IAC BASEBALL: TIOGA'S EVANEK LIKES WHAT HE SEES IN TIGERS HEADING INTO 2022 (2022-04-04)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — There are a lot of changes on the IAC baseball landscape this season, but Tioga coach Kevin Evanek feels good about the Tigers heading into the 2022 season.

The IAC has gone back to the IAC North and South, with both having Small School and Large School divisions. Tioga will be joined by Edison, Newark Valley and Groton in the South’s Small School ranks.

Evanek is all for the new set up after sharing a division with Edison, Lansing, and Trumansburg in recent years.

“I think everybody knows the division we were in last year with Trumansburg, Edison, and Lansing was really tough,” he said. “Some of the best baseball teams in Section IV, and we were all in the same division.

“It’s more spread out now. I guess it’s better, Evanek added.

IAC baseball also installed a new schedule format. Each team will play three-game series against divisional foes.

“i like the three-game series,” said Evanek. “I think you’ll find out who the best overall team is, if you can get the games all in consecutively.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out, but I like the format,” said Evanek.

There are also a few changes on the Tioga roster. Along with the normal graduation losses, Evanek knew were coming, a pair of standouts transferred out of the Tioga Central School District — with freshman Conlan Taylor now at Owego, and junior Bryce Bailey at Waverly.

“That stings a little,” said Evanek. “They had other opportunities to pursue, I wish them nothing but the best.

“I like what we have,” noted Evanek. “This is a good group.

“I think we have some good chemistry this season,” added Evanek. “This group is coachable … if we tell them they need to work on something, they really focus on it, and get it done.”

Junior Max Dydynski will see the majority of the action behind the plate, with sophomore Drew Macumber also likely to see some time there.

Senior Cobe Whitmore and sophomore Karson Sindoni will see time at first base, with freshman Shea Bailey and Whitmore at second base, sophomore Ethan Perry and Macumber, and seniors Casey Stoughton and Josh Reis at third base.

“It’s Small School baseball, so the middle infielders are always pitchers, too, so we’ll do a little bit of juggling every game” said Evanek.

Senior Gavin Godfrey will start in center field, with senior Logan Roberts in right field, and Reis and Stoughton seeing time in left field. Junior Jack Woodcock will vie for time in the outfield.

Senior Isaac Peterson, who is recovering from shoulder surgery after football season, hopes to return at some point this season and provide more depth.

Evanek has a number of arms ready to provide innings this season.

“We lost a couple of guys, but I really like our pitching staff,” he said.

Perry is the likely the top guy in the rotation, with Bailey, Macumber, Whitmore, Stoughton, Sindoni, and the lefty Roberts also seeing time on the mound. Godfrey could also see some innings.

“The guys have been working hard … they are coachable, and fun to be around,” said Evanek. “They do everything we ask.

“Our pitching is going to be fine,” he added.

Evanek likes what he’s seen from his team in the preseason.

“We have a lot of good athletes,” he said. “Our team speed is outstanding, we’re going to be able to run the bases, that’s for sure. It’s the best team speed we’ve had in a long time.

“And, I think we’ll hit the ball once we settle in,” Evanek noted. “It’s always tough at the beginning, especially when you’re facing someone who throws hard — pitchers have the advantage this early in the season.

“A lot of our guys have been in the cage working at it since just after Christmas,” added Evanek. “They look good.”

Evanek said his expectations for the season haven’t changed.

“Our goal is always to win the division, and to qualify for Sectionals and do well there,” he said. “It’s probably not any different than any other coach or team.

“I really like our team. This is a good group, but we have a tough schedule,” noted Evanek. “We’re playing Sayre, Athens, and Deposit-Hancock, and we all know how good those teams are.

“We get to face (Newark Valley’s) Mikey Wandell a couple times early on,” added Evanek. “We’ll find out how good we are real soon.”

Tioga opens the 2022 at home against Newark Valley this afternoon. They play at Newark Valley Wednesday, then host the Cardinals again Friday.

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IN PHOTO: Tioga’s Ethan Perry.