Girard YellowJackets
Baseball
Coach (season, record): Craig Miller (2nd season, 6-14)
2012 overall record: 6-14
2012 region record (place): 1-9 (sixth)
2012 playoff results: Did not qualify for the District 10 playoffs.
Top players lost: Carl Lewis, Colin Gregory, Kevin Senyo
Top returning players: Tucker Ochalek, Justin Strubel, Anthony Monico, Jesse Friend, Nick Buchholz, Kendall Bonnett, Josh Schaaf, Alex Stevens
Assistant coaches: Jeff Del Fuoco, Steve McKenrick
Outlook: Girard made strides last season and was much more competitive than in 2011. The YellowJackets went from two wins to six and weren’t getting mercy-ruled in most losses. Girard will look to keep that momentum going this year with an experienced group back. The ‘Jackets will have to replace Carl Lewis, Colin Gregory and Kevin Senyo this spring. Lewis was voted to the all-region team at utility and was Girard’s top pitcher. Gregory was the ‘Jackets’ top hitter and Senyo was a solid outfielder. Girard returns eight starters this season, including seniors Tucker Ochalek, Justin Strubel, Anthony Monico, Jesse Friend, Nick Buchholz and Kendall Bonnett and juniors Josh Schaaf and Alex Stevens. Strubel was voted to the all-region team as an outfielder and will be the No. 2 pitcher for the ‘Jackets. Ochalek moves up to the No. 1 spot in the rotation after an impressive junior season and will hit in the heart of Girard’s lineup. Monico started some of the season at second base and missed time with a concussion. Friend started in the outfield last year and Buchholz will challenge for a full-time starting job in the outfield as well. Bonnett will round out the outfield once he makes the adjustment from a long run in the basketball playoffs. Schaaf is projected to start at first and Stevens returns to baseball after dealing with an injury and offseason surgery. He could be an impact player at catcher and on the mound. Juniors Bryan Divido and Buster Johnston took last year off but return to baseball this season and could be contributors right away along with sophomore Zach Barrett and freshmen Vinnie Monico and Brenden Kohan. Girard has already benefitted from a new program and new coach in the past 18 months and will look to continue to build on its new success to turn into a region contender.
Schedule
April
1 Iroquois 4
2 at West Middlesex 4
5 at Conneaut 4
8 Union City 4
10 at Harbor Creek* 4
12 Fort LeBoeuf* 4
13 at Northwestern 1
17 Warren* 4
19 Corry* 4
22 at Slippery Rock 4
24 at General McLane* 4
26 Harbor Creek* 4
May
1 at Fort LeBoeuf* 4
3 Mercyhurst Prep 4
6 at Warren* 4
8 at Corry* 4
10 North East 4
13 General McLane* 4
15 at Cambridge Springs 4
17 Fairview 4
*Region 7 games
Softball
Coach (season): Bill McNally (1st season at Girard, 3rd overall)
2012 overall record: 7-13
2012 region record (place): 6-12 (seventh)
2012 playoff results: Did not qualify for the District 10 playoffs.
Top players lost: Colleen Metzler, Jess Fails
Top returning players: McKenzie Fails, Julia Hatton, Harlie Bolt, Mackenzie Bonnett, Kaela Poland, Rachel McDonald, Caitlin Wurst, Shannon Allen, Taylor Coe, Danielle Daire, Kaitlyn Wilczynski
Assistant coaches: Chico Mason, Stacy Legacey, Dale McDonald
Outlook: Girard will have plenty of experience this season. With a new coach in place, the experience will be key for the YellowJackets to compete in a brutal region. Colleen Metzler and Jess Fails are gone to graduation, but McKenzie Fails, Julia Hatton, Harlie Bolt, Mackenzie Bonnett, Kaela Poland, Rachel McDonald, Caitlin Wurst, Shannon Allen, Taylor Coe, Danielle Daire and Kaitlyn Wilczynski are all back. McKenzie Fails hit .317 last year with four doubles and a home run, while McDonald hit .294. Bolt hit .268 and Daire and Coe are solid as well and will battle for playing time. Hatton hit .333 with five extra-base hits and Wurst is the big bat coming back with a .389 average, four doubles and one triple. Fails returns as a solid pitcher along with Hatton. The two will be important to anchor the defense and lead Girard’s experienced lineup at the plate. Coach Bill McNally likes the experience Girard has this season but mentioned that improving at the plate will be key to complement the solid pitching and defense that the ‘Jackets have this season.
Schedule
April
2 at Seneca* 4
4 Harbor Creek* 4
5 at Conneaut 4
8 Union City 4
9 at North East* 4
11 General McLane* 4
16 at Fairview* 4
18 at Villa Maria* 4
22 Cambridge Springs 4
23 Northwestern* 4
25 Seneca* 4
30 at Harbor Creek* 4
May
2 North East* 4
3 Conneaut 4
7 at General McLane* 4
9 Fairview* 4
10 at Mercyhurst Prep 4
14 Villa Maria* 4
15 at Cambridge Springs 4
16 at Northwestern* 4
*Region 4 games
–Tom Reisenweber
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