SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PREVIEWS : Delphic League

Faith Baptist

COACH: Harry Morgan, 2nd year

LAST SEASON: 1-7, tied for 5th in league; 5-12

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Once basketball season ends--seven baseball players are competing for Faith Baptist in the Southern Section 1-A Division basketball final today--the Con tenders should be in great shape. Pitching should be a strength behind returning right-handers Darren Wyre, a sopho more, and Wes Doll, a senior. The pair also will rotate at second base. Robert Reed, one of the three seniors on the team, will catch. Peter Rasmussen, a sophomore, will start at first base. Alex Estrada, a sophomore standout on the basketball and football teams, is expected to start at short stop. “The guy’s phenomenal,” Morgan said of Estrada. “He hits a ton, he’s fast and he has a great arm.” Chad Watkins returns at third. James Carrier, Bobby Bowen, Fernando Garcia and Thadius Stout are competing in the outfield.

OUTLOOK: Despite the team’s poor finish last season, Morgan is confident it will gel. “The top three teams make the playoffs and I think we’ll do it this time,” he said. “We were never really out of a game last year, even though we had a lot of young players on the team.”

Campbell Hall

COACH: Mike Wagner, 1st year

LAST SEASON: Did not play varsity baseball

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ted Park, a junior right-hander, is the probable staff ace. Darin Feinstein, a senior shortstop, is the glue of the infield. Neither played last season for the junior varsity. David Schonfeld and Byron Schostag, who played for the junior varsity, are the other members of the pitching staff. Flip Sides, a team captain whom Wagner calls the best player on the team, will catch. Sophomore Sean Wilder starts at first base. Freshmen Sam Park and C.J. Thomkins will platoon at second, and junior Andrew Schwarz will start at third. The outfield consists of sophomore Taylor Williams, senior Mike Janis and either Schonfeld or Schostag. Feinstein or Schostag will start at shortstop.

OUTLOOK: “I’m not really worried about the pitching,” Williams said. “These guys don’t throw hard, but they throw strikes.” Williams said he believes that if the team can play as well as it can, it may finish at .500 or better. “The kids don’t feel any pressure at all,” he said. “If they win five games, I think the school will throw them a party.”

Buckley

COACH: Dan Gilmartin, 2nd year

LAST SEASON: 1-7, tied for 5th in league; 4-13

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Of the 14 players on last season’s roster, 12 were seniors, which leaves some huge holes to fill. Johnny Namm, a senior and returning starter, will start at shortstop. T. J. Jackson, a junior, starts at second base. His younger brother, Tarryl, a freshman, will play in center field and pitch. Steve Moon, a freshman, will catch. Dave Hanish, a senior, will start in the outfield and Dave Wisnia will play third base and pitch. Several positions are up for grabs.

OUTLOOK: Question marks are plentiful. “It’s going to be a very young team,” Gilmartin said. “This may not be our year, but a couple of years down the road, we’ll be pretty tough.”