The baseball teams at both North and South have high expectations for this year, as both are returning a panoply of experienced players to the field. Both open their seasons on Wednesday, April 1.##M:[more]##
North. Six seniors and six juniors will bring a bevy of experience to the team this year, especially in the area of pitching. Scott Kelly, a three-year starting shortstop, Eric Wisotsky, a senior returning pitcher, and Dave Bachner, a three-year starting pitcher and first baseman, will lead the team as captains, says coach Bob Boyce. Seniors Mike Tartaro and Jon Sullivan will also add depth.
Junior starting catcher Ryan Phelan, as well as juniors Kyle Reed, also a catcher, and Chet Otis, at center field, are also returning. “We should have good pitching, and we have probably the best catcher and best shortstop in the whole area,” says Boyce. “We just have to hope we stay healthy.”
Rounding out the lineup are juniors coming up from the junior varsity level, including Mike Voltner and Andy Vogt, who will be competing for the remaining outfield position. Junior Chris Jafe will help with duties at first base. Sophomores Ryan Demouth, a shortstop and third baseman, and Greg Weisbecker, a sophomore infielder will also compete for a spot on varsity. Neal DeVincenzo, a sophomore, is also looking to be a promising pitcher, and will probably serve as a closer, Boyce says.
Last year the team reached the state semifinals before falling to Wall, but often had close losses, with scores ending in 2-1 or 1-0 results. With strong pitching already last year, this year’s group should be in good shape, despite the loss of Brian Siegel and Kyle Van Dyke.
South. At South, Ryan Brand, Dan Block, and Max Merkovitz will lead the team as captains this year. Of the 17 returning players, 10 are seniors and seven are juniors. Merkovitz, Tom Carroll, and Alex Janson, seniors, are on the pitching lineup, along with juniors Alex Campbell and Evan Smith.
Shortstop Ralph Aurora and Quinn Male, a third basemen as well as Sujith Murali, at right field. Block will be catching and Brand will be at center field. Senior John Donovan and Junior Zach Donohue will be catching.
“We didn’t have a very good season last year, so our hopes are to improve considerably,” said Coach Dan Hutchinson of the team’s 5-19 record last year. “We struggled when we didn’t pitch well last year.”
However, he says, the pitchers worked with former Atlanta Braves pitcher Kevin Barry, a 1997 graduate of South. The players also had a chance to improve during the summer American Legion season. While the team missed the playoffs last year, Hutchinson is optimistic that will not be the case this year.
