildcats enter the game with a 7-10 overall record and 4-6 mark in the Concorde District. Herndon is 6-10 overall and 3-7 in the district

Senior 1B J.P. Nicholas and junior 2B Andy Viands both homered and
junior RHP J.T. Hampel threw six strong innings as the Centreville
baseball team won for the fifth time in seven games, 9-5, at Oakton on
Friday night.

With the win, the Wildcats improved to 5-9 overall and 3-5 in the
Concorde District, a half-game behind the Cougars (7-7, 3-4) for
fourth place in the league.

Hampel, who was making his first start of the season, scattered nine
hits and allowed just one walk to give Centreville a huge lift one
night after the team dropped a 3-1 decision at Chantilly. Nicholas,
meanwhile, batted leadoff for the first time this season and continued
his hot hitting at the plate with his third straight multiple-hit
game, driving in three runs.

Viands, who was moved from the leadoff spot to second in the lineup,
finished with three hits and scored four times. Senior LF Will Fuka
had three hits while senior C Kyle Hall and freshman 3B Bobby San
Martin added two hits apiece.

The Wildcats are next in action on Monday when they host Herndon at 6:30 p.m.

After dropping their first two games of the season, the Centreville baseball team will look to pick up its first win of the season when it travels to Concorde District rival Robinson on Tuesday night. 

The Wildcats, which gave up all six runs in the fifth inning of a 6-0 loss at St. Anne’s-Bellfield (STAB) in Charlottesville last Wednesday and dropped a 3-1 decision in eight innings in their home opener against Chantilly last Friday, enter the week looking to avoid falling two games off the pace in the district.

In the loss to STAB, senior right-hander Jamey Collidge allowed just one hit and no runs through the first four innings, but was reached for six runs (two earned) in the deciding fifth inning.  Junior shortstop Chris Campbell paced the team with two hits, both doubles, but the Wildcats were unable to mount much of a threat against the traditional private school power.

Last Friday against the Chargers, junior lefty Ryan Ashooh struck out eight over five innings, but an unearned run in the first inning proved costly as the game went into extra innings and Chantilly plated the winning runs off junior lefty Connor Bach in the eighth.  Centreville again struggled at the plate, totaling just three hits and failing to have a runner reach base during the fourth through seventh innings.

Collidge will again take the mound on Tuesday against the Rams, who took two one-run decisions from the Wildcats last season.

Baseball season has begun!  There’s been lots of activity and hard work getting ready for the season.   Tryouts were held and the Varsity and JV teams have been determined.  Parents and coaches gathered for Meet the Coach night at Centreville High School.  Coach Spencer introduced the coaching staff, many of of whom are returning coaches with some new faces as well, including a new head coach for the JV Team. 

There has been much preparation for team fund raising.  The team will have their annual Bat-a-thon this week, which is a really fun event for the players.  The team has been selling Wildcat wear; banner sales and media guide ad sales are in process.  This weekend the team sponsored a dunk tank at the Union Mill Shell, giving everyone a chance to dunk principal, Mike Campbell as well as Coach Gianelli.  A carwash will be held at the Union Mill Shell on March 21.  The proceeds from the fund raisers will go towards supporting the baseball program needs and the Varsity team’s Spring Break trip to compete in a tournament in South Carolina.

The Varsity team starts off the season with scrimmages on Saturday night at Waters Field in Vienna.  The coaches, players and parents are looking forward to some great baseball with hopes of a winning season!

The CVHS Athletic Booster Club is sponsoring an old fashioned Carnival July 17 through 27 on the grounds of Centreville high school. Taylor & Sons of Annapolis, Maryland will be providing the fun and excitement with rides, games and goodies. The carnival will be open during weekdays with evening hours. Saturday and Sunday carnival activities will begin in the early afternoon. Gates typically remain open until 11pm. Tickets for rides and games will be priced right for this family-oriented event. A portion of the proceeds benefit the CVHS Athletic Boosters so please bring your friends, bring your family, have some fun and help support Wildcat Athletics!

All are invited to an information meeting conducted by George Mason University’?s Director of Compliance, Paul Bowden on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 in the Centreville High School auditorium. The meeting will be followed by a Question & Answer Panel of parents and students who have been through the recruiting process. The discussion will include information about NCAA recruiting and initial eligibility. Join us May 20 at 7:00PM in the Centreville High School auditorium.

May 5, 2008 Clifton, Va. — Mickey Bozek was all over the place playing in his final regular season home game for the Wildcats but the Wildcats couldn’t pull out the victory for Bozek and fellow senior Nick Ellis, falling to Herndon 17-13.

Bozek, who started the game in center field, would move to right, come in to pitch and head back to center field. At the plate, he smashed a solo home run to right in the second, grounded out scoring a run in the fourth, hit a three-run home run to cap the fourth, walked in the sixth and struck out to end the game. He wound up with five RBI in the game and the loss from the pitcher’s mound.

Ellis scored twice, drove in a run and finished 1-for-3 while stationing himself at third base.

Had it not been Senior Night, the talk of the game would’ve been the Wildcat fourth inning when, trailing 7-1, the Cats plated nine runs. Cam Walter started the inning with an innocent single to center but 14 batters would come to the plate before it was all over. Bozek drove in Walter who’d moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. With the bases empty and one out, Ellis singled to center, Conor Bach was hit with a pitch and Zack Underhill singled to short right to load the bases. Bob McMican pinch hit for Kyle Hall and drew a walk scoring a run. Back to the top of the order for Andy Viands, he too drew a walk to score a run. Chris Campbell singled to left to score a run. Still, with the bases loaded, J. P. Nicholas popped into a fielder’s choice.

With the score now 7-5 and two down in the inning, Walter delivered a two-run single to right to tie the game. Bozek then delivered his second home run of the game to put the Cats up 10-7. The Cats looked to tack on more but with runners at second and third, Underhill flew out to center.

The Hornets, who had scored four runs in the top of the fourth, struck back again in the fifth off Bozek who was working his second inning of relief. The first three batters reached before Nick Impellizzeri hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 10-8. Chris Medina got the Hornets within one with a single to right. An error on the play allowed another run to score and tie the game at 10. A two-out double by Allan Brownell made it 12-10 Herndon and the damage would be complete when Brownell scored on a wild pitch.

The Cats couldn’t score in the bottom of the fifth and the teams traded three-runs each in the sixth however the Wildcats had the chance to add more. With the bases loaded, Nick Ellis’ ground ball forced Bozek at second but scored the first run of the inning. Bach delivered an RBI single to short right before Underhill was hit with a pitch to load the bases again. A wild pitch allowed the final Wildcats run to score but there were still runners at second and third with one out. Hall struck out swinging and Viands was thrown out on a close play at first to end the threat.

In a game, that lasted two hours and 40 minutes, there was a total of 30 runs, 27 hits and 14 runners left on base between the teams. Walter went 2-for-3 with three runs scored in the game and only one player did not register a run, Kyle Hall. McMican pinch hit for hall in the fourth and that was the only time the 9-spot in the Wildcat line-up crossed the plate.

Notes: That’s great, but who are the Chefs? That old Snicker’s commercial came back to taunt a special dedication on the field. The numbers of both seniors were painted in the grass behind home plate. Bozek’s #11 and head coach Morgan Spencer’s #18, until a little handy work was done to fix the #18 into a #16 for the second senior, Ellis.

Wildcat seniors Mick Bozek and Nick Ellis are featured in a recent article published at FairfaxTimes.com in a piece by Jason Mackey titled, “Opposites attack at Centreville.” Click here to read the article and see the photos from the May 8 article at FairfaxTimes.com. Read the profile and then post a comment at their site!

We have a collection of more than 50 new photos from the pre-game celebration of Senior Night 2008. Just before the final home game of the regular season on Monday, May 5 the fans, coaches and administrators of Centreville High School recognized their members of the Class of 2008: Mick Bozek and Nick Ellis. Click here to check out the photo gallery at flickr.com (if you’re inside the CVHS building, it won’t work - they block access to flickr.com. Sorry.).