Slow start? No problem for Bucks
Baseball squad overcame start last year to win PAC title
Buckeye’s baseball team got out of the gate slowly. That worked out well for them last year. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch Photo
Buckeye’s baseball team has started a bit slowly this year – perhaps expected, given its overall inexperience – but don’t count the Bucks out right away.
The Bucks, who went 0-4 on their spring break trip south, were far from world beaters last year at the start. Their finish was a different story.
With wins in nine of its final 10 games, Buckeye came back from a 5-11 start to win the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division. They finished 14-12 overall, 11-5 in the PAC. The strong finish included only a tournament loss to Padua.
The Bucks lost six letter-winners from that group, but among them were some key players. Chief among those was ace Liam Murray (6-2, 1.14 ERA), and not far behind was Nathaniel Hendrix (team-best .333 average and 26 RBI). Andrew Maxwell was perhaps the team’s best two-way performer, going 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA in 21 innings and hitting .329 with a team-high 19 runs.
Evan Walker (2-1, 1.32), and JC Bastick, a second-team All-PAC honoree, also graduated.
They will need to find some pitching this year after having a ton in 2016. Buckeye returns just 57 innings’ worth of varsity experience.
“Though we lost our top two pitchers from 2016, we should have a deep pitching staff with six pitchers who will see significant time on the mound,” Bucks coach Steve Wright said.
The Bucks could be built for the long haul, too, with just one senior among the six likely to be their mound mainstays this year.
Junior Pat Caniglia was 3-1 with a save and a 2.07 ERA in 27 innings a year ago. Garrett Priestley, another junior, worked 14 innings as a sophomore.
That pair, along with senior Matt Shook, and juniors Jonathan Neel and Spencer Imes, along with newcomers Josh Meyer and Jake Case, a junior and sophomore, respectively, give Wright some nice depth on the mound.
The Bucks don’t return a lot of their front-line players, but do have back six players who had at least 40 at-bats last season.
So the experience well isn’t dry.
Back are senior infielder Jack Bradnan, senior catcher/outfielder Ben Grega and senior catcher/second baseman Alex Jeffery. Senior catcher/first baseman Tyler Faught and sophomore outfielder/third baseman Adam Matras are among the newcomers.
“We also lost our top three hitters from 2016, including six starters,” Wright said. “The lineup will be significantly different, so we may have some growing pains early in the year. The team is full of speed. This along with our depth at pitching will the strength of the team.
“Our weakness could be lack of power in our line up along with inexperience having lost the starting seniors from last year.”
Buckeye had some question marks last year, though not as many, and things worked out very well. The Bucks seem to have enough in the fold this year to make a run at a repeat atop the PAC.
“I feel we have enough talent on the team to once again compete for the PAC Stars title,” Wright said. “Firelands will be the team to beat with an experienced team from last year that finished second behind us.”
The Bucks, who went 0-4 on their spring break trip south, were far from world beaters last year at the start. Their finish was a different story.
With wins in nine of its final 10 games, Buckeye came back from a 5-11 start to win the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division. They finished 14-12 overall, 11-5 in the PAC. The strong finish included only a tournament loss to Padua.
The Bucks lost six letter-winners from that group, but among them were some key players. Chief among those was ace Liam Murray (6-2, 1.14 ERA), and not far behind was Nathaniel Hendrix (team-best .333 average and 26 RBI). Andrew Maxwell was perhaps the team’s best two-way performer, going 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA in 21 innings and hitting .329 with a team-high 19 runs.
Evan Walker (2-1, 1.32), and JC Bastick, a second-team All-PAC honoree, also graduated.
They will need to find some pitching this year after having a ton in 2016. Buckeye returns just 57 innings’ worth of varsity experience.
“Though we lost our top two pitchers from 2016, we should have a deep pitching staff with six pitchers who will see significant time on the mound,” Bucks coach Steve Wright said.
The Bucks could be built for the long haul, too, with just one senior among the six likely to be their mound mainstays this year.
Junior Pat Caniglia was 3-1 with a save and a 2.07 ERA in 27 innings a year ago. Garrett Priestley, another junior, worked 14 innings as a sophomore.
That pair, along with senior Matt Shook, and juniors Jonathan Neel and Spencer Imes, along with newcomers Josh Meyer and Jake Case, a junior and sophomore, respectively, give Wright some nice depth on the mound.
The Bucks don’t return a lot of their front-line players, but do have back six players who had at least 40 at-bats last season.
So the experience well isn’t dry.
Back are senior infielder Jack Bradnan, senior catcher/outfielder Ben Grega and senior catcher/second baseman Alex Jeffery. Senior catcher/first baseman Tyler Faught and sophomore outfielder/third baseman Adam Matras are among the newcomers.
“We also lost our top three hitters from 2016, including six starters,” Wright said. “The lineup will be significantly different, so we may have some growing pains early in the year. The team is full of speed. This along with our depth at pitching will the strength of the team.
“Our weakness could be lack of power in our line up along with inexperience having lost the starting seniors from last year.”
Buckeye had some question marks last year, though not as many, and things worked out very well. The Bucks seem to have enough in the fold this year to make a run at a repeat atop the PAC.
“I feel we have enough talent on the team to once again compete for the PAC Stars title,” Wright said. “Firelands will be the team to beat with an experienced team from last year that finished second behind us.”