Grizzlies look to return to form
Baseball team is pitching rich and should contend in SLNC
Wadsworth’s baseball team looks like it has the potential to return to the top of the Suburban League National Conference. Photo by GLEN RUTHERFORD/Glen Rutherford Photography
Wadsworth’s baseball team took a somewhat inevitable step backward last year. The Grizzlies’ “backward,” though, still amounted to the kind of year a lot of programs would like to have.
The 2017 season was a hot-and-cold one for the Grizzlies. Solid overall, they finished 13-11. In the Suburban League National Conference, though, they were 6-8, leaving them in fifth place, not their customary spot since Greg Pickard took over as coach seven years ago.
That team lost a handful of very good players, including first-team All-SL performer Craig Palidar and second-teamer AJ Robinson. Both were four-year varsity players and around for a ton of winning before last season.
Also missing is junior Brock Snowball, a first-team All-SL choice last year who will miss this season due to injury. He might leave the biggest hole both in terms of production (he led the team with a .388 average) and in the fact that he was expected to be there.
The Grizzlies return a good group of experienced seniors, including pitcher/outfielder Anthony Gannon, outfielder Josh Hagans, infielder Austin Webb, pitcher Dylan Kubilus and infielder Austen Manix. Returning in the junior class are pitcher/first baseman Nick Lallathin, catcher Matt Moore and pitcher/infielder Carl Pennington, Brock Snowball. Pitcher/outfielder Trey Shaffer returns as a sophomore.
Seniors Kyle Arrowsmith (pitcher) and Clay Egleston (catcher), juniors Connor Hallas (pitcher/infielder) and Mike Movsesian (outfielder), and sophomore Jake Peebles (pitcher/first baseman/outfielder) are new to the squad.
“We expect to compete for a Suburban League National Conference title,” Grizzlies coach Greg Pickard said. “We believe the quality of pitching and depth on the mound to compete with anyone.”
The Grizzlies should be pretty strong where it counts most: on the mound. Webb had a 1.39 ERA a year ago in 44 innings. Shaffer was 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA and Gannon led the team with 47 innings. Kubilus also returns after working 24 innings a year ago as the Grizzlies have most of their pitcher back from what was a pretty good staff.
The staff posted an ERA of less than 2.50 a year ago and with most of those arms back, the Grizzlies should be well equipped in just about any matchup on the schedule.
“They learned a lot from last year and have had a tremendous off-season working with Coach (Bill) Gearhart,” Pickard said. “We will also be much better defensively this year. It may take a little while to determine our best offensive line up, but we feel we are fairly deep at most positions.”
Translation, expect Wadsworth to return to the form it showed the prior three years when it dominated the SLNC and the former SL.
“Our goals for this season remain the same as previous years, win 20 games, win our league, and a strong tournament run,” Pickard said. “I believe we have the team that can accomplish those goals this year. We are in a very strong conference and we know that every league game is going to be a challenge, but I believe that our kids are ready for it.”
The 2017 season was a hot-and-cold one for the Grizzlies. Solid overall, they finished 13-11. In the Suburban League National Conference, though, they were 6-8, leaving them in fifth place, not their customary spot since Greg Pickard took over as coach seven years ago.
That team lost a handful of very good players, including first-team All-SL performer Craig Palidar and second-teamer AJ Robinson. Both were four-year varsity players and around for a ton of winning before last season.
Also missing is junior Brock Snowball, a first-team All-SL choice last year who will miss this season due to injury. He might leave the biggest hole both in terms of production (he led the team with a .388 average) and in the fact that he was expected to be there.
The Grizzlies return a good group of experienced seniors, including pitcher/outfielder Anthony Gannon, outfielder Josh Hagans, infielder Austin Webb, pitcher Dylan Kubilus and infielder Austen Manix. Returning in the junior class are pitcher/first baseman Nick Lallathin, catcher Matt Moore and pitcher/infielder Carl Pennington, Brock Snowball. Pitcher/outfielder Trey Shaffer returns as a sophomore.
Seniors Kyle Arrowsmith (pitcher) and Clay Egleston (catcher), juniors Connor Hallas (pitcher/infielder) and Mike Movsesian (outfielder), and sophomore Jake Peebles (pitcher/first baseman/outfielder) are new to the squad.
“We expect to compete for a Suburban League National Conference title,” Grizzlies coach Greg Pickard said. “We believe the quality of pitching and depth on the mound to compete with anyone.”
The Grizzlies should be pretty strong where it counts most: on the mound. Webb had a 1.39 ERA a year ago in 44 innings. Shaffer was 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA and Gannon led the team with 47 innings. Kubilus also returns after working 24 innings a year ago as the Grizzlies have most of their pitcher back from what was a pretty good staff.
The staff posted an ERA of less than 2.50 a year ago and with most of those arms back, the Grizzlies should be well equipped in just about any matchup on the schedule.
“They learned a lot from last year and have had a tremendous off-season working with Coach (Bill) Gearhart,” Pickard said. “We will also be much better defensively this year. It may take a little while to determine our best offensive line up, but we feel we are fairly deep at most positions.”
Translation, expect Wadsworth to return to the form it showed the prior three years when it dominated the SLNC and the former SL.
“Our goals for this season remain the same as previous years, win 20 games, win our league, and a strong tournament run,” Pickard said. “I believe we have the team that can accomplish those goals this year. We are in a very strong conference and we know that every league game is going to be a challenge, but I believe that our kids are ready for it.”
