Cleveland, OH
Avon Lake
By Joe Ostrica
The success of the 2011 season for the Avon Lake baseball squad will rely heavily on how the new-look pitching staff handles pressure on the mound. Losing several key pitchers to graduation last season, the Shoremen have 13 of their 16 wins to
replace via the mound from last year.
“We are experienced in the field, but inexperienced on the mound,” Avon Lake head coach Jeff Stratton said. “We lost a lot of pitching to graduation last season. We have kids that played a good chunk of last season coming back.”
Seniors Nick Brady and Geoff Meyer are expected to help lead Avon Lake’s pitching attack. Seniors Mike Britt, Ryan Rodgers and Mark Spring, junior Jon Spirnak and sophomore Matt Morissette will see some action on the mound, too.
Brady and senior Tyler Beck are college-bound athletes expected to be key leaders to the Shoremen this season. Beck will attend Ohio University on a Division I scholarship. Brady will attend Marietta next year. Beck batted .500 last year at the plate.
“Tyler is an All-Ohio catcher coming back,” Stratton said. “He’s going to help us and help the new pitchers a lot. We’re very fortunate we have an experienced catcher to work with our inexperienced pitchers.
“Nick had three wins for us on the mound last year. They are both in their third year of varsity, so that helps us out too.”
Britt (center fielder), senior Connor DeLong (third base) and junior Alex Dillon are also expected to be key offensive leaders.
In the Southwestern Conference, Stratton said Brecksville, Westlake and North Olmsted may be the top teams to beat.
“Amherst is always good, too,” he said. “It’s a tough conference up and down. Olmsted Falls was last in the conference last year and went to the state final four.
“We should be in the mix. We seem to have either a district win or be in the district semifinals regularly. We’re in a tough district and always have somebody in the conference competing for that, if not winning it.”
The Shoremen will also get to play on some bigger stages this season, including a game against Amherst at Progressive Field at 5:30 p.m. May 6; a night game at the Lake Erie Crushers’ home, All Pro Freight Stadium, to take on Avon at 7 p.m. May 9; and the second game of a doubleheader against Bay at Case Western University.
“It’s a nice experience for the kids to play, especially on Progressive Field on a big- league field,” Stratton said. “It’s just great to be able to do that as a baseball player.”
Stratton said he expects his squad to compete for the SWC crowns this season.
“I think if we can pitch well, we can be up near the top,” he said. “We want to do that and advance as far in the playoffs as we can. It will come down to the performances we get on the mound.
“We’ve been working hard and we’ve got a nice group of boys on the team. Hopefully we’ll be able to achieve our goals.”
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