Hobbs’ Gusty Performance Leads ‘Toga to AA Title

I've seen a lot of good performances. I've seen a lot of kids win games when they didn't have good stuff. I've seen kids overcome poor coaching, poor defense, lack of run support, bad umpiring...I've seen it all.

Until Friday night.

Dan Hobbs of Saratoga, pitching against who Dan Cevette of the Prep Baseball Report calls "arguably the best pitcher on the East Coast in the 2016 class" in Shen's Ian Anderson in the Class AA final, delivered the gutsiest performance I've ever seen.

Not only did he overcome a vaunted Shen lineup to lead 'Toga to a 1-0 win. He overcame the most gruesome thing I've seen on the mound. He was hit in the face by a line drive in the fourth inning.

His face instantly produced a black eye. He laid on the ground. He got up. He went through concussion protocol. The play that hit him ended up being fielded by the first baseman for the third out -- but Hobbs came back out and pitched the fifth inning.

That's the scariest thing that can happen on the mound. And Hobbs' overcame it.

"It was one of the craziest things that my scout in Albany has ever seen," Cevette said.

We brought Cevette in to talk about Hobbs', the flaws in the Section II tournament format, and Cortland State's national title.