By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Wellsville’s Nitros set home run records in 2013 and reached the league semi-finals before falling to Hornell. What does 2014 hold for the bombers? Christ Conley (Angola, N.Y./Canisius), Dan Harms (Hamburg, Germany/Mansfield) and Jordan Wheaton (Wayland, N.Y./Alfred State) will tell the tale.
Conley (C 5-11 230 FR Bats Left/Throws Right) returns for his second season with the Nitros. He hit .324 in a dozen games for Wellsville in ’13. The back stop made 36 starts and hit .339 for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season champion Golden Griffins. He threw out eight base runners and had a fielding percentage of .980 this past spring.
Harms (RHP 6-3 215 JR) posted an ERA of 3.97 in 22.2 innings pitched for the Mountaineers. He struck out five and walked three. Harms throws between 82 and 89 mph with a breaking ball.
“When he throws his fastball down in the zone for a strike and throws a little bit of a breaking ball he can give you some middle innings.” Mansfield coach Harry Hillson stated. “He’s an outstanding kid and outstanding worker. A lot of his challenge is being able to repeat his delivery. We’re hoping he’s going to get enough innings this summer to get up over the top. He’s one of those guys who could go from being down on the pitching staff to being right at the top once the light comes on.”
Wheaton (IF 6-1 205 JR Bats Right/Throws Right) makes the move from Hornell to Wellsville. He hit .295 in 28 games with the 2013 league finalist. Wheaton earned All-American honors for the Pioneers hitting .384 with 35 RBI and a slugging percentage of .600 this spring. He has the ability to hit to all fields and has learned how to drive the ball opposite. Jordan consistently puts the ball in play. He has the bat speed to handle pitchers with upper-level velocity and struck out just seven times in 146 plate appearances.
“When he first joined our program , he was, like most young guys, looking for something middle-in to drive the ball, pull the ball,” Alfred State coach Jason Cronin explained. “He has since worked very hard at making the ability to drive the ball the other way a part of his game. When he gets worked away at times he’s learned to take that pitch, sit on it and drive that way…He leads by example. He is willing to get his hands dirty and lead the tarp on, tarp off projects.”
Scott DeJong (Felician) set an NYCBL record with 14 home runs in 2013. The Nitros cranked a league mark 46 round trippers.
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