Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By TOM HOUSENICK; Times Leader Sports Writer
Sunday, May 12, 1996 Page:
WEATHERLY — It started as a season with good expectations.
With the final week of the regular season in the Schuylkill League coming
up, it is a time of desperation for the Weatherly baseball team.
The Wreckers, currently 2-6 in the league, 3-10 overall, must win their
final four games to have a chance at making the post season. Coach Marty
Mrozinski knows the task at hand is not impossible, just a notch better than
improbable.
“The kids still feel they have a chance,” the third-year Weatherly coach
said. “They feel they can do it. But, it’s going to be really tough.”
Games with Cardinal Brennan, Mahanoy Area, MMI and Panther Valley this week
will severely test the Weatherly pitching staff, not a deep one to begin with.
“We’ve only got 14 guys on the roster,” Mrozinski added. “We don’t have the
depth some of the other teams have. That’s not an excuse, but it really hurts
us in a week like this one.
“I thought I had my pitching all lined up until all of the bad weather this
week. As it is now, I can only use (Mark) Chincola, my best pitcher, twice.”
Chincola, a senior right-hander, has been one of the bright spots for the
Wreckers. “He’s our best pitcher, but didn’t start throwing until halfway
through the first half because of a bad shoulder,” Mrozinski recalled. “Mark’s
been our best all-around player. He’s thrown well and hit four homers for us.”
Chincola is one of just three seniors on the Weatherly roster. Juniors Mike
Sartori and Tim Kessell have also played well.
“Mike has had to move all around for us,” Mrozinski said. “He started out
at second base, but we had to move him to catcher. And, he’s our third
pitcher. He’s been our Mr. Everything and had a good attitude about it.”
Kessell, the starting shortstop, has been a consistent hitter and fielder.
He was the team’s leading hitter last season.
The Wreckers haven’t been blown out of many games. In fact, there have been
two painfully close losses that could have significantly changed the club’s
outlook entering the final week.
“The two tough losses were to the two best teams — Marian Catholic and Jim
Thorpe,” Mrozinski said. “Last Sunday, Marian beat us 5-4 on a wild pitch with
two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“Against Jim Thorpe, we lost 5-4 on a passed ball with two outs in the
bottom of the seventh inning. We’ve made a lot of errors. We’re giving teams
too many outs.
“And, after playing a good game against a good team, we come back with a
real bad game.”
Mrozinski hasn’t stood idly by. He’s tried shaking things up, but no avail.
“I’ve tried to find the right blend,” he said. “I’ve started 3 or 4 freshmen
in some games. Others, I’ve used a veteran line-up. I still haven’t found that
right blend.”
Weatherly had a non-conference date with Pottsville Nativity on Saturday to
get one last bad game out of its system or get some momentum heading into the
season’s final week.
For Mrozinski, he’s hoping one real good week will make up for a season of
struggles and disappointments.
T
he kids still feel they have a chance. They feel they can do it. But, it’s
going to be really tough.
Marty Mrozinski
Weatherly baseball coach