Perry’s lineup this spring will look a lot like it did last season.
The Pirates return all nine starters and four other letter winners from a squad that finished 19-7-1 with an appearance in the district tournament.
“We are fortunate to return all of our starting roster along with all of our pitching,” said Perry coach Matt Platt. “With our veteran leadership and experience, we hope to compete in every game.”
A good problem Platt will be faced with this spring is how to get his younger talent enough innings.
“A challenge we are working through is finding out what roles our younger players are going to fill and what rookies might help us on the mound,” he said. “Our expectations are to play with the most energy every game. We are going to lean on our strengths and grind-it-out mentality to try to put ourselves in situations where we can be successful.”
Leading the way for the Pirates is first-team All-Ohio catcher Owen McKoon, who also was named the Northeast Lakes District Pitcher of the Year, the Lake County Baseball Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year, and a first-team All-Chagrin Valley Conference, and first-team All-Lake County performer last spring as a sophomore.
McKoon batted .532 with five doubles, four triples, three home runs, 31 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases.
On the mound, he was 7-0 with a 0.525 earned run average with 41 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings.
“We’re fortunate to have one of the best baseball players in the state of Ohio here at Perry,” Platt said of McKoon. “He is the best at everything he does on the field. He would probably be the best at selling hot dogs, too, if we let him try. He hits for power and average, he makes the entire pitching staff better as a catcher, he throws shutout innings, and he steals bases, but what is most impressive is how he plays the game. He does not take his ability for granted, he works hard, and he hustles out ground balls in the infield putting pressure on defense.”
Senor Jason Pentek returns to the mound after earning first-team All-CVC and second-team all-district and All-Lake County honors last spring.
He batted .315 with 25 runs scored and 13 stolen bases and, on the mound, he was 4-3 with a 2.62 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings of work.
“Jason Pentek is a true definition of a utility player,” Platt said. “He has the ability to impact the game in all aspects: pitching, hitting, baserunning, catching, and defense. He played seven positions for us last year and as many as five in one game. He stepped up for us catching for the first time ever. He threw out multiple runners in huge conference games and allowed the starting catcher to pitch. His ability to adapt made us a better team. Almost all of his 25 RBI seemed to be in big situations where we needed to push a run across. He was a tough out, almost always put the ball in play, and ran the bases well. On the mound, he faced some top teams ranked in the state early on but it did not rattle him. He ended up throwing three complete game shutouts, one in the playoffs.”
Senior first baseman/pitcher Sam Tharp, a Mercyhurst commitment, was a first-team All-Lake County and all-district, and second-team All-CVC selection last spring after hitting .329 with six doubles, two triples, 19 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases.
“Sam was anchored in the two-hole for us all season and was a terrific baserunner, aggressive and always looking to move up and it resulted in him stealing 16 bags and scoring 37 times,” Platt said. “He is such a versatile player who can play any position, but his hands at first base make our entire infield so much better that we can’t move him. He is a high school-caliber gold-glove first baseman. He slugged for us and was vital to all of our success. He is a team captain, honored as an All-CVC selection, and hands down the leader of the team. He is loved by his teammates and coaches and works hard in the classroom.”
Junior second baseman/pitcher Kyle Rhineberger earned first-team All-Lake County and second-team All-CVC honors as a sophomore.
he batted .322 with 28 hits, 21 RBI, 27 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. On the mound, he posted a 1.465 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings and limited opposing hitters to a .161 on-base percentage.
“Kyle is the kind of baseball player who is pure hustle at all times,” Platt said. “As a sophomore, his defense was solid at second base. He was forced to play short a couple of games because of an injury and was able to step up for us. He was a hit machine, especially at the end of the season. He led our team in steals and was second in hits. He will be even more of an impact for us this year on the mound.”
Rounding out the projected starting lineup are shortstop Brody Petruccelli, third baseman Trent Taylor, left fielders Logan Buehner, center fielder Luke Sivon, right fielder Aiden Bowman, and a pair of DHs in Cade Henderson and Connor D’Astolfo. Sophomore Justin Costello will provide depth.
Buehner, Pentek, Bowman, Rhineberger, McKoon, Taylor, Jimmy Ashburn, and D’Astolfo will chew up a lot of innings for the Pirates on the mound.
