Baseball team looks to defend title

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, April 5, 2007

Jim Hagerty can’t help but wonder if this is the year that the rest of the Niagara Frontier League catches up to his Niagara-Wheatfield baseball squad.

His Falcons, two-time defending league champions, were hit hard by graduation. The team went 19-4 last season and made it to the sectional finals for the second straight year – but they lose 80 percent of their innings pitched last season, as well as 44 percent of their runs scored. N-W also graduated their No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters from a lineup that batted .322.

But the cupboard isn’t quite bare.

“We never downgrade the goal,” Hagerty said. “We have a lot of innings to replace on the mound. We’ve got some arms, but we’re not sure if they’re ready to be as good as they need to be.”

Senior Kyle Smith is the lone returning member of the starting rotation that sported a 1.80 earned run average. A league all-star, Smith went 3-1 last season with a 1.60 ERA and also hit .295. He figures to be the staff ace, and also will play some first base.

Another league all-star, senior Mike Guariglia becomes the No. 2 man in the rotation after hitting .301 with 24 RBI last season at third base. Juniors Dave Haseley and Erik Cosgrove move up from the junior varsity squad to round out the top four.

Hagerty is also looking for innings from junior Ben Collins and seniors Scott Retzlaff and Jon Smith.

Offensively, the catalyst is Jon Smith at shortstop. Another returning league all-star, he hit .424 with 24 runs, 28 hits, five stolen bases and 22 walks last season and batted .565 with 20 RBI in 2005.

“We’re going to have much less of any everyday lineup,” Hagerty said. “Last year, we had 10 guys who played 90 percent of the time. This year, it’ll be more spread out. That’s not bad, just different.”

Sophomore Chris Gruarin and his .333 average will be back at first base, while Guariglia and senior Chris Carden are at second. Guariglia also could be back at third base, joined by Cosgrove. Retzlaff was an all-star last year as a designated hitter, finishing with a .382 average and 16 RBI, and he moves behind the plate this season.

Jeff Panza hit .296 last season, and he is the team’s only returning starter in the outfield. Joining him this year will be some combination of seniors Erik Castner and Vince Bartha and junior Kevin Ogiba.

Hagerty calls the non-league portion of his schedule ambitious, figuring that it will only make his team better for facing Williamsville North, Amherst, St. Joe’s and Canisius.

Most of those games are before the NFL schedule kicks into full gear, and they should help the Falcons to see where they are and what they need to improve.

“We may not score quite as many runs as we did last year,” Hagerty said. “We don’t have quite as much firepower, but we’ll still be able to score.