NTL BASEBALL: VanDUZER BELIEVES NEW-LOOK REDSKINS CAN COMPETE FOR DIVISION TITLE IN 2023 (2023-03-27)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
SAYRE — The look of the 2023 Sayre baseball team is not what coach Jamie VanDuzer was expecting when the final out of the 2022 season was recorded, but the Redskin skipper still expects his team to make a run at a division title.

“Two or three freshmen who had a chance to start have gone to different schools, and, of course, Luke (Horton, who transferred to Athens), but we have some good kids coming back,” said VanDuzer.

“I think Small School title is well within the realm of possibility for this season, that’s what we’ve been preaching to the kids,” he noted.

Of course, with the aforementioned losses, plus the heavy toll graduation took on the Redskins, VanDuzer said he’ll have to adjust accordingly.

“We’re definitely going to have to do some different things, and use a little different style of coaching,” he said. “We’re not going to outslug teams … we’re going to have to pitch, and play defense.

“And, I think we’ll probably have to play a little ‘small ball,’ which I’m not use to doing,” said VanDuzer. “We haven’t had to do a lot of that, but stealing bases, bunting the ball, and moving runners is definitely going to have to part of what we will have to take into account when we’re making out the line-up.

“We’re going to have to find kids who can put the bat on the ball at the bottom of the line-up,” added VanDuzer. “We’re not the same type of hitting team. Jackson (Hubbard) hit seventh last year and hit .385 — I don’t think that will be the case this year. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt our 7-hitter will hit .385.”

One of the biggest holes VanDuzer will have to plug is at catcher, a position Brayden Horton, now starting at Division I Liberty, manned for four seasons. Senior Jack Ennis, and junior Tanner Green are vying for time there.

“Behind the plate is still a question mark,” said VanDuzer. “We have a couple kids who have done a pretty good job so far.

“Jack Ennis is a senior, but he never real got an opportunity because of Brayden Horton and Zach Garrity holding that spot down.

“Zach (Garrity) in the mix at catcher from time to time, depending on who’s pitching,” added VanDuzer.

Around the infield, senior Jackson Hubbard will play at third, with freshman Logan Zingeser and senior Will Crossett backing him up, and Garrity will start at shortstop.

Senior Kegan Hayford, junior Aidan Ennis, and sophomore newcomer Nick Pellicano will vie for time at second base, and Crossett will start at first base, with freshman Karter Green, and junior David Hall also seeing time there.

“I think we should be solid up the middle defensively,” said VanDuzer. “Actually, I think our infield defense as a whole should be solid.”

The outfield is a question mark for VanDuzer.

“We lost a lot of outfielders,” he said. “The outfield is what concerns me the most.

“It might takes us a few games to figure it all out, and I’m going to try a lot of different things to see where we’re at,” added VanDuzer. “I think we’ll be all right.”

Senior Dylan Casterline returned to the program after a year away, and is expected to see a lot of time in left field.

Karter Green, Pellicano, Aidan Ennis, Hayford,  and sophomores Mikey Griffin and Theo Molina are all in the mix for the other two outfield spots.

“The top part of our line-up is still going to be solid,” said VanDuzer. “We have Zach (Garrity), Jackson (Hubbard), Will (Crossett), and Tanner Green — I think they’re all pretty good hitters.

“Past five or six, i’m not certain what it’s going to look like, but I’m hoping some of the younger kids step up, and give us some good batting averages and get on base, so when it comes back around to the top of the order we can score some runs,” he added.

Hubbard and Crossett will anchor the pitching staff, with Karter Green, Tanner Green, Garrity, and Hayford expected to see plenty of time on the mound as well.

“I don’t know that we have one pitcher who is going to dominate for seven innings, but I think we have a couple guys who give us four or five good innings, and a couple of guys behind them who could finish it off,” VanDuzer said.

VanDuzer believes Garrity is a pitcher to keep an eye on.

“Zach Garrity hasn’t pitched a lot because he never really had to with the group he’s come through with, but he throws hard,” he said. “And, we know his mentality — he’s a bulldog.

“He’s reminds me a little bit of (Quinn) Hanafin, who didn’t pitch a lot because we had a lot of arms, but the year he needed to pitch, he pitched great,” noted VanDuzer. “I think Zach has the same potential, and I know with his mentality, he’ll go our there and battle with anybody.”

Again, VanDuzer believes the Redskins will be in the mix in the NTL Small School Division.

“It will look a lot different, but I think we have a solid chance,” he said.

“You adjust your goals. Obviously last year was much different … we set our goals way higher,” noted VanDuzer.

“The league is going to be much better, too,” he added. “The Small School teams are bringing back a lot of kids. We played a lot of young teams last year. Northeast Bradford, and Williamson are going to be solid again, and Canton is always good.”

Sayre opens the season Tuesday at Troy.

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IN PHOTO:  Front row, from left: Jack Ennis and Kegan Hayford. Back row, from left: Jackson Hubbard, Zach Garrity, and Tanner Green. … PHOTO BY TIM BIRNEY.