by Tony Genualdo
Last season ended in heartbreaking fashion for Plainedge. Finishing the regular season 14-4-1, they lost to MacArthur in the first game of the Class A playoffs, then defeated No. 1 Garden City, and South Side to stay alive. They would face MacArthur again, and after having a 3-0 lead in the 7th inning, MacArthur came back and defeated Plainedge in the 13th inning 4-3.
To improve for this upcoming season, Coach Colin Fratnik has had his team working hard in the last couple of months.
“My assistant coach Ryan Crawford has had a good core of our athletes in the weight room 5 days a week after school,” Fratnik said. “We have our JV and Varsity team in to hit on Sunday mornings, and our pitchers have been throwing since December.”
Fratnik says the team is very self-motivated. Most of the team from last year are returning, which means that roles are extremely competitive. For the pitching staff, senior Frank Whitenack will be looked upon as the leader. Last year, he posted a 2.72 ERA, 1.1 WHIP, and 55 K in 44 IP. Junior Dom Tuozzo posted a 2.65 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 44 K in 37 IP. The other three spots on the rotation are up for grabs, according to Fratnik. Among those competing for the spot are Anthony Labita, Mike Schock, Joe DeTomasso, and the three starters from Plainedge’s JV team from last year.
On the offensive side, Pace-commit Anthony Labita will be batting leadoff and play 2B. Labita lead the team last year in five offensive categories (H, HR, BB, BA, OBP). Zach Zarra, committed to play at North Greenville University, will be the explosive lefty in the lineup. Others returning to the lineup are Donovan Pepe, Doug Elsesser, and Joe Leone. Fratnik says that they were crucial to the team’s defensive success last season. Catcher Braden Clark returns to the team after sitting out last year with an injury, but as a sophomore batted .370.
Plainedge feels that they can compete with any team in Class A this year. Their biggest strength? Experienced ballplayers.
“I am looking forward to getting back on the field with this group,” said Fratnik. “The competition for jobs on this team is going to be intense. The team has been working hard all off-season, and [they are] looking forward to getting things started.”
