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NTL BASEBALL: FIRST-YEAR ATHENS COACH HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR 2021 (2021-03-26)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS "” Charlie Havens has 20 years - 18 at Waverly and two at Corning - as a junior varsity baseball coach on his resume. This year, he takes the helm of the Athens program.

"I am really thankful for Athens to give me the opportunity, and for the Corning School District to allow me to do it," said Havens. "It's always been something I've wanted to do. I've just been waiting for the right opportunity.

"It took 20 years to get here," laughed Haven. "I'm really excited about it.

Havens knows there is a big difference from coaching junior varsity and varsity - both on and off the field.

"On the field, it's the speed of the game, the intensity involved, and there are more coaching intricacies to it.

"Off the field, there are so many more responsibilities," noted Havens. "It's funny, I'm realizing how much (Waverly varsity coach Kyle) McDuffee did for me. You're dealing with everything.

"I'm taking on quite a few different things I didn't anticipate, and learning something new every day," Havens added.

The last two years, Havens has been an assistant coach for the Waverly softball team.

"The last couple years I've been around softball, so to get back into baseball ... I'm in Heaven," he said. "I'm really enjoying this."

Havens has goals for the program.

"Obviously, I want our kids to always represent the school in a positive manner.

"On the field, I want to have strong defensive teams," said Havens. "I want my teams to excel in the "˜thinking part' of the game.

"That's one of the things I love most about baseball is talking about it, and all the things the different things that come up in games.," added Havens. "You see something new all the time, and being able to talk through those situations and help people understand the defensive part of the game - that's the part I enjoy the most."

Havens was hired in December, and was in the gym with some of his players by January. Former Sayre standout Andy Podolinski will be an assistant coach, and Niq Sinsabaugh is the JV coach.

"We were in the gym twice a week during the offseason for six weeks. The closer we got to the season, the better the turnout was, so I really got to know a lot of the kids that way.

"It helped a ton, so once we got going in the preseason, I already had some knowledge about the kids; that helped a lot," said Havens.

The first-year coach has high expectations for the Wildcats in 2021.

"I think we'll get stronger as the season progresses," he said. "I am really impressed with our pitching, I think it will keep us in ball games.

"I think we're going to compete for a league title, that's our goal," he added.

Junior Karter Rude will start at catcher, with juniors Kaden Setzer and Josiah Stringham also expected to see time behind the plate.

"Karter is our leader," said Havens. "He's our go-to guy on everything."

Senior Tanner Dildine will get the starting nod at first base, with sophomore Cameron Sullivan and second, sophomore Mason Lister at shortstop, and sophomore Lucas Kraft at third base.

Sophomore Garrett Thetga will see time at first base, while Setzer and Merritt will see action at second base, and Rude and Glisson

Havens also expects sophomore Gage Warner to play a big role for the Wildcats.

"One of the guys I'm really excited about is Gage Warner. He's been injured in the preseason, but once he gets healthy, he's going to help us a ton," said Havens, who expects Warner to see time at first base and third base.

Sophomore Jaren Glisson, junior Tucker Brown, junior Jared Peterson will get the starting nod in the outfield, with senior Ben Vough and Merritt both getting time there, too.

Havens believes pitching will be the strength of the Wildcats in 2021.

"Our pitching is deep, we have six guys who can throw, but I don't think we have that true No. 1," said Havens. "I think eventually Lucas Kraft is going to be that guy, but he's still growing into it."

Havens expects Kraft and Lister to lead the rotations, with Rude, Thetga, Glisson, and Sullivan also seeing a lot of action on the mound.

"I think Kraft will be the guys that eats a lot of innings for us," said Havens. "He works fast, he's always around the strike zone, he has a lot of movement, and he's pretty smart.

"Lister will get a lot of innings, too," added Havens. "He throws hard."

With Covid wiping out the 2020 season, the host of sophomores in the Athens starting line-up haven't even played JV ball, much less varsity.

"We're very young," said Havens. "I was looking back to see how much experience we have. We're coming into this season with four at-bats of varsity experience ... Karter Rude had four at-bats.

"We're going to have a lot of first this season - first hits, first wins, and stuff like that," added Havens.

That lack of experience is Havens' biggest concern entering 2021.

"Eventually, I think we're going to hit the ball, and our pitching is going to be strong. It's learning the defensive part of the game.

"We scrimmaged with Sayre this week, and it was very obvious we have a lot to learn - the thinking part of the game, playing defense is going to be our biggest challenge for a few weeks," said Havens.

"The guys are learning a new system with me, so there is a learning curve for everyone," he added.

Athens opens the 2021 this afternoon at Canton.

AROUND THE NTL
"I don't really know much about the NTL. It's going to be a huge learning curve for me," said Havens.

"”"”"”"”"”"”

PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.


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