By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Under the direction of team founder, Tom Kenney, Hornell’s Dodgers reached the New York Collegiate Baseball League championship in 2013. The Blue and White led byJake Kenney (Hornell, N.Y./SUNY Brockport), Zach Krivda McKeesport, PA/Penn State Greater Allegheny), Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, IL/Concordia University-Chicago) and Michael Simmons (Jacksonville, FL/Montevallo) will look for an encore in 2014.
Kenney (IF 5-10 180 SR Bats Right/Throws Right) starts his third season in the NYCBL and second under his father. The home-grown product hit .274 for the Blue and White in 2013 including four playoff games. Kenney went .378 with 15 RBI and 22 runs scored for Brockport this past spring. He is a gap-to-gap hitter who is successful in hit-and-run situations and dropping a sacrifice bunt.
“He is a very successful coach’s son and has grown up around the game,” Brockport coach Justin Beach noted. “That is pretty evident in the way he plays. He knows situations and plays the game the right way. He knows what his strengths and weaknesses and plays within himself all the time. He’s a kid who you can always count on to know the situation.”
In 12 appearances (11 starts) Krivda (LHP SO) led Penn State Greater Allegheny with 58.1 innings pitched. He finished 6-3, struck out 71 and walked 29. He throws 82-84 mph with some run to his fastball. He has established a changeup which he throws 73-75. His splitter is in the 70-73 range, and he uses it for a strike out pitch. Krivda has a tremendous pickoff move.
“He is an extremely hard working kid that is in great physical shape,” coach Jim Chester said. “He controls the running game. I am going to guess he has one of the best pickoff moves in the league. He ‘s going to give you a chance to win. He gives you quality starts. He gets a lot of ground balls. He’ll get a lot of right-handed batters to roll over.”
Olavarria (SS 5-9 175 JR), an ABCA/Rawlings second team All-American, led the Cougars in average (.398), hits (72), doubles (20) and slugging (.569). He drove in 47 and scored 45 while stealing 25 bases in 29 attempts. Concordia lost in the second round of the NCAA Regionals.
Simmons (OF 5-11 R-SO Bats Left/Throws Right) hit .296 with 13 RBI and 11 runs scored for the Falcons. He is at his best when hitting to center/left-center gap. Simmons has a patient approach at the plate working the count to earn seven walks in 54 at bats. He has improved hitting against left-handed pitching. Simmons runs a 6.8-6.9 in the 60-yard dash.
“When he hits the ball really well, he is going opposite field,” Montevallo coach Chandler Rose stated. “He got a lot more physical this year. He is a lot stronger and faster. He is able to turn on some balls. He’s got a little more pop, especially pull side. He’s got a really good idea of what he is doing at the plate. He was our best pinch hitter. He was phenomenal coming off the bench. He had several bit hits in clutch spots for us. He became a weapon for us off the bench.”
Click here to see the entire Hornell roster.
Click here to view the Dodgers’ season schedule.
Hornell won the 2005 NYCBL championship.
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