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Members of Patrick Henry Community College’s men’s baseball team are (front row, from left) Lazaro Torres, Mike Stancik, Nick Sharp, Cody Wilson, Shane Flynn, Terrell Thompson, Alex Miller, Ralph Colon, Ethan Tanner, Ben Amos, Andrew Bradley, Ian Harvey, Cody Whitlock, (second row, from left) Dre Dukes, Eric Tucker, Chandis Goff, Rashad Hatcher, Chris Horne, Tyler Tweedy, Jeremy Fitzgerald, Matt Morris, Austin Delmotte, T.J. Brenneman, Jordan Tackett, Brandon Chocklette, Cory Owen, (third row, from left) Hunter Kenney, Shane McGarahan, Tyler Marshall, Lance Kennedy, Kyle Via, Jarrad Hayes, Trey Lambert, Bret Williams, Travis Coffman, Lucas Signor and Zach Lucas, (back row, from left) assistant coach Scott Cates, head coach Chris Parker and assistant coach Paul Menschner. Not pictured is player Nick Balisteri. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray) |
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
By CHASE YOUNG - Bulletin Sports Writer
Patrick Henry Community College’s baseball team returns 17 players to what head coach Chris Parker calls “by far the best team ever assembled at PHCC,” prompting the Patriots to aim for the World Series this season.
“We want to win the regional tournament, the district tournament and a national championship,” said Parker. “We honestly feel like we’ve got a good shot to win the World Series.”
While Parker said pitching and defense as a whole will be “as solid and reliable as ever,” the Patriots strength resides at the plate.
“We have a very powerful and potent offense,” said Parker.
“It’s power and speed,” added Parker of the offensive strengths. “Every single person in our lineup has at least one college home run. Every single person can hit home runs, and we’re very, very fast compared to the past and compared to most teams in the region.”
After finishing the season with a 40-17 record (9-7 Region X) during its first season as a National Junior College Athletic Association participant, Parker said the strength of his returners and the addition of a few key transfers make the Patriots confident they can build upon last season’s success.
“The quality of the athlete and baseball player together is tremendous this year,” said Parker.
“I think that nucleus is very key, but some additions are going to play a big key for us,” he added.
Parker hopes to see a lot of offensive production from a few key transfers, including leadoff hitter Rashad Hatcher, a Pitt Community College transfer who finished last season with a .385 batting average, and Longwood University transfer Mike Stancik, who finished the season with a .348 average.
According to Parker, new additions have not changed the Patriots’ philosophy; if anything, they’ve strengthened it.
“We’re gonna try to keep pressure on the opposing teams’ defense,” said Parker. “Try to pound the ball all over the park.”
On defense, the Patriots will rely on the starting strength of Jeremy Fitzgerald, a 6-foot freshman from Stuarts Draft, and the closing prowess of Brandon Chocklette (6-0, sophomore) who led the nation in saves last season with 14.
“Very feasible,” said pitcher Austin Delmotte when asked of the chances for a World Series berth. “We have a bunch of pitchers, I think, more than any other team can compete with.
“We’re so diverse on the mound, and I don’t think anybody can match our lineup offensively, as well,” he added.
The skipper said Xavier transfer Bret Williams will add strength as a starter from the mound and at first base, while Rhode Island transfer Ralph Colon and Longwood University transfer Ian Harvey will each battle for time in the infield and outfield, respectively.
During fall ball, the Patriots went 13-3. According to Parker, that’s a good sign for PHCC’s upcoming season, which promises to be tough considering the schedule in place.
“Our schedule this year is by far harder and stronger than it’s ever been, which will only make us stronger when we play our conference games,” said Parker.
“We know what we have, and we know what we’ve got to work with. If things go downhill, we still have enough depth to bring things back together. They all proved themselves worthy of time in the fall,” he added.
The Patriots will play host to the Region X and District 22 Tournament this season at Hooker Field, and while that may put added pressure on the home team to earn a berth considering there are only seven spots, Fitzgerald said confidence is not in short supply.
“We’re shooting for the national championship,” said Fitzgerald. “That’s what we want. We all know that we’re good, we just have to get out there and prove it.”
The Patriots start their season at 1 p.m. Saturday when they travel to Spartanburg-Methodist for a doubleheader.
Spartanburg is ranked fifth in the NJCAA’s preseason poll released Jan. 29 and finished third in the World Series last season, according to Parker. |
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