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Depth Finally a Plus for
Storm
With his entire pitching staff back, Coach Seth Fikes
is optimistic his club will improve on last season’s 9-16 record and
return to the NEAC Tournament.
Keuka’s top three starters—senior Brady Begeal and
sophomore sensations Kyle Sherin and
Simon Mills—all return after starting 16 of Keuka’s 25 games last season.
Begeal finished with a 2-2 mark while striking out 10 batters in 32
innings of work. Sherin enjoyed a great rookie campaign, tying the school
record for lowest ERA in a season at 3.50 and going 3-1 on the mound.
Sherin struck out 17 batters while tossing a team-high 36 innings. Mills
also had a huge first-year, striking out 39 batters in just 34 1/3
innings. He finished with a 2-4 record and a 6.29 ERA.
Also back on the mound is junior Pete Padula and
sophomores Mike Gardner and Craig Pittinger. Padula was second on the
staff with a 3.86 ERA while Gardner and Pittinger combined for nine
appearances in there rookie season.
Fikes will have to replace a couple of key bats in
his lineup, most notably All-New York State performer Dominick Dashnaw,
but with the heart of the lineup back, the Storm should score plenty of
runs.
Leading the list of returnees is senior catcher Matt
Schaffer, who has been an All-NEAC
 performer
in each of his first three seasons. He hit a solid .329 while belting 28
hits and scoring 18 runs (both second on the team). Schaffer tossed out a
Keuka College single-season record 12 would-be base stealers while
catching all but one of the Storm’s games.
Also returning to the starting lineup are outfielder
Collin Mullins and first basemen Mike Perrone. Mullins, a senior,
finished with a .326 average while leading the team with 2 home runs and 3
triples. He finished second on the team with 28 hits. Perrone enjoyed a
breakout junior season, hitting .342 with a team-high 21 runs batted in.
The first basemen also finished with 27 hits, 16 runs, and seven doubles.
Senior leftfielder Greg Stevens also returns to the starting lineup after
driving in 10 runs and scoring 14 of his own. Sophomore Lucas Flachs
will push the outfielders for playing time.
Back in the infield will be junior Ed Schoeneck and
sophomore Alex Paquette. Schoeneck batted .318 in his first season as a
starter while driving in 16 runs (No. 2 on the
team). Paquette led the team in hitting (.449) as a rookie and crushed 6
doubles and a home run while also leading Keuka with a .633 slugging
percentage. Also back with a lot to prove is junior infielder Stefan
Gallucci who had his sophomore season ended early due to injury.
With 12 new faces on the team, the Storm will boast
as much depth as they have ever had. Junior transfer (Corning CC)
Josiah DelGrosso will join new hurlers Shane Reynolds and Bobby Potter in
the starting rotation. Infielders David Janiszeski, Ben Cummings,
Mike Campagnone, Jon Bigelow, Justin Citronnelli, Michael Lyons, and Chris
Steele as well as new outfielders Matt Dunn and Mike Marsh will all vie
for some valuable experience in there rookie campaigns.
Highlighting the 2008 season will be an 8-game spring break trip to Port
Charlotte, Florida beginning March 23. |
Athletics
Department
