Adam Aquaro
Staff Writer
After a great 2019, season there have been a lot of changes to the Lions’ roster. Seven starters graduated last year and left the team with plenty of open spots that players from every class could fill. First base and shortstop are the only positions with returning starters. The first baseman, Cole Davis, is returning for his senior year and is looking to make a splash this year with continued devotion and leadership. Cam Mertz is the returning senior shortstop who is a four year varsity player. Mertz is looking to bat above .500 and get at least 1st team BAL. But, from pitcher all the way outfield, there have been changes.
The ace on the mound this year will be Deven Smith. Smith is a returning senior that pitched in the district game that sent the lions to the championship. Deven is a great leader and a fantastic competitor who will give his best on the mound. Other pitchers will be Junior Liam Griffith, sophomore Josh Shiller, junior Michael Janora(Mike J) and junior Jason Kloss. AJ Oakes will also make a run for a spot in the rotation, and will be looking to get time in the outfield this season. Liam and Josh both play first and are a presence at the plate. Mike J can play second base if not needed on the mound or just needed at second. Jason Kloss is a utility player and can pretty much play anywhere on the field. That includes at the plate as well after hitting 2 round trippers last year. Tom Vierdias is a senior looking to make his mark on the mound this year after joining the squad last season. The starting catcher this year will be sophomore Kyle Campbell. Kyle Campbell is easily one of the hardest working players on the team, andhas even worked on his left-side hitting during the off-season. Emerging as one of the best players on the team, Campbell, will be a threat this year and years to come after that. Other catchers will be juniors Joe Meixler and Jason Kloss. Meixler is a first year player who has really improved over the off-season. As a very well rounded player, Jason Kloss can play anywhere on the field, and will also come in handy as the backup catcher. will most likely be the backup catcher if we need him but will play somewhere else on the field as an everyday player.
Moving onto infield, at second base will be junior Adam Aquaro. This will be his first year as a varsity starter and is looking to make a difference on the team this year. He and Mertz are appearing to be the best middle infielders in the BAL. At third, and completing the infield, will be senior Justin Horak. Horak is a hard working player and a great teammate. He is loved by all the coaches and all the players and truly brings the team together. Matt Jermyn has impressed this winter and is also working on his strength getting in the weight room and bettering himself. Matt Spadavecchia is an up and coming first baseman. Otherwise known as Spads, Spods, and even Spodes, Matty is a teammate everyone loves.
The outfield is still undecided and positions will be fought for in March. Every player has a shot, let’s get to know them. Ben Koeppen is a first year player. It is his senior year and made the great decision to join the team. Ben is scary fast and is looking to take the center field position. Ben is a great teammate and everyone is happy to have him on the team. Junior Ian Mendola is looking to take the right field spot. Ian has been working hard on his swing and his strength in the weight room. The team is dominated by sophomores in numbers and some of them are looking to play in the outfield. Mason Scall can play anywhere in the outfield and is looking to help the team in any way he can. Mason has a presence at the plate and has a lion’s agility. Justin Lehman can play many positions on the field but is looking to play outfield for varsity this year. The utility player Jason Kloss will also make a run for a starting outfield spot. His bat will help him on the way. AJ Oakes, as mentioned earlier, is another player looking to earn a spot. It is safe to say that March will be an intense month in the outfield.
There are four freshmen this year: Nate Wiseman, Saul Carmenini, Johnny Wilson, and Matt Rickert. Wiseman is a middle infielder who shows great promise for the future. He has great work ethic and a game that all players in the team can see as special. Carmenini is an infielder who also shows great promise. Saul will also look to pitch this year for JV and better his game for his future years on the team. Johnny Wilson is looking to help his team in any way he can this year and the years following. Wilson has promise and looks to be a player with great potential by starting with getting a new glove). Rickert is an infielder with great work ethic. Matt works all the way throughout the two hour practices in the gym and is looking to get 1% better everyday. The freshmen are the future of the team and will keep the team in good hands.
The returning coaches will be Tony Vlahovic, Len Lehman and Coach Miz. Coach Chiodo helped out in the winter and improved each individual player’s game. He was a dedicated and fun coach to have around. Coach Vlahovic is looking to add to his already fantastic resume, and after making the district finals last year, he is looking to go even further this year. Coach Lehman saw his oldest son graduate last year as one of the best players on the Lions last year. This year he’ll look to boost the JV squad’s performance and develop the young players in the system. Coach Miz is the third base coach and is the primary BP pitcher for the team. The team loves Coach Miz and are happy to have him in the organization. Jake Saxton is the manager and keeps the book during the season. Jake is informed and passionate about the game and loves keeping score and tracking stats of the players. The players have fun with Jake and wouldn’t pick anyone else to be their manager. This season will be fun and see the team dominate.
