By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
With only three returning starters this season, the baseball team is facing a challenging schedule with a new head coach and an almost totally revamped lineup.
Fifteen-year assistant coach Nick Duarte has taken over the head-coaching responsibilities this season from Art Crowley, who decided last summer to turn in his cap after 12 years at the helm. The system, however, will stay relatively the same, as Duarte will be joined by returning coaches Mike Molta and Tom Corrigan at the varsity level, while Dennis Caron will return to head the junior varsity program.
Thirteen players fill out the varsity team this season with another 13 on the JV roster. With the youth on the varsity team there could be some flexibility to move players between the two.
The Whalers will give it a test run Sunday at the Mashpee Tournament. Nantucket will play three five-inning or hour-long scrimmages against Wachusett, Hudson and Gardner.
“I am expecting to put everyone in multiple positions and find out where they are comfortable, get some live pitching experience for the hitters, check out my pitching staff to see how good we are going to be, and check out the catcher to make sure we can catch the pitching staff,” Duarte said.
The Whalers graduated seven seniors from last year’s team, while returning only the three starters: senior co-captains Chris Welch and Eric Lowell, and sophomore Michael Molta. Welch and Lowell led the Whalers on the mound and at the plate, and Duarte is expecting more of the same this season along with the leadership associated with being captains of a young team.
“We are starting all new. I am putting a lot of pressure on Eric Lowell and Chris Welch, my captains, to work with the young guys and get them on the same page as quick as we can,” Duarte said. “They bring veteran leadership and they work well with the younger kids.”
The strength of this year’s squad lies in the pitching staff. Lowell is coming off a successful junior season where he finished with a team-high 40 innings pitched and 45 strikeouts to go along side a team-leading 30 hits and 19 RBI. Welch was also solid with the bat, tallying 17 hits last season as well as contributing 18 innings on the mound.
Molta returns as the third pitcher for the Whalers after a successful freshman season of 27 innings and 49 strikeouts.
“I asked him to step it up a little bit too to help with the younger ones that haven’t played because he knows the system,” Duarte said.
The three players will also be valuable in shoring up the middle of the infield. When not on the mound, Welch will return to second base with Lowell and Molta sharing time at shortstop.
The coaching staff has turned to a number of last year’s junior varsity contributors as well as a handful of freshmen to fill the holes left by last year’s seniors.
“Experience is what I need. They need to get good quick,” Duarte said. “They are looking pretty good. I would like to get these scrimmages in. The more they can see live stuff the better off we are going to be.”
Junior catcher Tim Marsh has been working with the pitchers in preseason and looks to be in line to take over behind the plate with Eddie Moreau as the backup.
Freshman Taylor Hughes and sophomore Hunter Slade are in the mix at first base, while freshman Zach Moran looks to be the back-up behind Welch at second base.
Nick Lombardi, who led the junior-varsity team last season at the plate and in the field, should see time at third base and pitch for the Whalers this season.
In the outfield, sophomore Garry Caruso, senior Troy Sullivan and freshmen Andrew Benson and Hughes should all see playing time.
With so many question marks in the field, Duarte is hoping to test players at as many positions as possible for versatility throughout the season.
“My goal for these guys is going to be to get them to play as one unit. With a lot of young kids, to get them to all focus in together. I think if we can do that we will be able to squeak out a couple of wins that maybe we shouldn’t be winning. I am hoping we are all on the same page. We have a tough schedule,” Duarte said.
Following the season opener next Friday at Blue Hills, the Whalers will face tough opposition in Bishop Connolly at home Saturday and on a trip to the Vineyard Tuesday. Also on the schedule this season will be home and away matchups against Mashpee, Chatham, Provincetown and Sturgis. The Whalers will also host two double-headers, against Pembroke in mid-May and New Testament, which is currently being rescheduled.
“We are going to start out with small ball until the hitting gets better. We have a few kids that look like they can hit the ball. They look good in practice in the cage, against the machine, against live pitching, and they are making good contact hitting the ball, but it is a totally different world when you get in a game with a little bit of pressure,” Duarte said. “This year we have a little more speed than last year. They all can run. We can put the ball in play and can make some things happen with hit-and-runs.”
2009 Baseball Schedule:
4/3 Blue Hills A 3:30 p.m.
4/4 Bishop Connolly H 1:30 p.m.
4/7 Martha’s Vineyard A 3:30 p.m.
4/8 Mashpee H 3 p.m.
4/15 Provincetown H 3 p.m.
4/16 Chatham A 4 p.m.
TBD New Testament H TBD
TBD New Testament H TBD
4/29 Sturgis A 3:30 p.m.
5/2 Martha’s Vineyard H 3:30 p.m.
5/5 Provincetown A 4 p.m.
5/7 Sturgis H 3 p.m.
5/9 Mashpee A 10 a.m.
5/12 Blue Hills H 3 p.m.
5/16 Pembroke H 10 a.m.
5/16 Pembroke H 1 p.m.
5/18 Chatham H 3 p.m.
5/20 Bishop Connolly A 4 p.m.
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