Hornet baseball has cornerstone players to push for 3rd finals run

mbrown@sunmulti.com

The Hornets know the drill. Rob Fitzpatrick will let

Westfield’s baseball club – GISA AAA finalists two seasons in a row – know that

it knows what it takes to get there one more time.

Every new high school season – even for a program on the run

this one is enjoying – brings about its own set of questions, and 2013 baseball

for Westfield is no different. Beginning today (Saturday) with a late morning

start against Pinewood Christian, the answers to the Hornet questions should

begin to unfold.

Questions like, ‘Who exactly are going to be the top two

starting pitchers now that 2012 seniors Brandon Bailey and Caleb Weaver are

gone?’

“It seems about every year … these guys are working so hard

that it seems like you get a couple of guys who are ready to take on that

role,” said Fitzpatrick after a Wednesday scrimmage with Windsor Academy in

which he used a different pitcher every inning. “It’s amazing how much better

kids will get in one year. When that responsibility is put on their shoulders,

you hope they respond.

“They’ve gained a lot of experience in the past couple of

years, and that’s going to be big for them now. Right now, I have eight

seniors. They know what it takes for us to be successful. They put their time

in on the practice field, and it’s their time to improve and try to get back to

that (championship series) again.”

Bailey not only left a pitching void, but his other defensive

position was shortstop. Weaver patrolled centerfield when not on the mound.

This season, Westfield players won’t just specialize in pitching, as they will

also have infield and outfield responsibilities.

Garrett Brown was the starting hurler in Game 3 of last

spring’s finals at Tattnall Square. He was also used as Fitzpatrick’s closer of

sorts in Bailey’s and Weaver’s starts. Brown is also the second baseman.

Next is one who has grown into an imposing sight on the

mound, junior William Amos. He also plays shortstop and third base.

Some players who did not pitch last season but threw in the

scrimmage are Gehrig Broxton and Dustin Hall. A couple of left-handed options

are Beau Holcomb and Charlie Ayer to go with the young up-and-coming arms.

Even though Westfield celebrated a state title two years

ago, there are still remnants of that lineup around today in the senior class.

Hall, for one, was a mean linebacker/fullback in football who has been the

cornerstone in left field.

Fitzpatrick said these seniors are getting serious looks

from college programs.

“They’re doing things right,” he said. “To make themselves

better baseball players. Dustin’s been the No. 3 hole hitter. He can put up

some RBI.”

Speaking of cornerstones, there’s Barrett Stanley at third

base. He hasn’t had much baseball practice time since basketball ended just

over a week ago.

“He’s just an athletic kid, one of those guys who jumps in

there and doesn’t miss a beat,” said Fitzpatrick. “He’s pretty versatile

defensively and does a good job swinging the bat. He’ll be in the front part of

the lineup.”

Cornerstone No. 3 is first baseman Wayne O’Neal, famous both

as an All-State football punter and Game 1 hero of the 2011 baseball finals for

his walk-off home run. He battled injury problems with his knee as a junior.

“Wayne looks a whole lot better than he was last year,” said

Fitzpatrick. “That affected him physically, and I think mentally a little bit.

He was a little unsure last year, but I don’t think he’s thinking about it. I

think he’s ready to have a big year … kind of explode, and if he does, it’s

going to help us.”

Evan Williams returns as the senior starting catcher.

“He runs the show behind the plate,” said Fitzpatrick. “He’s

probably going to hit leadoff, but I can put Evan 1 through 4 in the lineup. He

catches a great game, calls a great game, good baserunner, baseball smarts type

kid. He’s going to be a big part of our success.”

Last season’s starting catcher was a newcomer, Reid Hudson.

After seeing Hudson play the receiver position in football, it made sense to

see him go from behind the plate to centerfield.

“It’s nice to have a good athlete who can go get it,” said

Fitzpatrick. “Reid did a great job catching. He can track a ball down, has a

good, strong arm, and we know he can swing the bat.”

The roles of Broxton, Holcomb and Amos will expand from last

season, and it’s players like that who can make the difference between winning

and not winning region.

That region is not the same as the past several years.

Instead of first place coming down to Westfield and Deerfield-Windsor, the

Hornets are now in league with defending AAA champion Tattnall Square and

Stratford. All are familiar rivals anyway.

 

“You hate to leave a region with the rivalries,” said

Fitzpatrick. “It was very competitive. But I welcome the challenge of heading

to maybe the best region out there. They do things right up there.”

With four in the region, the coach said they will play each

other three times instead of two. He said all three, including Mt. de Sales,

has pitching that can win on any given day.

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