Baseball Notebook: New Managers Take Stage in Carmel, Lakeland, Brewster

Put Valley Hoping This is Their Year; Mahopac Ready for Life After Kernan

The coaching carousel was in motion this off-season at some places where stability had once been the staple of their success, including Class A perennial power Lakeland and Class AA’s Carmel, always a playoff stalwart.

Longtime Carmel Coach Bob Shilling resigned recently amidst a swirl of non-baseball related issues that signaled the end of a career that spanned two-plus decades at Carmel where his patent-pending playoff runs were often epic. He will be replaced this season by his longtime assistant Ryan Dall, a pitching guru by trade with longstanding ties to Shilling, which should help smooth some of the transition. Shilling’s son, Ryan, a terrific three-sport athlete at Carmel (circa 2007-10), will run the junior varsity club.

Likewise, Lakeland will be going through a transitional period as its ushers in the Bill Casey era. Casey, the varsity assistant last season under former boss Joe Knapp, is a respected baseball man in Shrub Oak Athletic Club circles and should command the respect of his players. Knapp’s 2014 club reached the Class A finals in only his second season as head coach before falling to Rye, so the news of his departure in late March — just before the team went to Florida — was quite stunning, though it had been rumored for some time. Casey is expected to remain in the role in an effort to get back the stability had under the Robinson brothers – Dennis and Mike– who coached at Lakeland for 40 years before their unceremonious departure in 2013.

Brewster Manager Ed Mulvihill has also stepped down as Bears coach this spring, though he will remain the varsity football coach next fall. He will be replaced by Matt Cunningham.

With that out of the way, here a look at some of the local clubs we suspect should have impactful seasons on the Section 1 circuit.

PUTNAM VALLEY (16-6) was right in the thick of the Class B title chase last season before losing a gut-wrenching, extra-inning quarterfinal affair to Keio, which, like the Tigers, returns just about everyone this season. Twelfth-year Coach Joe Natalie’s Tigers are ripe for a legitimate title run with as many as six competent pitchers, who are also versatile enough to spread around the diamond when not toeing the rubber.

The unit is deep with senior All-League ace RHP Eddie Lent leading the way. Senior RHP Ryan Basso, senior RHP Nick Marro, senior RHP Dan McCann, and junior RHPs Charlie Pagani and Jake Reyes give Natalie an explosive array of steady right-handed hurlers, who can all hit the ball and play other positions.

Senior 3B Elviz Belen has been cleared to return to the lineup after extensive rehab for a leg injury and he is chomping at the bit along with junior OF Zach Girvalo, who will spark the top of the order with pop and speed, as will OF Delabate. OF Chris Schroeder is a contact hitter.

“We are ready to make that run,” said Belen. “I know for sure if we put all of our strong aspects of our games together we can make that run and get the respect we deserve. Our goal is definitely the section title, but I know with the team we have we can go as far as our desire to win takes us. Our pitching staff is the strongest part; we have two aces and the younger guys are throwing well, too.”

The Tigers proved that they are for real in a 10-1 season-opening win over reigning three-time Class C champion Haldane last Thursday at Mayor’s Park in Cold Spring. It was a matchup between Haldane and Class B title hopeful Putnam Valley down along the Metro-North tracks, and it was supposed to be a heck of a game; only Putnam Valley didn’t comply, opting for a blowout instead.

Tiger 1B Eddie Lent (2-for-3, 4 RBI) tripled and 2B Nick Marro (2 RBI) followed with an extra-base hit, turning a 2-1 game into a 5-1 game and sending the Tigers on their way to an opening-day victory over the youthful Blue Devils, who seventh-year Coach Tom Virgadamo pledged would be stronger by May. PV pitcher Ryan Basso worked six innings, striking out five to pick up the win.

Bigger tests lie ahead, including traditional Class B powers like Keio, North Salem and Ardsley, but the Tigers are right there in the middle of that mix if they play to their potential.

HALDANE (13-10 last year) will struggle some early on as the Blue Devils attempt to rebuild upon their finest three-year run in history, which ended in last year’s regional final loss to Pierson. Justin Furdico (3B), David Rotando (SS), John Parr (2B), Aidan Siegel (C/P), Brian Haines (P/LF), Ryan Duffy (P), Jimmy Duffy (C/1B), Nick Chiera (P/OF), Miguel Toribio (OF/IF) and Justin Maldonado (OF) were all part of the action last season and should improve as the season rolls on. When the title is on the line in late May, Haldane will be there.

LAKELAND (15-8-1) got hot at the right time last season and lost to Rye in Section 1 Class A final, 6-5; the battery of LHP Chris DiDomizio and C Anthony Fava, paving the path. Both have graduated, but Casey expects bulldog Rick Burroni, a junior P/OF and Rich Capria, a senior C/OF, to pick up much of the slack. Burroni will be the real deal this season, toeing the rubber every chance he gets while the Hornets develop the rest of an utterly unproven staff, though the cupboard is not bereft of talent.

SOAC teams have done consistently well in NYEB and other summer circuits, so before we pump the brakes on another banner campaign, remember that Lakeland has been one of the most consistent programs in Section 1 history the last 40-something years. It’s hard to imagine they’ll be anything but the same under Casey, a no-nonsense coach who should rein things in quickly and have the Hornets contending for a Final 4 berth or better.

PANAS (12-8) is hoping for something similar despite losing a slew of its best players to graduation. Longtime Manager Anthony Fata hopes his defending league champs can muster another strong season despite its inexperience at this level with the likes of Brandon Castillo, Kevin Vlad, Matt Cannizzo, Justin Lee and Cliff Soloway returning to the fold.

SOMERS (10-12) has two very reliable All-League starters in Takoda Sitar and Brendan Smith. Those fighting for innings behind the duo include Taylor Brown, Ryan Mullaly, Mike Lucadamo, Kris Swee, Bobby O’Leary and Rich Frommelt. The hitters Coach Joe Wootten hopes to pan out include Alex Buchholz, Anthony Maestri, Jimmy Morzillo, TJ Fiorino, Paul Franzese, Frank Bele and talented sophomores Matt Pires and Marc Maestri.

“I believe our offense will be more consistent 1-9,”Wootten said. “Putting pressure on the defense will be a factor all year.”

CARMEL (12-13) has been the one program that always seems to come up with some kind of post-season run, even if the Rams struggle throughout the regular season. IF Tim Menton, C Ryan Fay, ace P Chris Palmiero are some of the key returnees expecting to do likewise this season while eliminating some of the inconsistencies from a year ago.

Palmiero is the key, though, a junior with low 80s stuff, who isn’t afraid to attack the strike zone.

“We have high hopes this year,” Palmiero said. “We’ve been playing together since freshman and JV years and we have great chemistry. Our hitting is our strong suit but we lack some pitching depth. If our pitching staff can keep us in games, I think our hitting will come through and win us games. We just came back from our yearly Florida trip and we did very well. Our hitters raked and we showed that we can hit good pitching. I’m hoping that we can repeat what we did last year, but go even further in sectionals. I’m excited to get the season started.”

Junior SS Ryan Train, a late JV call-up last season, will be a player to monitor as he expands his role for the Rams, who hope to be among the Dutchess powers that be and/or perennial power Fox Lane in the end.

MAHOPAC (10-11) could be in for a rebuilding year as they struggle to replace ace lefty Kevin Kernan, who has taken his three-year varsity exploits to Stony Brook. The Indians did open the season with an impressive 4-3 win over White Plains. Mahopac’s Louie Nardella smoked a bases-loaded, two-out double in the top of the fifth, giving the Indians a 3-0 lead in their 4-3 win over host White Plains last Wednesday. Mahopac RHP John Reda (5+ IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K) looked like a reliable chucker, keeping White Plains scoreless for five innings. Between Reda and RHP Cal Lawrence, the Indians look to have at least two reliable starters. Junior Anthony Mirditaj is a solid No.3.

This was a nice win for Coach Chris Miller’s Indians, but even he’s not sure if his club has what it takes to compete in one of the toughest leagues in the state, which includes the Dutchess tribunal of Arlington, John Jay-East Fishkill and defending Class AA champ Ketcham, plus rival Carmel.

Reda, CJ Sager, Greg Cavaliere and Nardella SR will carry the club on offense and Mirditaj Cavaliere and Brendan White will be newcomers that should impress.

YORKTOWN (13-8) will drop down to Class A this season after winning 13 in AA last year, and Coach Sean Kennedy, now in his 15^th-season as the Huskers’ lead dog (21 years overall at Yorktown), is expecting the 2015 unit to contend in a very tough league that includes Class AA powerhouse Fox Lane, Class A fixture John Jay, one-time mighty Somers, Brewster and Horace Greeley.

Kennedy expects All-League lefty P Chris Henry, a senior who won five games last year, to prosper with batterymate Will Fischer, a senior who played well behind the plate a year ago.  Jack Kelly was a kid who showed promise at the hot corner during his sophomore season, as the he drove in 18 runs and made just two errors as a rookie, and SS Jake Bichler shores up the middle. Junior CF Matt Boccia sparked the offense last year with 24 runs scored. You’ll see a lot of new faces otherwise, but the Huskers are good enough on paper to make a run at Class A before they go back to AA next year .

“We should be pretty good,” Coach Kennedy said. “We can definitely make a run in Class A. Losing (leading hitter) Ricky (Corrado) hurts but I think I am stronger 1-9 than last year.”

The Huskers will need to figure out a way to scratch out a couple of runs on opening day against Palmiero and the Rams.

BREWSTER (6-15) has a great core of seniors this year coming back which should provide the all essential leadership and experience the Bears need behind a first-year coach.

“This group has worked very hard in the preseason and has developed some really good chemistry, which will hopefully translate once the season begins,” Coach Cunningham said. “We have strong senior leadership and defensive capabilities.”

Some players to watch include Dom Pintavalle 3B/P, Eddie Mead P/OF, Rob Chamberlain 1B/P, Matt Gargano CF and John Rock 2B/OF.

The Bears are a little pitching-thin, so they’ll need guys to step up in that area quickly. That said; the program may need another year or so before it seriously contends in a very tough league, but they have some help on the horizon if the younger levels pan out.

CROTON (12-10) has seen steady improvement under Coach Eric Rosen, including their finest effort in nearly a decade last season. The third-year boss hopes to continue that trend behind junior ace Scott Giordano, senior C Izaak Cohen (All-League), senior IF Kyle Rossini (All-League) and junior P-OF-1B Mike Matalavage.

PEEKSKILL’s sixth-year Coach Chris Salumn believes that the Red Devils could be “one of the most improved teams in the section.” He expects Anthony Murphy (All-League, All-Section HM), Connor Terrell, Chris Melendez, Ryan Germinaro, Lisandro Guzman and Jason Santana will improve upon their 4-16 campaign from a year ago.