SENIOR PROFILE
Angelo Sciandra came to Fredonia State because he wanted to be a teacher and get in to coaching -- follow the footsteps of his father, who is the A.D. and football coach at O'Hara High School.
He is well on his way to having a successful career. As a player, Ace was elected a team captain for both his junior and senior seasons. I've always said, if you can't get along with Ace, somethings's wrong with you. A great teammate.
As a student, he achieved over a 3.0 and won a number of awards for his teaching in the classroom. Every time I see Mrs. Schrader from Cassadaga Valley (Ace tutored her students as a freshman), she always asks how Ace is doing. One of the best tutors she ever had. Ace student taught at Northern Chautauqua County Cathloic School this year. One of his pupils was our bat boy, Boppo Schrantz.
Ace (and Dan Fetes) always spent extra time with our number one fan Koty Leeper at our clinics and Kids' Night Out. Koty always asks about them and is an aspiring football player.
On the field, Ace combined with Zach Murray for a no hitter on our last day in Florida last year. He was our Opening Day starter in each of the past two seasons. On senior day this year, he was introduced as being known for his "assortment of pickoff moves". He then promptly picked a runner of first in the first inning.
He was one of the hardest working students I have coached. His dad rewarded him by sending him on a cruise after graduation. When he gets back on dry land, Ace plans to work on his Master's Degree in nearby Buffalo State next year, or maybe find a teaching job. He said he is looking to coach football, possibly, because baseball is too hard. I agree.
With the HS sectional champs being crowned this weekend, I'd like to give a shout out to a few former Blue Devils. Brian Bongiovanni's (2010) Fredonia Hillbillies play Tonawanda tonight for the Section VI Class B title. Beav assists coach Gullo and coaches first base. Tim Cowan also joined the Fredonia staff this year. He's doing double-duty, running the Animal Hospital T-ball team, too.
Jeremy Hulbert (2009) has Pal-Mac rolling. He is the head coach there and playing for the Class B Section V championship tonight vs. Batavia. Perhaps they meet in the State Tourney?
Lastly, word on the street is former Blue Devil assistant coach Chad Bongiovanni was the highest rated umpire in Chautauqua county this year. Chad has received a number of post season assignments.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Energy Giver... Dan Fetes
SENIOR PROFILES
Dan Fetes played four seasons in a Blue Devil uniform. I first saw Dan at a Showcase at Niagara University when he was a high school senior. Dan stood out over all the other participants at the Showcase because he had such a positive vibe. As a catcher, he was always chattering. He hit a hustle double and was picking up teammates all day. No dogging it for Dan. Every run that was "scored", there was Dan with the first high five. Things you don't always see at a showcase.
When I contacted Dan and emailed him, he would always type in bold letters, underline words or use ALL CAPS. Even his emails had a positive energy.
Dan came into our program with fellow catcher Brian Sheehan. The duo was tabbed to replace four-time All SUNYAC catcher Rob Herrmann who was in his senior season.
Brian ended up replacing Rob.
Dan ended up replacing a handful of players. Dan caught, played first and outfield over the next two seasons. Whatever he was asked to do, he did it. As a senior, he was our team's DH. He had average speed, but wound up among our career leaders in stolen bases through sheer hustle. Dan worked hard to make himself into a solid baseball player. He hit the wieghts, spent time in the cage and was always an energy giver -- never at a loss for words.
Dan also represented the team as positively as anyone around campus. He was a SAAC rep, had a radio show with Steve Toole and was the color commentator for our home hockey games. I could hear him down the hall every Friday afternoon in the winter asking coach Meredith questions and gathering inside information for his broadcasts.
Dan is the second in his family to graduate from Fredonia State. His mother, Kathy, is a Blue Devil alum and teaches in the Rochester area. Dan graduated with over a 3.0 GPA in journalism. Hopefully, Dan's kids grow up and continue the Fredonia State tradition.
Dan Fetes played four seasons in a Blue Devil uniform. I first saw Dan at a Showcase at Niagara University when he was a high school senior. Dan stood out over all the other participants at the Showcase because he had such a positive vibe. As a catcher, he was always chattering. He hit a hustle double and was picking up teammates all day. No dogging it for Dan. Every run that was "scored", there was Dan with the first high five. Things you don't always see at a showcase.
When I contacted Dan and emailed him, he would always type in bold letters, underline words or use ALL CAPS. Even his emails had a positive energy.
Dan came into our program with fellow catcher Brian Sheehan. The duo was tabbed to replace four-time All SUNYAC catcher Rob Herrmann who was in his senior season.
Brian ended up replacing Rob.
Dan ended up replacing a handful of players. Dan caught, played first and outfield over the next two seasons. Whatever he was asked to do, he did it. As a senior, he was our team's DH. He had average speed, but wound up among our career leaders in stolen bases through sheer hustle. Dan worked hard to make himself into a solid baseball player. He hit the wieghts, spent time in the cage and was always an energy giver -- never at a loss for words.
Dan also represented the team as positively as anyone around campus. He was a SAAC rep, had a radio show with Steve Toole and was the color commentator for our home hockey games. I could hear him down the hall every Friday afternoon in the winter asking coach Meredith questions and gathering inside information for his broadcasts.
Dan is the second in his family to graduate from Fredonia State. His mother, Kathy, is a Blue Devil alum and teaches in the Rochester area. Dan graduated with over a 3.0 GPA in journalism. Hopefully, Dan's kids grow up and continue the Fredonia State tradition.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Jake's second watch was worth it
Congratulations to Jake Nowak. He was named all region by D3baseball.com on Monday. He was named as a utility player. I did nominate him for all conference, but he literally did not have a position and we do not recognize a "utility" guy.
Jake also ranked as the No. 1 Toughest to Strike Out in Division III. I think that one might have been on the umpire, if I recall.
Check out our release here.
Jake came back for a fifth year, and was lucky enough to go through Senior Day and the Senior Gala twice.
Proving his versatility, Jake was also the announcer for our soccer, volleyball and basketball teams, and was our department DJ. He put together our official pre-season video. He drove the van in Florida and ran our Twitter account. (I still don't know what Twitter really is). He even learned what and what not to post.
Jake played 2B, SS, 3B, DH, pitcher and catcher this year. Prior to the season, we had two catchers injured, one quit due to an internship and another relegated to DH/OF due to injuries. Apparently Jake caught some for the Lockport Buslines, so we threw him out there. All three games he caught were for Ace. Ace's personal catcher. I ran into Ace's dad at an O'Hara game yesterday, and he said he liked Jake. "A throwback that just wants to play the game." A compliment from Mr. Sciandra can be tough to come by!
Jake also ranked as the No. 1 Toughest to Strike Out in Division III. I think that one might have been on the umpire, if I recall.
Check out our release here.
Jake came back for a fifth year, and was lucky enough to go through Senior Day and the Senior Gala twice.
Proving his versatility, Jake was also the announcer for our soccer, volleyball and basketball teams, and was our department DJ. He put together our official pre-season video. He drove the van in Florida and ran our Twitter account. (I still don't know what Twitter really is). He even learned what and what not to post.
Jake played 2B, SS, 3B, DH, pitcher and catcher this year. Prior to the season, we had two catchers injured, one quit due to an internship and another relegated to DH/OF due to injuries. Apparently Jake caught some for the Lockport Buslines, so we threw him out there. All three games he caught were for Ace. Ace's personal catcher. I ran into Ace's dad at an O'Hara game yesterday, and he said he liked Jake. "A throwback that just wants to play the game." A compliment from Mr. Sciandra can be tough to come by!
Monday, May 20, 2013
I think I earned it... the Zach Hugg Story
SENIOR PROFILES
Zach Hugg played two seasons for us after playing two seasons at Corning Community College. He came into our program as an unheralded prospect. He was not promised a roster spot as a junior and really had to battle his first fall semester as a Blue Devil to make the team.
Never one to take anything for granted, Huggy had an awsome fall. In about 25 intersquad innings, he did not allow a walk, and you could see his improvement daily. I remember telling him the second-to-last day in the fall that he made the team. He gave me a huge look of relief, and said he was nervous the entire fall.
Over his two seasons, I would have to say Zach was one of the most focused players I have ever coached. His effort every game was consistent, and his preparation was outstanding. As a junior, he relieved and had some spot starts.
He came into his senior season with an opportunity to earn a slot in our conference rotation. During the winter, coach Bowman asked Huggy what he saw himself as this year -- a reliever, starter, what role? Huggy's response was "A conference starter. I think I've earned it."
That's what you love to hear from a senior, and Huggy backed it up.
We played Plattsburgh in Florida this year. The first doubleheader was split -- just like last year. Game 3 was a must win. With seven games (and two starts for Huggy) cancelled due weather up north, Zach stepped on the mound for the first time vs. a Plattsburgh team that had 11 games under its belt. Zach had not thrown an inning all season.
Huggy was awesome for us. He ended up going all nine innings and spinning his first shutout in a Blue Devil uniform. The win basically made our trip!
If you look at Zach's stats, they are not overly impressive. But he was a great leader for our staff in the way he prepared himself and the way he competed. He was also a great teammate and brought the pitching staff together.
Zach was great at the things he could control -- effort, fielding his position, holding runners and throwing strikes. No one could ever accuse him of sandbagging!
Zach will be back with the team this fall to help with the pitchers. Looking forward to that!
Zach Hugg played two seasons for us after playing two seasons at Corning Community College. He came into our program as an unheralded prospect. He was not promised a roster spot as a junior and really had to battle his first fall semester as a Blue Devil to make the team.
Never one to take anything for granted, Huggy had an awsome fall. In about 25 intersquad innings, he did not allow a walk, and you could see his improvement daily. I remember telling him the second-to-last day in the fall that he made the team. He gave me a huge look of relief, and said he was nervous the entire fall.
Over his two seasons, I would have to say Zach was one of the most focused players I have ever coached. His effort every game was consistent, and his preparation was outstanding. As a junior, he relieved and had some spot starts.
He came into his senior season with an opportunity to earn a slot in our conference rotation. During the winter, coach Bowman asked Huggy what he saw himself as this year -- a reliever, starter, what role? Huggy's response was "A conference starter. I think I've earned it."
That's what you love to hear from a senior, and Huggy backed it up.
We played Plattsburgh in Florida this year. The first doubleheader was split -- just like last year. Game 3 was a must win. With seven games (and two starts for Huggy) cancelled due weather up north, Zach stepped on the mound for the first time vs. a Plattsburgh team that had 11 games under its belt. Zach had not thrown an inning all season.
Huggy was awesome for us. He ended up going all nine innings and spinning his first shutout in a Blue Devil uniform. The win basically made our trip!
If you look at Zach's stats, they are not overly impressive. But he was a great leader for our staff in the way he prepared himself and the way he competed. He was also a great teammate and brought the pitching staff together.
Zach was great at the things he could control -- effort, fielding his position, holding runners and throwing strikes. No one could ever accuse him of sandbagging!
Zach will be back with the team this fall to help with the pitchers. Looking forward to that!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I want to catch bullpens... The John Bennett Story
SENIOR PROFILES
John Bennett played two seasons in a Blue Devil uniform. I recruited him out of high school, but he opted for Finger Lakes C.C.
John later decided to attend Fredonia and was our opening day shortstop his junior season. At the plate, he was pull-happy and over swung his 32-inch bat. He batted .159 and found himself in a backup role by mid-season. Seven hits all year.
Heading into his senior season, we moved him into the outfield, and did not think there would be much of an impact. Five games into his senior season, he had yet to see the field, but continued to work hard. His first start came in the sixth game of the year. Three hits. I have always said our team is a Meritocracy -- if you earn a start, you will play.
He started against Houghton the next day. In game one, he led off the bottom of the seventh of a 4-4 game with a double. A sac bunt and a base hit later, and we win. Clutch. He started game 2 against Houghton. We won handily in that game. What I remember about John, though, was asking to COME OUT of the game so freshman Quinn Danahy could get an at bat. Quinn had just rejoined the team after his grandmother passed away the day before the trip. I opted to leave John in the lineup, though. Quinn eventually got in.
That was typical for anyone that knows John -- always putting others before himself. John's great season is one of my favorite stories this year. He dealt through a lot of adversity as a junior, but rather than fade away, he worked harder and listened more closely. He asked coach Greco what he needed to do over the summer to get better -- and did it. All winter and spring, either he or Kyle Koslowski would stop by the office everyday to get the key to the batting cage. The extra work paid off.
John's batting average never dipped below .333 all season. His biggest game came against Brockport when he had two big RBI and robbed a home run in a 4-3 win at home. Clutch. A legendary game at the Wig.
Always a positive outlook, John was not in the lineup against Brockport the following week despite hitting over .400 at the time. John asked to catch bullpens that day (we only had one catcher all season) so he "could see more pitches." Always trying to get better. Always a team guy.
John will be missed, but we will see the Bennetts around campus for a few years. His brother was a freshman on the soccer team this past fall.
Thanks again for a great career and a great season!
John Bennett played two seasons in a Blue Devil uniform. I recruited him out of high school, but he opted for Finger Lakes C.C.
John later decided to attend Fredonia and was our opening day shortstop his junior season. At the plate, he was pull-happy and over swung his 32-inch bat. He batted .159 and found himself in a backup role by mid-season. Seven hits all year.
Heading into his senior season, we moved him into the outfield, and did not think there would be much of an impact. Five games into his senior season, he had yet to see the field, but continued to work hard. His first start came in the sixth game of the year. Three hits. I have always said our team is a Meritocracy -- if you earn a start, you will play.
He started against Houghton the next day. In game one, he led off the bottom of the seventh of a 4-4 game with a double. A sac bunt and a base hit later, and we win. Clutch. He started game 2 against Houghton. We won handily in that game. What I remember about John, though, was asking to COME OUT of the game so freshman Quinn Danahy could get an at bat. Quinn had just rejoined the team after his grandmother passed away the day before the trip. I opted to leave John in the lineup, though. Quinn eventually got in.
That was typical for anyone that knows John -- always putting others before himself. John's great season is one of my favorite stories this year. He dealt through a lot of adversity as a junior, but rather than fade away, he worked harder and listened more closely. He asked coach Greco what he needed to do over the summer to get better -- and did it. All winter and spring, either he or Kyle Koslowski would stop by the office everyday to get the key to the batting cage. The extra work paid off.
John's batting average never dipped below .333 all season. His biggest game came against Brockport when he had two big RBI and robbed a home run in a 4-3 win at home. Clutch. A legendary game at the Wig.
Always a positive outlook, John was not in the lineup against Brockport the following week despite hitting over .400 at the time. John asked to catch bullpens that day (we only had one catcher all season) so he "could see more pitches." Always trying to get better. Always a team guy.
John will be missed, but we will see the Bennetts around campus for a few years. His brother was a freshman on the soccer team this past fall.
Thanks again for a great career and a great season!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tournament wrap up
I've been busy with the SUNYAC Tournament and the kids at home (Noah got five stitches in his forehead last week, and Danielle had her sixth birthday and started t-ball). Been a few since the last update...
Congrats to Kenny Johnston being named All Tournmament. It could have gone to a number of guys. Lowe, Gallagher, Casilio and Nowak all had five hits in the series as well. We hit over .300 as a team facing the top arms in the conference.
The 9-8 loss to Oswego was tough. So many things happened in that game. An Oswego parent came up to a few of us after the game to say what a great game it was (easy for him to say). Back and forth and competitive, but certainly entertaining.
We had a few chances to add a few more runs. Brian Sheehan smoked a ball down the line for a sure double. Unfortunately, the Oswego firstbaseman was right there and it ended up being a line-drive double play. Johnny Bennett slipped rounding third, and that could have been another run. But if you know Bennett, he came right back and gunned down a runner at the plate to preserve a two-run lead late in the game.
Huggy took the loss on the mound, but he was out there because he is our top competitor. He threw three innings the day before and worked a quick 7th and 8th innings. There is not a player on our team that has earned more respect than Zach.
On the positive side, we had a great win over New Paltz. We faced their ace and perennial SUNYAC strikeout leader Chris Chismar, and got revenge for an early season 5-0 shutout he spun on us at the Wig.
The game started badly. A walk, an error on our pitcher Sean Larson (threw away a potential double-play ball) and a homerun put us in a 3-0 hole. Fortunately, Lars buckled down and the offense came around. He needs to work on his fielding. A big part of pitching.
Lars allowed one more run in the fifth and worked six complete.
We had a chance to score in the second inning. First and third and one out. An infield pop up and strikeout ended our rally, but the team did not panic.
Down 3-1, Kenny doubled in two runs in the third to tie the game. He then got a great jump in an attempt to steal third and scored easily to put us up, 4-3. Kenny never stops hustling. If he wasn't going, he would not have scored. Kenny drove in one more run in the top of the ninth to put us up two. Good thing, because New Paltz got the leadoff runner on.
Kyle Grey managed to end the threat. Kyle worked the final three innings and gave up one run.
We hit the ball against Cortland in the opening game, but had too many mental and physical errors to overcome. Erik Krohl had a couple hits. He came on strong with the bat at the end of the season. Sheehan added a couple hits. We had 10 as a team. Evan Carmello threw a scoreless eighth. He's pitched well down the stretch and both times against Cortland.
This week, its back to the books. Another week, and it'll be time for summer ball. The Fall Season is just around the corner.
I'd like to give a shout out to a couple of alums -- Jeremy Boylan and Tim Cowan. Jeremy works at the Ramada, in addition to being the local historian, in Cortland where we stayed. Tim was in Jeremy's his wedding. Tim (who lives in Fredonia) also drafted Danielle for t-ball this season. She is playing with Tim's sons, Matthew and Andrew. Two games in and Animal Hospital is 2-0! Great job, Tim.
Congrats to Kenny Johnston being named All Tournmament. It could have gone to a number of guys. Lowe, Gallagher, Casilio and Nowak all had five hits in the series as well. We hit over .300 as a team facing the top arms in the conference.
The 9-8 loss to Oswego was tough. So many things happened in that game. An Oswego parent came up to a few of us after the game to say what a great game it was (easy for him to say). Back and forth and competitive, but certainly entertaining.
We had a few chances to add a few more runs. Brian Sheehan smoked a ball down the line for a sure double. Unfortunately, the Oswego firstbaseman was right there and it ended up being a line-drive double play. Johnny Bennett slipped rounding third, and that could have been another run. But if you know Bennett, he came right back and gunned down a runner at the plate to preserve a two-run lead late in the game.
Huggy took the loss on the mound, but he was out there because he is our top competitor. He threw three innings the day before and worked a quick 7th and 8th innings. There is not a player on our team that has earned more respect than Zach.
On the positive side, we had a great win over New Paltz. We faced their ace and perennial SUNYAC strikeout leader Chris Chismar, and got revenge for an early season 5-0 shutout he spun on us at the Wig.
The game started badly. A walk, an error on our pitcher Sean Larson (threw away a potential double-play ball) and a homerun put us in a 3-0 hole. Fortunately, Lars buckled down and the offense came around. He needs to work on his fielding. A big part of pitching.
Lars allowed one more run in the fifth and worked six complete.
We had a chance to score in the second inning. First and third and one out. An infield pop up and strikeout ended our rally, but the team did not panic.
Down 3-1, Kenny doubled in two runs in the third to tie the game. He then got a great jump in an attempt to steal third and scored easily to put us up, 4-3. Kenny never stops hustling. If he wasn't going, he would not have scored. Kenny drove in one more run in the top of the ninth to put us up two. Good thing, because New Paltz got the leadoff runner on.
Kyle Grey managed to end the threat. Kyle worked the final three innings and gave up one run.
We hit the ball against Cortland in the opening game, but had too many mental and physical errors to overcome. Erik Krohl had a couple hits. He came on strong with the bat at the end of the season. Sheehan added a couple hits. We had 10 as a team. Evan Carmello threw a scoreless eighth. He's pitched well down the stretch and both times against Cortland.
This week, its back to the books. Another week, and it'll be time for summer ball. The Fall Season is just around the corner.
I'd like to give a shout out to a couple of alums -- Jeremy Boylan and Tim Cowan. Jeremy works at the Ramada, in addition to being the local historian, in Cortland where we stayed. Tim was in Jeremy's his wedding. Tim (who lives in Fredonia) also drafted Danielle for t-ball this season. She is playing with Tim's sons, Matthew and Andrew. Two games in and Animal Hospital is 2-0! Great job, Tim.
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