Wildcats could be dangerous in 2010
June 17, 2009
By Ryan Piersol
The good part about a disappointing finish to a season is that there is always next year.
The Mount Si baseball team hangs out in the dugout during a game at Safeco Field this past season. Photo by Ryan Piersol
It’s something the Mount Si baseball team is already counting on.After playing to a 14-6 record and a tie for second place in KingCo 3A, the Wildcats had their season come to a sudden end with a one-run loss to upset-minded Juanita in the first round of the league tournament.
As a result, head coach Chaz Carr hopes that the players scheduled to return next year — which is a good majority of the team — will be fired up.
“That’s what we, as coaches, are trying to get the guys to realize. We improved from the year before, but we didn’t meet our expectations,” he said. “We were great during the season, but it’s all about how you finish and, hopefully, our kids will realize that now.”
If Mount Si can tackle the mental aspect of the game, the Wildcats could be a team to beat in the spring of 2010. The pitching staff will be hurt by the departure of seniors Michael Davenport and Alex Hiebert, while the line-up will have to replace Zach Guyer and Zack Robinson. Still, a mass of production is scheduled to return.
Rossco Castagno hit a team-high 509 with 29 hits, while also driving in 15 runs and stealing a league-leading 16 bases. He’ll return in the outfield.
Another key ingredient will be Tim Proudfoot, who led the team with 20 RBI and batted .440 at the plate, while also playing a crucial role in a solid Wildcat infield. Matt Bankston is scheduled to return after batting .415 with 22 hits and 13 RBI, as is Taylor Campbell, who batted .426. Dustin Breshears, who was third on the team with 14 RBI, is another big bat the Wildcats could rely on.
Then, there’s the pitching staff. Davenport was 5-0 and a first-team all-league performer, while Hiebert went 4-1. Although they’ll both be gone, junior Frankie Tassara has proven he can be the team’s ace when he’s healthy. Tassara finished with a 2.10 earned run average this past season, holding opposing batters to a miniscule .132 average. He’ll be backed up by a young and ever-improving staff that includes Trevor Taylor, who joined the varsity as a freshman late in the season and finished 1-1 with a 1.91 earned run average.
The tools for a league title run will be there. The difference-maker could be whether or not Mount Si can become more consistent, not starting games off slowly and not losing to teams at the bottom of the league standings.
“We’d like to have a little more consistency in the mental aspect of the game. We were kind of up and down this year, and I’d like to see them be more consistent in their overall approach,” Carr said. “It’s just not showing up to play right from the get-go, and we weren’t good enough to just flip a switch when we wanted to.”
Mount Si proved it can score runs at ease this past season, posting double-digit run figures eight times. When healthy, the Wildcat pitching staff also proved it can shut opponents down. But Mount Si could be better than ever at two areas sometimes overlooked — base running and defense.
The Wildcats led the league in stolen bases this past season with 63, and next year’s infield will be one with lots of experience.
“Defensively, we have everyone in the middle coming back. We were pretty good already and hopefully we can learn from the mistakes we did make,” Carr said. “As long as our pitchers throw strikes, we should be pretty tough to beat.
“I think, as a league, it will be pretty close to the way it was this year. We were a young league this year, so it will be interesting to see how people progress.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434. To comment on this story, go to www.snovalleystar.com.
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