Business as usual for baseball team

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, May 10, 2007

This was supposed to be the year that the rest of the Niagara Frontier League finally caught up with the Niagara-Wheatfield baseball team.

The Falcons, two-time defending league champions and sectional finalists, were hit hard by graduation. They lost 80 percent of their innings pitched last season, as well as 44 percent of their runs scored. N-W also graduated its No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters from a lineup that batted .322.

So, naturally, the Falcons are looking good at 10-2 overall and 8-1 and in first place in the NFL this season. A loss last week to Kenmore West is the only league blemish, although everyone else has at least three NFL losses.

They look like they’re firing now on all cylinders, and that’s bad news for the rest of the league.

“Our hitting has definitely come around,” said senior pitcher and third baseman Michael Guariglia. “We’re hitting everywhere in the lineup from one through nine. And we’re getting clutch hits, too. We were hitting OK in the beginning, but it’s definitely gotten better as the season has gone on. We’re all just getting more comfortable in the batter’s box.”

Some light hitting at the start of the season put a fair amount of pressure on the new rotation, and the group responded with a number of solid outings.

But all things being equal, the Falcons would rather have the good run support.

“I’m very glad to see our bats coming alive, especially in the last couple of games,” said N-W coach Jim Hagerty. “We had some great pitching performances last week – we won a 2-1 game and a 2-0 game. Over the last four or five years, we haven’t had to win too many games like that. So it was nice to see the offense.”

Senior Kyle Smith is the only returning member of last year’s rotation, and he has emerged as the staff ace. Guariglia and David Haseley also have excelled, and the Falcons have the depth and arms to have the luxury of bringing in people to close out the games.

In fact, depth is the big concept on this year’s team, and it’s sometimes challenging for Hagerty to find a place for everyone to play.

“It gives me less to think about when I’ve got nine guys who play every day,” Hagerty said. “I kept a big squad this year – I’ve got 17 guys – and I’m not used to having that many. So I’ve struggled a little bit to give everybody something to do as often as I can.”

It’s hard to argue with the results.

Though the Falcons are in line to win a third straight league title, no one is talking yet about what comes after that. N-W has made it to the sectional championship game in each of the last two seasons, but come away empty.

“Right now, we’re taking it one game at a time,” Guariglia said. “When the time comes, we’ll be ready for the playoffs.”