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Trimmed-down Tri-Co turns to wood
By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call
When a trimmed down
Tri-County League began play last week, it broke out the lumber for the
first time in several decades.
Tri-Co leaders voted
10-0 during the winter to follow the course set last year by the Blue
Mountain League, the area's other amateur baseball league, and use
wooden bats after years of swinging the aluminum.
"It should make for
more competitive games," league president Mike Brosious said.
That was the case in
the BML in 2005 when run totals dwindled and lengths of games were
shortened.
But there are still
enough heavy hitters in the Tri-Co to keep pitchers on their toes.
Who will still be
swinging when the playoffs wind down in mid- August?
The usual suspects
appear to be the top contenders, including the defending champion
Gabelsville Owls and the 2005 runner-ups, the newly named Woodlawn
Fleetwings.
Gabelsville has won
four league titles over the past eight years and 13 overall dating back to
the franchise's days in Gilbertsville.
Two playoff teams
from 2005 ago are no longer around after Silver Creek folded and Lehigh
Township merged with Coplay.
Each team will play
each other four times for a 36-game regular season schedule, set to end the
week of July 16-22, with the top six teams advancing to the playoffs. There
will be no all-star game this year as the Tri-Co and BML have severed
relations.
With help from
Brosious, here is a team-by-team look:
CETRONIA LONGHORNS
Coach: George Horn,
Sr..
Home field:
Cedarbrook.
2005: 13-20
(eighth).
Oulook: Pitcher Mike
Costello and third baseman George Horn, Jr., are two of the young stars on a
team in rebuilding mode.
COPLAY
REDS
Coach: Shawn Andrews
Home field:
Scherersville #5.
2005: 10-22 (tied
for 10th).
Outlook: The merger
between Lehigh Township, the 2003 and '04 league champs, and the Reds should
make this a team to watch. Newcomers Brandon Leslie (.367) and pitchers,
Jarred Ringer (3-3) and Justin Jachowicz (2-2) bolster the talent base.
GABLESVILLE OWLS
Co-Coaches: Mike
"Doc" Moyer and Matt Danner.
Home field:
Boyertown Stadium.
2005: 32-8, 26-7
regular season (first); beat Limeport 3-1 in semis and Fleetwings 3-0 in the
finals.
Outlook: Owls will
sprout wings in a new nest and have enough talent in place to add to the
Boyertown area's long list of baseball titles. Team will be led by MVP Pete
Colon (.414, 16 HRs, 60 RBIs), and batting champ Rich Kropp (.605) and most
valuable pitcher Justin Konnick (7-1, 2.43 ERA).
ICC
PIRATES
Coach: Brian Ruff.
Home Field:
Bethlehem Twp. Park.
2005: 23-13, 22-11
reg. season (fourth), lost to Limeport 2-1 in first round.
Outlook: Eric Ruff
(.411), Kyle Ruff (.304), Brad Weiss (.519) and Todd Brosious (.288) return
and will boost the offense, but pitching will be the key if the Pirates are
to remain among the league's elite. Brian Ruff, the team's third manager in
as many years, has recruiting talented players. If some of the familiar
names on the roster play a lot, look out.
JORDAN
CREEK GATORS
Coach: Fabian
Acevedo
Home field:
Scherersville #1
2005 : 10 -22
regular season (tied for 10th).
Outlook: The
additions of hard-throwing Jose Medina and Jose Guerrero will help a
beleaguered pitching staff that had an ERA of 9.24 last year.
LIMEPORT BULLS
Coach: Chris Parsell.
Home field: Limeport
Stadium.
2005: 23-16, 20-12
regular season (fifth), beat ICC 2-1 in first round of playoffs, lost to
Gabelsville 3-1 in semis.
Outlook: The
additions of SS Jeremy Bartha, P Scott Stewart and 1B/DH Pat Hollander along
with an improved staff should bolster the Bulls chances.
NORTHERN YANKEES
Coach: Brian Polaha.
Home field:
Scherersville #5.
2005: 11-22 (ninth).
Outlook: Newcomers
Darrin Lenhart, Ian McClutcheon, Nick Keppel and Chris Watts should improve
the team, but much will depend on how fast a young pitching staff matures.
QUAKERTOWN PIONEERS
Coach: Don
Rosenberger, Sr.
Home Field: Stryer
Middle School.
2005: 1-32 (12th).
Outlook: New names
-- Jarret Stair, Trevor Oats, Steve Miller, Brian Davis, Justin Donahue --
abound as the Pioneers hope their new home means new and improved results.
UPPER
PERK CHIEFS
Coach: Jeff Moyer.
Home field: Upper
Perk H.S.
2005: 18-17, 18-15
reg. season (sixth), lost to Silver Creek 2-0 in first round.
Outlook: Pitcher
Tristan Harner, DH Greg Moyer, and shortstop Scott Gehringer form the
nucleus of a team that had little roster upheaval in the offseason and looks
to build on last year's six-win improvement from '04.
WOODLAWN FLEETWINGS
Coach: Jeremy Arner.
Home field:
Scherersville #1.
2005: 30-14, 25-8
reg. season (second), beat Lehigh Twp. 2-1 in first round, Silver Creek 3-2
in semis and lost to Gabelsville 3-0 in finals.
Outlook: Newcomer
Matt Wiltrout and Scott Bolasky (7-1, 3.19 ERA) anchor the pitching staff,
while Arner, Matt Marcks, Ben Swatsky (.500, 12 HRs, 57 RBIs), Justin
Godusky, Tommy Williams and Scott Garger form one of the league's most
formidable attacks.
keith.groller@mcall.com
610-820-6740
From The Morning Call --
May 16, 2006
Copyright
© 2006,
The Morning Call
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