Howard County Public/Private Pre-season Preview 4/1/11
Source: Staff Writer Andrew Conrad Howard County Times and Columbia Flier
Atholton
Coach: Kevin Kelly, 21st season
2010 record: 14-3 county, 20-5 overall (3A East regional champion)
Top players: Seniors Kory Britton (P/SS), Jon Thews (OF/LHP), Paul Beers (C/P), Jordan Thompson (2B) and Grant Castner (OF/P); juniors Jake Yasenka (1B/LHP) and Josh Martin (OF/SS/P); sophomore Paul Burmster (3B/C); freshman Brady Acker (OF).
Scouting report: Britton, Beers and Thews combined for 100 hits, 83 runs and 65 RBIs last season. On the mound, the trio accounted for more than 100 innings, 99 strikeouts and 12 of the team's 20 wins. That alone gives the Raiders one of the best cores in the league, and a strong junior class, led by Yasenka and Martin, helps make them the team to beat in Howard County.
Acker, whose older brother, Chris, was a leader on last year's team, looks primed to be a key contributor.
Centennial
Coach: Denis Ahearn, 10th season
2010 record: 10-7, 10-11
Top players: Seniors Mike Long (1B/P), David Kendrick (P) and Cody Jaeger (SS); juniors Ben Ciraolo (C), Jared Lacey (3B/DH), Garret Kurtz (P/1B) and Joey Cichoso (2B).
Scouting report: Long and Kendrick have nailed down the top two spots in the pitching rotation. A third senior, Jaeger, is their best hitter and infielder and along with Ciraolo, make up the heart of the batting order. Kurtz hit a pair of home runs and was an ace for the Centennial JV team last year, while Cichoso had 27 hits and stole 16 bases.
Glenelg
Coach: Dave Boteler, second season
2010 record: 7-10, 9-14
Top players: Seniors Ricky Hall (1B), Jake True (CF), Nick Russo (3B), Shane Kellaher (SS) and Tim Benjamin (C); junior Saxon Whitt (P); sophomore Logan Dubbe (OF/SS).
Scouting report: The Gladiators have as good a lineup at the plate as any team in the league, led by leadoff man Kellaher (.400 average, 26 runs), No. 3 hitter Benjamin (.329, 18 RBIs) and clean-up hitter Dubbe (.385, 18 RBIs). Dubbe will be used as a designated hitter while being eased back into the defense after undergoing ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, in the offseason. True, on the other hand, is fully recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him for all of last year. Whitt is the team's most reliable starting pitcher (three wins, 34 strikeouts, 2.15 ERA), but senior Matt Hyer and True should be able to eat up some innings, too.
Hammond
Coach: Matthew Sillers, first season
2010 record: 15-2, 21-3 (county champion, 2A South regional champion)
Top players: Seniors Matt Shiflett (C), Dillon Shaw (3B) and Zach Hazzard (OF); junior Kyle Cheuvront (1B/P); sophomore Derek Sicca (3B/P).
Scouting report: After a four-year run that included a pair of county championships and a regional title, it's time for the Bears to move on after graduating 11 seniors, including five all-county players. Shiflett, who batted .326 with four home runs last year, is the only returning starter. Shaw (two HRs, 12 RBIs), Hazzard and Cheuvront (three home runs, 13 RBIs) are all experienced varsity players as well. Sicca, a transfer player from DeMatha, could be a nice boost for the Bears at the plate and the mound. Pitching, though could be the biggest question mark as the Bears lost all 154 innings pitched last year to graduation. Sillers, a history teacher at Hammond, moves up to varsity after four years coaching the JV.
Howard
Coach: Nick Hoffner, first season
2010 record: 6-11, 6-15
Top players: Seniors Ryan Toland (CF/2B) and Tim Reagan (1B/DH); juniors Josh Lee (3B/P), Colin Dyer (SS) and Adam Galasso (P); sophomores Aidan Cain (P) and Ben Baker (OF/P).
Scouting report: Toland is coming off of a monster year in which he batted .467 with 19 stolen bases, eight extra base hits and 19 runs scored out of the No. 3 spot. Dyer batted leadoff for the Lions last year and looks to be the most sure-handed infielder. Hoffner played for Mt. Hebron back in the early 2000s before playing for Presbyterian College.
Long Reach
Coach: Mike Repsher, second season
2010 record: 1-16, 1-18
Top players: Seniors Kevin Reggie (P/SS/3B); juniors Tahjee Briggs (CF) and Alec Taylor (1B/LHP); sophomores Cole Phillips (3B/OF/P) and Chris Stanko (LF/SS).
Scouting report: Repsher has a small squad this season with only a dozen players on opening day, and they're young, too. Reggie, the team's most reliable pitcher, is the only senior who will see regular playing time. The good news is that the young guys have speed and can play. After Reggie and Taylor, the pitching rotation could be a patchwork, with Phillips showing the liveliest arm so far.
Marriotts Ridge
Coach: Paul Eckert, sixth season
2010 record: 12-5, 13-7
Top players: Senior Patrick Watson (1B/P); sophomores David Menker (C/1B), Connor Delaney (OF), Matt Marinelli (2B), Kevin Francis (C) and Brandon Kratochwill (SS).
Scouting report: The Mustangs had one of the best senior classes in the county last year, led by Player of the Year candidate Kevin Kratochwill and his double-play partner Nick Marinelli. They will be replaced by their little brothers -- sophomores Brandon Kratochwill and Matt Marinelli -- in the middle infield. The Mustangs graduated five players that batted better than .350 and are now playing college baseball. Sophomore David Menker is the top returning hitter, having batted .291 last year with 11 RBIs. No one on the roster has pitched more than seven varsity innings before this season, so the rotation will emerge as the season plays out.
Mt. Hebron
Coach: Brian Culley, fifth season
2010 record: 9-8, 13-9
Top players: Seniors Andrew Giuliani (LHP/OF), Justin Garber (3B/P) and Teddy Trapuzzano (OF/P); juniors Raul Shah (SS) and Tyler Anthony (CF).
Scouting report: The Vikings graduated three all-county players, but return Giuliani, one of the top pitchers (5-1, 1.84 ERA, 42 strikeouts) and lead-off men (.429 average, 26 walks, 29 runs) in the league last year, and Garber, who is blossoming into a good power hitter. Trapuzzano was also a starter last year and will be relied on more this year, especially as a pitcher. Anthony is one of the top JV call-ups and as an all-county football receiver, shows great range and catching ability in Mt. Hebron's vast center field. Seniors Pat Baker (2B/3B), Steven Schultz (C) and Tommy Schenk (OF) were all on varsity last year, but didn't play much behind such a deep senior class. They'll see the field almost every game this year.
Oakland Mills
Coach: Rod Clifford, eighth season
2010 record: 0-17, 2-19
Top players: Seniors Kevin Flanagan (P/OF), Joey Yarn (3B/C), James Pope (CF), Kevin Widmayer (P/C) and Mackey Boyle (OF/P); junior Matt Huewe (1B/3B); sophomores Wes Brunson (P/1B/OF) and Evan Russell (P/SS).
Scouting report: With virtually everyone back from last year's team, Clifford is counting on an improvement over last year. How dramatic that improvement is will depend on the further development of the team's youngsters. Flanagan, the anchor of the pitching staff, and Yarn, a second-team all-county third baseman (.408 average, 11 RBIs), are known quantities. Boyle and Pope are speedy outfielders well-suited to bat near the top of the lineup.
Reservoir
Coach: Adam Leader, ninth season
2010 record: 11-6, 13-7
Top players: Seniors T.J. Pipik (SS/P), Kyle Alexander (LHP), Kevin Alexander (C) and Geoff Stone (1B); juniors Danny Klein (3B), Lee Lawler (SS/P), Bryan Davidson (OF), Drew Reed (OF) and Luke Schuster (OF).
Scouting report: Pipik (3-3, 2.55 ERA) and Alexander (4-1, 2.74 ERA) give the Gators one of the best 1-2 pitching punches in the league. Pipik, a MSABC preseason selection, is on the Player of the Year watch list after batting .500 last year with 18 RBIs and 24 runs and striking out 83 batters in 53 innings. Klein already has a varsity season under his belt after hitting .340 and Davidson and Lawler starred for the JV last season.
River Hill
Coach: Wes McCoy, third season
2010 record: 11-6, 14-8
Top players: Seniors Brandon Estrain (LHP/OF), Zach Scott (P/1B) and Danny Caddigan (3B); juniors Davis Grove (C) and Nick Riso (2B); sophomore Evan Griffin (SS/P).
Scouting report: Though the Hawks graduated a good senior class, they're well equipped for success with a core of returning starters bolstered by strong JV call-ups. Estrain (3-3, 3.20 ERA) and Scott (5-1, 1.79) combined for 74 innings and eight wins last season. Caddigan is the team's top returning hitter, after batting .383 last year. All three of those seniors are captains and three-year starters. Grove and Riso shared co-MVP honors for the JV last year, while Griffin started on varsity all year as a freshman.
Wilde Lake
Coach: Kareem Penn, first season
2010 record: 6-11, 9-12
Top players: Seniors Joe Kelly (OF/C), Mike Bucci (LHP), Matt Holdefer (3B/P), Nick Pelletier (SS/2B), Jason Ling (OF) and Ben Vester (P/DH); juniors Devon McNeel (2B/SS) and Steven Ecker (1B); sophomore Thomas Mee (C/OF/P).
Scouting report: Wilde Lake's combination of capable arms, potent bats and returning position players make them a contender in 2011 under first-year coach Kareem Penn, who has worked with the JV since 2008 after coaching middle school baseball in Baltimore for seven years. Bucci ate up 48 innings last year with a respectable 3.65 ERA, while Vester posted a league-best 1.14 ERA with a 4-1 record. Kelly, who led Wilde Lake's football team to a state title as quarterback, missed the beginning of last season with a broken hand, but has been stroking the ball so far this spring, with four extra base hits and five RBIs in two games. Holdefer batted .394 with 24 RBIs last year, and he'll factor more into the pitching rotation this season.
Chapelgate
Coach: Justin Riggin, first season
2010 record: 0-9 MIAA C, 0-10
Top players: Senior Doug Wolinski (CF); sophomores Jordan Gorsuch (OF/P), Jonathan Hamilton (3B/1B/P), Alex Bishop (P) and Kris Hatton (OF/1B); freshman Stephen Figgins (2B).
Scouting report: The Yellowjackets were young last year under coach Ryan Blaylock, who is now at Mount Airy Christian, and they're still young this year under Riggin, who played his high school ball at Wilde Lake before playing for CCBC-Catonsville, where he also helped coach the team for the last three years. Wolinski is the team's only starting senior, and sophomores comprise most of the lineup. Hatton and Hamilton are the team's two best hitters, while Hamilton, Bishop and Gorsuch look to log most of the innings on the mound.
Glenelg Country School
Coach: Chris Garber, second season
2010 record: 4-11 MIAA B, 6-11
Top players: Seniors Andrew Franklin (P/1B), Doug Miller (2B/P) and Ben Koffel (SS); juniors Tyler Henderson (P/3B) and Gerald Quarles (C); sophomores Miguel Flores (OF) and Jack Dougherty (OF/P).
Scouting report: With all of their starters back from 2010, and about half of them in their final year, the time is now for the Dragons to make a move up the B Conference standings. Miller (.313 average, three HRs, 16 RBIs) moves to second base and into the rotation after earning MIAA B Conference All-Star honors at catcher last year. The move was facilitated by the arrival of Quarles, the team's top newcomer. Franklin (4-3, 3.73 ERA) is the most reliable hurler, but Henderson, Miller and Dougherty should be able to keep the Dragons in games as well. Koffel (.410, 10 runs), Henderson (.325, 12 runs), Flores (18 runs, 20 stolen bases) and Dougherty (12 runs, 10 RBIs) should all fit in the run-producing spots in the lineup.
Good return Just A Kid! it isn't about where you play(MIAA) it is about how you play. I have seen all three play no less that 30 games.