QUINTIN JAMES
Special to The Leader
Coming off a disappointing 11-20 season in which the Blue Devils baseball team didn’t make the playoffs, this season was a rebound year with a lot of promising members and a sense of confidence seen through the coaches and players.
Talking with Coach Matt Palisin this week, he seems really energetic about the season ahead. When asked about the season, he said, “We plan on being towards the top of the conference. I think, besides Cortland, we have a good chance against everyone else. They are a confident group of guys, and they believe they can win more this year.”
He also pointed out that most of the positions are up for grabs, and it’s a daily update on who’s going to start because of the team’s improved roster and attitude.
Last season saw the end of Fredonia’s Athlete of the Year Sean Larsen’s career at Fredonia, but Palisin is confident with his team this year. They are very deep in terms of pitchers, so it will be a good effort this season.
The Blue Devils have six new transfers this season who will make an impact on the team. Two experienced seniors, Joe DiLeo and Vinny Sherman, both from scholarship programs, and Kyle Sherman, the leadoff hitter this year, lead the transfer class as they look to guide the Devils back to the playoffs.
Even though the Blue Devils are confident heading into the season, Palisin said, “We’re taking the season one day at a time. We have to go down to Florida to play in the Russ Matt Invitational, and then we move on from there. I want to see us get back in the Top 10 in stolen bases. The last couple of years, we got away from that, but I want to start to test teams again with our speed.”
The incoming freshmen group is extremely tight according to Palisin. They all have great chemistry with each other and possibly three players could actually start for the Blue Devils on opening night. This is a great sign because, with the freshmen improving daily, they could take the next step earlier and start leading the team in the years ahead.
Some impact players to look out for this season are Zach Jordan, who is coming off an injury from last year. The junior looks sharp and will be tasked with playing a bigger role on the team when the season starts up.
Also, Dan Sicila is a name to look for as he competes for the starting catcher duties this season. Other players, like Ciro Frondale and Mike Prentice, will be called among more in their second seasons.
Chemistry isn’t an issue for this team, as five of the transfer players played at Erie Community College together and a lot of the freshmen have connections with players and coaches. Freshman Patrick Sheehan had a brother who played for the Blue Devils while Freshman Mike Carmody is going to play alongside his older brother Ryan.
The season looks very promising as a mix of young talents, veteran leadership and transfers lead this team in 2015. A lot of expectations face this team as they try and bring home the trophy for Fredonia. The road begins March 7 in Rochester as they face R.I.T in a double header.