Sports
Vianney Hoping Powerful Offense Will Lead to Championship
First-year coach Scott Brown has led Vianney to a 25-8 mark, including 12 wins in its past 13 games.
If Vianney brings home a state championship this weekend, it will likely be a result of the Golden Griffins overwhelming their opponents with offense.
First-year coach Scott Brown has led Vianney to a 25-8 mark, including 12 wins in its past 13 games. The Griffins will play Francis Howell (30-3) at 10 a.m. on Friday at Meador Park in Springfield, Mo. in the Class 4 state semifinals.
Vianney is returning to the final four for the first time since its 2006 title season.
The Griffins are averaging a robust nine runs per game. Pacing the attack is senior center fielder Ryan Snyder and his team-leading .520 batting average and 51 hits, including eight home runs. Snyder has 40 RBI, second only to senior first baseman Ryan Barnes’ 41. Barnes is hitting .404 and has seven homers.
The other key cog in the Vianney attack has been junior second baseman Jake Walters. He is hitting .495 and has 31 RBI. Walters also leads the team with 24 extra base hits, including 15 doubles and four triples.
Vianney rallied past Cape Girardeau Central, 6-4, in the Class 4 quarterfinals last Friday at Cape Girardeau. Barnes went 3-for-3 and junior pitcher Michael Dillon threw five innings, allowing just two runs and striking out eight. Dillon is 5-1 with a 3.25 ERA this season.
In the Class 4 sectional, Vianney routed Eureka, 9-3, as sophomore third baseman Matt Brown homered and Barnes drove in four runs. Brown is coach Brown’s son.
Tim Agne (7-3) started against Eureka game, getting all but the final out. He has thrown a team-high 62 2/3 innings and has a solid 4.13 ERA.
The Griffins won the Class 4 District 3 final, 11-10, over Rockwood Summit on May 25 as Walters drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Coach Brown was the athletic director at CBC last season when the Cadets, including his son, pounded Webb City, 14-4, for the 2010 state title. His team’s run to the 2011 semifinals was not entirely smooth, as the Griffins lost five straight games before their torrid late-season streak.
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