Stoutland Stars Sign With Colleges

by:  Dave Roberts

STOUTLAND - On their way to what they hope will end up being NCAA Division I baseball careers, two of the Stoutland High School standouts will be going the junior college route first.

All-staters Cory Kyle and Brock Chaffin of the Stoutland Tigers on Friday morning signed national letters of intent to play for junior colleges during a signing ceremony at the high school library.

Kyle will be a pitcher for Jefferson College, of Hillsboro. And Chaffin signed on to be an infielder at Longview Community College at Lee’s Summit, near Kansas City.

“I think both schools are colleges that fit these two well,” said Stoutland baseball head coach Scott White. “Going to the junior college level you get to play for two years while you get better.”

Stoutland Tigers sign A pair of all-state baseball players from Stoutland High School signed national letters-of-intents with junior colleges on Friday. Above, All-America pitcher Cory Kyle, seated at center, signs with Jefferson College. Also seated are his parents, Sherri and Derek Kyle. Standing, from left, are Jefferson baseball head coach Sam Carel, Stoutland baseball head coach Scott White and Jefferson assistant coach Dennis Kurtz.

Stoutland

Pitching Over Hitting

Above, all-state catcher/infielder Brock Chaffin, seated center, signs with Longview Community College. Also seated are parents Karen Phipps and Willie Chaffin. Standing, from left, are White and Longview head coach Clint Culbertson.

Kyle has been one of the area’s top hitters, as well as pitchers, the past two seasons. He says he wants to continue to pitch at the collegiate level, although at Jefferson he may get to do some of both.

“Mainly as a pitcher,” Kyle said. “The coach said I have a chance to play some in the infield, too. My ultimate goal is to be a Division I pitcher. I’ll probably give up hitting to be a pitcher.”

Before settling on Jefferson College Kyle had considered Crowder College, Missouri Southern, College of the Ozarks and Southwest Baptist University, among other schools.

“I liked the coach and I liked the school,” Kyle said of his decision to join Jefferson.

A two-time Frisco League Player of the Year, Kyle has been instrumental in helping Stoutland advance to the Missouri Class 1 State Tournament Championship Game the past two years. The Tigers ended up placing runner-up both seasons. Last spring Stoutland finished with a 23-2 record and this past fall the squad was 17-2. They are ranked No. 2 in the 2008 Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association’s Class 1 preseason spring poll.

Last spring Kyle finished 5-1 on the mound with a 0.80 ERA, allowing 17 hits while walking nine and fanning 71 in 35 innings. At the plate Kyle is the team’s No. 3 hitter in the batting order, and last spring he batted .490 with four homers, 20 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

“He’ll probably do a little of both,” White said of Kyle being both a pitcher and hitter at Jefferson. “I believe Cory has the ability right now to pitch at the next level; at the Division I level. When he concentrates on baseball year-round he’s going to get bigger and stronger and his miles-per-hour will go up.”

Kyle, along with Stoutland teammate Tyler Wrinkle, last month were named to the 2008 Louisville Slugger All-America Second-Team.

“I think we’re getting a steal,” said Jefferson College baseball head coach Sam Carel. “Anytime you get a guy like that who is that kind of competitor…he’s one of the guys we identified early on we wanted to get.

“It’s the total package with Kyle. He’s able to command three pitches. And the way he attacks hitters; that kind of personifies our philosophy.”

Kyle suffered a slightly separated right (throwing) shoulder during the basketball season a few weeks ago, although he does not expect the injury to affect his play this spring. “The shoulder is doing better,” he said. “I threw the other day and it didn’t hurt. I’ll probably start bullpen (sessions) in a couple of weeks.”

Going To Third

After transferring from Lebanon High School to Stoutland prior to his junior year, Chaffin enjoyed an all-state campaign for the Tigers in 2008 as a catcher.

A rare left-handed hitting catcher, Chaffin batted .421 last spring for Stoutland, including 24 hits, 31 RBI, two homers and 19 stolen bases.

However, at the college level Chaffin is expected to move to third base. It’s a position he’s familiar with.

“I’ve played third my whole life,” Chaffin said. “I played in the infield until the eighth- or ninth-grade, then I started catching. My sophomore year at Lebanon I played at first base. I’ll catch (this season at Stoutland), but every now and then coach puts me at third to get my work in.”

Chaffin, too, hopes to use his time at Longview to prepare himself for a Division I playing career. “I took a trip to Longview and liked the coaching and liked how they do things,” he said.

“I think Brock is a high-talented kid who is also a high-character kid,” said Longview head coach Clint Culbertson. “What makes him unique is it’s hard to find left-handed hitters in non-left-hand hitting spots. And third base is one of the more difficult positions to find. You’re asking so much from the position - watching Brock work out I think he’s that guy.”

White has no doubt that Chaffin will make the transition to third base.

“Brock’s got a great body for it… 6-2, 205 pounds and he’s quick for his size,” White said. “And when they get him at Longview they’ll put massive amounts of muscle on him. I see him hitting for more power.”

Culbertson says it’s not out of the question that Chaffin could eventually find his way behind the plate some in college. “It’s intriguing,” he said. “You’ve got to take a look and go. Left-handed hitting catchers are hard to find, too.”