SEASON PREVIEW: CHATHAM BASEBALL
Greg Dedrick
ccSCOOP Sports
04-05-10 - 6:15 a.m. - Last year the Patroon Conference was loaded with quality teams and a slew of top notch players, and the Chatham Panthers were the cream of the crop in the league, finishing 18-0 and capturing the league title. That team was led by none other than the league MVP Brian Gauthier, who besides being an outstanding pitcher is also the all-time hits leader at Chatham. Gauthier is now playing baseball at the University at Albany, one of three Panthers from last year's baseball team now playing in college. The loss of Gauthier will be tough to overcome, but he was just a piece of an impressive group of seniors that the Panthers lost. Those other seniors include Matt Fischer, who threw a one-hitter against Ichabod Crane to clinch the league title; Cody Portin, who is now playing at Union; Mike Sirani, now playing at Springfield; Ryen Boehme, and Parker Niles. The unexpected transfer out of state of pitcher Chris Williams will also impact this year’s pitching staff.
Despite the loss of so many key contributors, the cupboard is far from bare in Chatham. This year’s team will likely be led by captains Joe Cozzolino, Jordan Sirani, and Cole Gleason, along with Nick Faxon and Evan Young. Cozzolino, a catcher and first baseman, batted an outstanding .512 last year, while Sirani hit .411 and Gleason hit .400. Nick Faxon may well be the ace of the pitching staff this year after going 3-0 last year, while Young is considered a “defensive wizard.” Coach Scott Steltz is looking for his captains to lead but for the whole team to chip in. “I expect all of my players to make a positive impact in some manner," Steltz said. "They are all here to try and accomplish the team goals, and they all play a vital role in doing so.”
Although it is early in the year with the team getting limited exposure to practicing outdoors or even scrimmaging, Steltz sees as strengths already in this year’s team “our personal makeup and hustle combined with our never give up attitude.” The main weakness he sees in the team are things that can be addressed as the season moves on: “Confidence, a lot of our guys don’t know how good they can be, [and] lack of experience on the varsity level. It leads to nervousness and unnecessary pressure on themselves. We will improve on it by putting them in situations where they can succeed in practices and games.”
The league should be deep and balanced this year with so many teams losing such top-notch talent, but Steltz sees his Panthers in the upper part of the league. The coach hopes to have a number of the top players in the league but points to Ichabod Crane seniors Josh Ingham and Derick Horn as two of the elite talents in the league. “Hudson, Maple Hill, and Cairo always produce a few [top talents], and I know Catskill and Taconic Hills have good young teams under some new coaching that should produce some players as well.” Steltz also pointed to Coxsackie-Athen’s Chaz Griffin, when he’s healthy.
The goals Steltz has for both himself and his team are very similar. “Have fun.” he said. For the team, “Work hard, improve daily, be good teammates and community members.” Considered one of the top coaches in the area, Steltz is not resting on his laurels: “Enjoy the sport, teach the team the intricacies of baseball, and watch the team grow.”
This year’s Chatham team should be an exciting one to watch, after the loss of so many talented players but with the return some of the top talent in the league. The only senior on the team this year is Cozzolino, a 6' 1" powerhouse who bats from the left side. Juniors include Faxon, Sirani, Young, utility man Craig Hall, Cody Clifford, Brady Doty, and versatile athlete Tanner Niles. The team also has a plethora of sophomores including Gleason, Mike Dorato, Trevor Madsen, Junha Shin, Michael Vershelden, and Joe Swinehart. This year’s version of the Chatham Panthers is also not short on freshman talent, featuring four young players: left-handed pitcher Jesse Whiteman, Cody Hall, Dylan Cox, and Nick Shaw.
