ORANGE — With five pitchers on staff, it comes as no surprise that the Mahar Senators will lean on their staff this season.
“Pitching. The most experience we have on the team is pitching,” said Mahar coach Art Billings. “I think the rest of it’s going to have to come with time and playing and everybody being comfortable playing with each other.”
Senior Sam Paul, juniors Jacob Berry and Will Peredina, and sophomores Charlie Barnes, Logan Dodge and Andrew Herk all enter the season with pitching experience.
Paul, Berry and Peredina pitched on the varsity team last season. Barnes spent time with the varsity team, but did not pitch in a game. Dodge and Herk are new to the varsity team this season.
Paul is expected to be the team’s No. 1 starter. He pitched 42⅔ innings last year, going 4-2 with 36 strikeouts, with a 3.41 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Berry is expected to be the team’s No. 2 starter. Berry pitched 20⅔ innings last year, going 1-2 with two saves, while striking out 20 batters. Berry gave up 20 runs last season and 12 walks.
“That could change in a minute,” said Billings about his one-two combo. “One guy pitches better than the other or whatever. But at this point, with Sam, with the experience, I think he’s going to come in and start, be my No. 1. Jake Berry, he definitely is deserving of the No. 2 spot.”
Peredina is expected to be the team’s third starter. Peredina pitched 12 innings last year with seven strikeouts and seven runs on 18 hits.
Barnes, Dodge and Herk are new to the varsity team this season, but have shown promise according to Billings. They are expected to see some time on the mound as well.
“If we can get those guys throwing strikes, that’s definitely a different look,” said Billings. “That helps in the rotation sense or in middle relief.”
Billings doesn’t expect to hand a lot of starts to Barnes, Dodge or Herk early in the season. Billings will use the three depending on the situation.
“I’m going to work them in,” said Billings. “Whether it’s a mop-up role or to chew up some innings, I’m looking to get them some work that way, you know, kind of get their feet wet.”
The Senators used nine pitchers last season in various capacities. Usage could look very similar to last year, when the team used two starters consistently in Paul and Tyreece Younger, while Berry and Peredina saw extended time on the mound.
Riley Drew, Zach Duguay, Matt Herk, Jake LaCasse and Miller Richardson all pitched five innings or less on the varsity team last year. While Paul and Berry are expected to get a bulk of the innings, and Peredina expected to get more innings as well, Barnes, Dodge and Herk could get the innings left by Drew, Duguay, Matt Herk, LaCasse and Richardson.