By Jerry Shank
Maryland Director of Scouting

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SOUTHERN

HEAD COACH: Frank Hood

CONFERENCE:  Anne Arundel County

2014 RECORD: 17-9

FINISH:  5^th place in conference, 2A State Champs

RETURNING STARTERS:  5

TOP RETURNERS: 
Truman Thomas
Dillon Waters
Jon Artale
Billy Albaugh
Mitchell Johnson
DJ Coleman
Chris Blair

TEAM STRENGTHS:
Pitching. Southern has a very deep staff this year which is led by University of Maryland commit Truman Thomas. A very athletic pitcher, Thomas sits in the 85-87 range with an easy delivery and good feel for a good slider in the 77-78 range. Jon Artale and Michell Johnson are two other seniors that will also lead the staff and pitch in the low to mid 80 mph range. Chris Blair, Dillon Waters, and DJ Coleman are all juniors that will contribute to the staff. Keep an eye on freshman Brady Waters, who has good feel for his off-speed pitches and could contribute. 

QUESTION MARK:
Athleticism.  Southern has had to play a lot of station-to-station baseball because of not having many runners in the lineup.  It is one of the reasons they lost some games last year because they struggled creating runs. 
Defense is a concern as well. At about the halfway point DJ Coleman came into the lineup last year at third base and really turned a weakness into a strength. Southern is hoping that having Coleman a full season at third will solidify the corner defense. 

WILDCARD:
Al Karvelal transferred to Southern from North Carolina. The outfielder brings some athleticism to the team and has some raw ability at the plate. Look for him to be a breakout player for the Bulldogs this season. Billy Albaugh, a Prince George’s CC commit, is another player to keep an eye on as he is poised for a breakout year. 

OVERALL:
Being the defending state champion means only one goal: repeat. Southern has a few holes to fill but a lot of the core is still intact and they have another year under their belt. Playing in the tough Anne Arundel County conference with primarily 4A teams translates into good competition on a weekly basis. Look for Southern to be a strong contender in the 2A playoffs again in 2015.