Anthony Wayne eyes another league title
Bowling Green, Northview, Southview also in hunt
 

Anthony Wayne coach Mark Nell lost eight starters to graduation from last season's 12-2 NLL team, but, from left, Cody Stidham, Josh Stidham, Nate Sherman and Colin Watson are optimistic. Sherman and Josh Stidham started last season. ( THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY )

By STEVE JUNGA
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
 

So close.

The Anthony Wayne Generals were three outs away from winning a Division I regional baseball title last May before eventual state champion Strongsville rallied from a three-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to take an 8-7 victory.

A win would have made coach Mark Nell's Northern Lakes League champion Generals the third NLL team to reach the state's D-I final four in a span of six seasons.

Maumee ended as state runner-up in 2001, and Perrysburg reached the semifinals in 2003.

With that painful memory now 10 months removed, Anthony Wayne, despite heavy losses (eight senior starters) to graduation, is setting its sights on defending the league title nine days into the 2007 season.

The Generals (24-6, 12-2), who had never previously won an NLL baseball crown, figure to be in the title chase along with Bowling Green, Northview and Southview.

"We lost a lot," Nell said, "so the only thing I can say is that you'll have to show up to beat us. We've got a pretty feisty group. We just don't have much varsity experience."

Just two starters return for AW, plus four other letter winners who played in limited reserve roles in 2006.

Back are junior pitcher/shortstop Nate Sherman, who was 7-0 on the hill and batted .339, and junior pitcher/first baseman Josh Stidham, who posted a 3-0 mound mark and was third in the NLL batting race at .429.

Starting outfielder Jon Holmberg, a junior in 2006, transferred back to Bloomington, Ind., with his family.

Nell expects significant contributions from seniors Cody Stidham (outfield/pitcher) and Colin Walton (utility), junior Sam Gothke (pitcher) and sophomore leadoff hitter Aaron Keyer (left field).

"Once they realize they belong, we'll have a chance to win a few ballgames," Nell said. "These kids have had success at the lower levels. They won the Junior Acme state tournament in 2005. Hopefully we'll hang around and stay in the hunt into the last week and see what happens."

Bowling Green (18-8, 10-4) - runner-up in the NLL to Anthony Wayne and eliminated from tourney play by the Generals in the district semifinals - hopes its six returning starters can lift the team over those humps this season.

Bobcat coach Doug Merrill is counting on seniors Kevin Zuzik (left field), Robbie Vargas (center field), Brett Stram (right field), Zach Akenberger (catcher) and Josh Emans (third base), along with junior DH Matt Vannett to lead the way.

But BG may need to generate some offense early on until a relatively inexperienced pitching staff gets some innings under its belt.

Leading that mounds corps is junior right-hander Jake Albright, who posted a 7-1 record and a 2.09 ERA over 501/3 innings last season.

"Our pitching staff is really young," Merrill said. "But I think we can build on that because we've got enough firepower to generate some runs.

"If the pitching comes together, I think we can compete for the NLL title.

We're going to use six or seven pitchers and we'll try to keep the pitch counts down early on. Hopefully they will mature quickly and somebody will step up and assume the [pitching] leadership role."

Despite its struggles in NLL play last season, Northview (17-11, 5-9) reached the D-I district semifinals for the second straight year.

Coach Kevin Danzeisen is counting on the 1-2 pitching punch of returning seniors Brian Koehl (6-1, 2.13 ERA) and Derek Andrzejczak (1-3, 2.90) to help the Wildcats contend in league play.

The third returning senior starter, center fielder Zach Strauss, has signed to play at Wright State University. He batted .386 with 23 RBIs in 2006.

"The thing I've learned about this league is that there's 14 games and there's no gimmes," Danzeisen said. "We should compete well, if we come to play every play every day."

The 'Cats also expect contributions from senior Matt Colville (first base/outfield), and juniors Mike Moyer (pitcher/outfield), Mike Schaffer (infield) and leadoff hitter Eddie Bellanca (shortstop).

"We've got some good, solid seniors," Danzeisen said. "If we can get contributions from some of the other kids, we can compete with the teams in this area and we'll be in the thick of things."

Southview (12-15, 8-6) is hoping to carry its late-season momentum from 2006 over to this season.

Coach Mike O'Reilly, in his 26th season guiding the Cougars, returns six starters from a team that began 0-4 in NLL play before winning eight of its final 10 league tests.   Back are seniors Jason Hartzell (catcher) and Nick Meeker (center field), and juniors Jimmy Snider (pitcher/DH), Matt Joseph (pitcher/third base), Derrick Creque (pitcher/third base) and Andrew Mierzwiak (second base).   "Pitching looks like our strong point with three returning starters," O'Reilly said. "Our pitching will carry us as far as we go until our hitting picks up.   "We won eight of our last 10 in the league, and we hope to carry that momentum over into this year. I expect us to be in contention for the championship."   Southview has gotten an additional boost in the starting lineup from two transfers. Senior left fielder Travis Hearing moved in from Birmingham, Mich., and junior shortstop John Borcherdt moved in from Archbold, where older brother David helped the Blue Streaks to a D-III state baseball title as a junior catcher in 2005.   Perrysburg (15-14, 7-7) returns five starters, but its varsity pitching experience is limited to the 16 relief innings thrown last year by current senior John Schmalzried.

Back in the lineup for veteran Yellow Jackets coach Dave Hall are seniors Mike Falter (shortstop), Brandon Zilba (center field) and Justin Duty (DH), junior Neil Linthicum (first base) and sophomore Taylor Dimmerling (second base).

Falter hit .405 last season, Zilba .368 with three home runs, Duty .363 and Dimmerling .358.

Elsewhere in the NLL, Springfield (16-9, 9-5) will need to rebuild from significant graduation losses, while Maumee (7-21, 3-11) and Rossford (8-21, 2-12) hope to improve enough to climb in the league standings.