As the 2007 spring baseball season begins to take shape in the first weeks of practice and scrimmages, the Indian River coaching staff has a lot to assess before they open up at home against St. Mark’s on March 22.
Coastal Point • RUSLANA LAMBERT:
An Indians baseball player makes it safely to first during a recent pre-season scrimmage.
They have a large contingent of relatively inexperienced varsity outfielders and a smattering of underclassmen to sort through, in an attempt to replace what were arguably their four best players last season. Despite losing seven-game-winning pitcher Colin Warner to graduation, Indian River is loaded with pitching depth and it should remain the strength of their team.
But now is the moment of truth for many of these players. Now is their time. Those who may have served as pinch runners or seen limited playing time will be given ample opportunities to contribute to this year’s team.
“They’re coming along pretty good, but it’s going to be a long process,” head coach Howard Smack said. “And I’ve told them not to get to happy playing one spot, ‘because I might need you somewhere else.’”
“We’ve lost some very good players, so we have to reload.
“Those guys were our top-four. They were gamers,” Smack added.
Josh Dean (shortstop), Bryan Lynch (catcher), Matt Williamson (centerfield) and Warner (pitcher/first base) led nearly every offensive statistical category last season. But still Smack and his players are confident that they have established the type of program where they can “reload.”
“I don’t think there’s much difference in this year’s team,” Indians senior outfielder Josh Sweetman said. “We may’ve lost a little power, but as long as we come to play we should be great.”
“We have a lot of kids that can do a lot of things,” he added. “And we all bring something different to the table. So we’re just excited to get that chance.”
Thomas Veith, Zack Warner and Trevor Abbott received a majority of the playing time in the outfield, alongside Williamson, last season. But this year, Jake Balasus, Art Davidson, Mark Ahlfeldt and Sweetman figure to push for playing time in the outfield.
Abbott, a seven-game-winner as well last year, figures to fill the void left by Warner as the team’s ace, with first baseman Mike Casale and utility infielder Nick Kmetz filling out the starting rotation.
Smack noted that sophomore third-baseman Luis Barrientos and freshman Cory Showalter could provide valuable relief innings if necessary.
“I can say this — Trevor is our number one (pitcher),” Smack asserted. “Our number two is going to be a toss-up between Kmetz and Casale, and then we have Cory as the number three or four. And we still have Luis, even though we haven’t pitched him.
“It all depends,” Smack added.
Sophomore Bo Wilkinson is penciled in as the team’s starting catcher, though he must first beat out Kmetz for the full-time position.
“Right now, I want him and Nick to fight it out,” Smack said.
Wilkinson received ample playing time catching for the Sussex East Legion baseball team last summer, when two-year Indian River starting catcher D.J. Clark needed a spell during double-headers. Wilkinson should be able use Clark’s tutelage to his advantage in the scramble for a starting position.
“Playing against guys who’ve had one or two years college experience should help,” Smack said of Wilkinson’s Legion ball experience.”
“Catchers are hard to come by, and he’s a good one. … He’ll be a good one,” he added. “He’s just got to learn how to handle pitchers and get them to trust him. But I’m not worried about that. He’s another D.J.”
Injury-plagued Sean Lewis is finally fully healed from the broken ankle that kept him out of all but four fall soccer games in 2006 and a broken arm that kept him out of the 2006 baseball season. He is slated to play shortstop this season, though Showalter could push for time.
“I’m just excited to be back on the field again,” Lewis remarked.
Lewis’ or Showalter’s double-play partner, sophomore Cameron Travalini is returning to second base after making the transition from the junior varsity team midway through last season.
The Indians will find out quickly if this year’s team can match up with those of the last two seasons as they head into the second half of March. After opening up with St. Mark’s, Indian River will play four more games over a period of 10 days, including three conference games with Seaford, Sussex Central and Woodbridge.
“These first six or seven games are really important because we had a (three-game) slump when we played Laurel last year,” Sweetman said. “And this year we can’t have that.”
“If we take care of business (now and throughout the season), then we don’t have to worry about making the tournament at the end of the season.”
Indian River will travel to Seaford today and host Sussex Central, Woodbridge and Newark thereafter.