By Zachary Gewelb
SYRACUSE, NY — The Syracuse Jr. Chiefs are set to begin their 2013 season almost a year after they led the league with a 28-12 record and captured the New York Collegiate Baseball League championship. 2013 represents change for the Chiefs, who will be led by new manager Chris Haynes. Haynes will try to lead a new Jr. Chiefs roster back to the postseason.
Last season, the Jr. Chiefs relied on an aggressive offense (.344 team batting average) to back up their inconsistent pitching staff. (5.00 staff ERA) This year may be more of the same. The Jr. Chiefs have searched for new offensive weapons to replace last season’s stars Frank Salerno, Alexander Sanchez Jr., and homerun machine Zach Lauricella. In their search, the team has found college standouts such as Noel Garcia, Stanley Susaña, and Connor Mathis.
Garcia, a catcher out of Northwood University in Florida, batted .358 last season with three homeruns and 35 RBIs. Garcia also showed great plate discipline for the Seahawks, as he walked 28 times in 162 at-bats.
Susaña, a native of the Dominican Republic, had a terrific 2013 campaign with St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York. The infielder batted .367 and drove in 48 runs in 53 games played. He also scored 55 runs, the highest total on his team.
Mathis, an outfielder from Mt. Union College, had a rough 2013 season as a junior despite having excelled in 2012. Mathis only hit .217 in 35 games played in the 2013 season after a stellar 2012 season. Mathis hit .450 with 56 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 40 games played. He led his team in batting average, at-bats (149), hits (67), triples (5), slugging percentage (.591), on base percentage (.478), and stolen bases.
If the Jr. Chiefs plan on duplicating last season’s offensive success, the trio of Garcia, Susaña and Mathis will have to pace the offense.
While their offense boasts notable stars to carry the load, the Jr. Chiefs pitching staff has no such stars. The staff has a handful of younger pitchers, including six sophomores, but contains some quality arms, such as Ryan Clark and Brian Santangelo.
Clark completed a stellar freshman season at North Carolina University at Greensboro in 2013. He pitched in 26 games as a reliever and finished with a 5-1 record and a 2.05 ERA. He struck out 25 batters and walked only five batters in 302/3 innings pitched and did not allow a homerun. The Jr. Chiefs will need Clark to continue his dominance to help lead the pitching staff.
Santangelo struggled in his junior year at Pennsylvania College of Technology. He posted a 4-5 record and a high 5.48 ERA. Those numbers are deceiving, however. In 47 2/3 innings pitched, Santangelo stuck out 49 batters and logged four complete games. Expectations were high for Santangelo after back-to-back stellar seasons in 2011 and 2012. As a freshman in 2011, Santangelo logged a perfect 4-0 record with a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings pitched, most of which came as a reliever. In 2012, he posted a 5-1 record with a 1.71 ERA. The Jr. Chiefs will need the Santangelo of old to bolster their rotation.
Despite a new-look team and a new manager, the Jr. Chiefs still have playoff aspirations this season. The team has acquired some talented players, both in the field and at the plate. Can the Jr. Chiefs repeat? Only time will tell. Their season begins with a double header against the Sherrill Silversmith’s on Monday, June 3 at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse. The first game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., with the second game slated to begin at 6:00 p.m.
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