Southmoreland baseball puts last season in rear-view mirror

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 | 3:33 PM

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Southmoreland's baseball team is aiming to keep last season in the rear-view mirror.

The Scotties, who finished 0-16 in 2017, are at the starting line of the '18 season with a clean slate and fresh approach.

“Last season, we struggled being a young team. But with only losing three players from last year, and returning 16-18 guys, I expect us to be in games this season,” coach Dan Boring said. “My early expectations are for us to come out and be competitive.

“We had issues last year with the kids getting down if things weren't going our way. You can't let a run or two snowball into two more runs because you've put yourself mentally out of a game. They have to understand that no lead is ever safe, even when it seems insurmountable. This is a fresh season. You're 0-0 (and) anything is possible.”

Boring believes the senior leadership provided by shortstop Max Zimmerman, pitcher Mark Farmer, outfielders Jaden Datz and Ian Nicholson, along with Sebastian Keczmarek (OF), Stephen Todd (1B) and Ronald Rodriguez (UTIL), will help pave the way to a successful season.

“Last year was rough. We were a very young team,” Zimmerman said. “The goals this year are to play a better game of baseball and continue growing, and to compete for a high place in our section. We have a great group of athletic freshmen and sophomores, and a group of upperclassmen who are good leaders and set a great example for the new guys.”

Zimmerman, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound tight end/linebacker on the Scotties' football team and a fourth-year varsity baseball player, suffered a fractured vertebrae during football season. The injury has prompted a move from his catcher position to shortstop this spring.

“I'm loving it so far,” Zimmerman said. “It's come natural to me after playing some second base my freshman year. I think I can help lead this team to be more successful (than last year). I'm excited to be a leader for this group of guys. I really want to turn around the results of last year, even if this year is just the start of doing that.

“Pitching is crucial for us this year, as we have very few returning upperclassmen. Mark Farmer is our ace. I'm excited to see him back on the mound. I think we (also) will have some juniors step up to get through some innings.”

Zimmerman's also competed in basketball and cross country in high school. He has been accepted into the Gannon's doctor of physical therapy program.

Farmer, a 6-foot, 260-pound right-handed pitcher, tore his ACL as a junior while competing for the boys basketball team.

“I did lots of rehab and worked on my pitching and hitting at first, then played legion ball for Mt. Pleasant in the summer,” he said. “I expect to go out there and throw my best and lead the team.”

Boring said Farmer's strengths on the mound are the velocity and power in his fastball and his change-up coming off his fast ball.

Farmer, who played baseball and football as a sophomore, said he's anticipating the Scotties having a solid defense, and is hoping for contributions from some of the team's younger players.

“We've been working on fundamentals, until we can get outside on the field and work on more of the team stuff,” he said. “We have a lot of talent with the underclassmen that can step up and contribute.”

He will anchor a pitching staff that includes Zimmerman, Datz, juniors Travis Sipple and Cade Richter, sophomore Ayden Stillatano and freshman Mason Basinger.

Datz hit a healthy .368 last season.

“Jaden will primarily play in the outfield,” Boring said, “but is athletic enough that I can place him at shortstop or second base. He will also pitch for us.”

Farmer, Sipple and Richter will begin the season in the Scotties' starting rotation.

Two other returning lettermen are Austin McBeth, a sophomore infielder, and Tyler Constantine, a sophomore catcher/outfielder.

The Scotties' focus on preseason practices have been on hitting and pitching.

“We struggled in both categories last year,” Boring said. “We are working on doing a lot of live pitching and hitting during the early stages of this season. I believe that we will have a great defense on the field. So if we can get good pitching in front of it, and get the bats to come alive early, we can be in good shape.”

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

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