Nazareth Area High School baseball team poised to overtake Easton in Lehigh Valley Conference

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

TOM HINKEL'S PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

East Division

1. Liberty

2. Easton

3. Bethlehem Catholic

4. Freedom

North Division

1. Nazareth

2. Parkland

3. Northampton

4. Whitehall

West Division

1. Emmaus

2. Central Catholic

3. Allen

4. Dieruff

Wild Card: Parkland

Champion: Nazareth

Can the Easton Area High School baseball team pull off the improbable again this season?

The defending Lehigh Valley Conference champion Red Rovers still believe they have some magic leftover from last year.

“We have a lot of seniors coming back this year,” senior shortstop Colin Case said. “We have a lot of potential. The season is looking real good.”

Of course, a big story in Easton’s preseason camp involves one senior who got away. Catcher Justin Pacchioli, an Express-Times All-Area first team selection who batted .519 last season, has transferred to Nazareth but his eligibility to play for the Blue Eagles was denied by the District 11 committee.

Pacchioli has since appealed to the PIAA, which is expected to decide his fate next Friday or Saturday. The possible addition of Pacchioli would make a strong Blue Eagles team even more formidable.

His loss hasn’t dampened the spirits of the Red Rovers, who lost to Parkland in last season’s District 11 Class AAAA semifinals.

Liberty, Parkland, Nazareth, Emmaus and possibly Central Catholic should battle the Red Rovers for league supremacy.

“We have a lot of young kids with potential,” said Easton coach Carm LaDuca, the 2010 Express-Times Coach of the Year. “We’re looking forward to a real good year. We feel we have a nice team.”

Senior pitcher Alex Lawson will make the conversion from short reliever to starter. Seniors Justin Souders and Scott Anderson also figure to land spots in the starting rotation.

“We feel Alex is a big-time pitcher,” LaDuca said. “He has really good stuff. Justin can be an imposing figure, and Scott is a lefty we’re expecting big things from.”

Senior infielders Kevin Nemeth and Jon Bisci are also returning starters. Big things are also expected from senior outfielders Conor Mulrine and Greg Butto, junior infielder Ian Hayden and sophomore outfielder Austin Brown.

Senior Steven Xiques and junior Chase Bryant are competing for the catching job.

“Offensively, we should be as good, if not better, than last year,” Case said. “Coach (Greg) Hess and LaDuca are always striving for us to reach our ultimate goal, which would be (winning) leagues and districts.”

The Red Rovers are headed to Florida for a week of training before embarking on their regular season.

Nazareth

Hard throwing junior right-hander Karl Keglovits (6-1, 1.26 E.R.A last season) has been rehabbing a knee injury that caused him to miss nearly all of the basketball season.

“He’s cleared to pitch right now,” Nazareth coach Jon Lock said. “We’re going to ease him back in. We want to make sure he’s 100 percent before we put him out there for an extended time. But his ball is still lively.”

Senior pitchers Drew Hercik and Jordan Smith should round out the starting rotation. Junior pitchers Dan Shepherd, David Warner and Ben Schmitt are up from the JV team. Senior outfielders Shane Siebler, who will play for Fairleigh-Dickinson next year, and Kris Kent, a Colgate football recruit, are also pitching candidates.

“Our strength is pitching and defense,” Lock said. “We need guys to step up and provide some offensive pop. We lost four guys who hit .350 or above.”

Lock indicated that Hercik, who’s headed to the University of Delaware to play baseball, would move from shortstop to second base to alleviate some strain on his throwing arm.

Junior Billy Deutsch is looking to fill another outfield spot. Juniors Mike Garzillo and Derek Charlie are getting reps at shortstop and catcher, respectively.

“I think we’ll generate some runs,” Lock said. “We may have to play a little more small ball … make productive outs, move runners, steal bases. We’ve got the speed to do that.”

Bethlehem Catholic
Connor CaseyView full sizeExpress-Times Photo | JIM MIDDLEKAUFFConnor Casey

The versatile trio of seniors Alex Longernecker and Pat Walshe and junior Connor Casey are the main returnees for Bethlehem Catholic.

Veteran coach Mike Grasso expects Casey to be his ace pitcher with Longernecker and Walshe working mainly in relief. Longernecker and Casey also play in the infield while Walshe, who’s headed to Lehigh to play baseball, can start either in the infield or outfield.

“Casey has great control, great movement and he places the ball well,” said Grasso, who’s 307-186 in 25 seasons at Becahi. “He has a very good off-speed pitch mixed with a good curve ball and a nice fastball.”

Freshman Jake Carty could emerge as the No. 2 starter. Other pitching candidates include sophomore David Derkits and juniors Jacob Criscuolo and Dan Niccum.

“We’re hoping for a couple of these young kids to help keep us in ballgames on the mound,” Grasso said.

First baseman Andrew Stiegler, shortstop Taylor Overby and outfielder Josh Knipe, all seniors, also figure prominently in Grasso’s plans.

“We lost 11 seniors, but I’m always optimistic,” Grasso said. “If our seniors could help these younger kids we could be extremely competitive in the league. The attitude and work ethic have been outstanding. They come out every day on a mission to work hard.”

Liberty
James McCarthyView full sizeExpress-Times Photo | JIM MIDDLEKAUFFJimmy McCarthy

Junior shortstop Jimmy McCarthy, who batted .401 last season, anchors a strong cast of returnees for Liberty.

Pitchers Matt Albright and Jim Sawyer, second baseman Tom Black and outfielder Andreas Haller, all seniors, also are back along with junior catcher James Bertolotti. Senior first baseman Luis Garcia batted .600 last season in limited action.

Veteran coach Andy Pitsilos also hopes for contributions from four juniors — outfielders Evan Allman, Robert Bertolotti and Ryan Brong and third baseman Pete Daland.

“We’ll be a young team with lots of speed,” Pitsilos said. “We’ll need to play good, fundamental baseball in order to reach our goals.”

Freedom

Patriots coach Nick D’Amico is counting on senior leadership from shortstop Sean Archer, outfielder Tyler Modic and pitcher/outfielder Chad Frankenfield, who’s been hampered with a sore arm but is expected to be ready by the start of the season.

Other key players are sophomore pitcher/infielder Nick Johnson, senior pitcher Bryce Reinert and junior catcher Eddie Milisits.

“We’re unproven but we have a lot of talent coming up from the JV level,” D’Amico said. “If those guys produce we should be able to compete. It all depends how they adjust from JV to varsity.”

Northampton
Chad FenonView full sizeExpress-Times Photo | JIM MIDDLEKAUFFChad Fenon

The Konkrete Kids have a senior-laden team led by outfielders Luke Szoke and Chad Fenon, infielders Preston Koehler, Jake Bostick and Kyle Schwartz, and pitchers Kyle Farnholtz, Phil Schmidt, Jason Mitch and Clinton Weber.

“They’ve all started at one point or another,” first-year coach Mick Sugra said. “We’re expecting a lot from this group, for sure.”

Junior pitchers Nate Fritzinger and Matt Yanek also are getting a good look along with sophomore catcher Cody Kramer.

“We’re working a lot on small ball,” Sugra said. “We hope the time we’re putting in pays off.”

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