Casa must piece together talented parts

Baseball Gauchos have talent and numbers, but lack experience|

Not only do Casa Grande’s baseball Gauchos not know who’s on first, they’re not sure who’s on the pitching mound or even when they will be able to find out.

Casa Grande coach Chad Fillinger is remaking a Gaucho team that won the North Bay League championship in the final year of that league. Not that the second-year coach is starting totally from scratch. He has several key components of that championship team returning, but several others have graduated, and the key returning players may find themselves moving around as the coach tries to fit all the pieces together.

Compounding Casa’s problems has been the near constant rain that has continued from the start of practice. The Gaucho diamond, one of the best in the area when dry, does not drain well in the outfield, meaning Casa players have had to make due practicing on the blacktop and batting cages.

“We haven’t seen grass in two weeks,” Fillinger says.

Not that all has been gloomy.

“We’ve been able to improvise quite a bit,” the coach explains. “We’ve been able to use the football field (synthetic turf), we have portable mounds and we’ve done a lot of work in the batting cages.”

While Casa Grande might be short on experience, the Gauchos are not short on bodies. Casa had 31 players try out for the varsity team.

While the rain has made evaluations difficult, Fillinger says he hopes to have the roster trimmed to a manageable number by the end of the week.

Although many players will be new, Casa Grande has enough quality veteran leaders to be optimistic about the new season.

One who will be an anchor is senior shortstop Joe Lampe, who has already committed to continue his baseball at UC Davis.

An outstanding defensive player, Lampe batted .376 last season with 35 hits in 27 games. Included in his plate statistics were eight doubles, two triples, a home run and 20 RBIs.

“He’s the kind of player you want to come watch play,” says Fillinger. “He has so much energy.”

Another key for Casa is junior Cole Santander. He played primarily third base as a sophomore, but this season could find more time behind the plate as well as playing some first base.

“He has a lot of potential,” his coach says.

Cameron Downing is another Gaucho stalwart who might find himself playing different positions in different games.

He will certainly do his share of the catching, but could also find playing time at either of the corner infield spots.

What he will also do is hit. Last season, he batted .373 with 28 hits in 27 games. He also drove in 20 runs.

Cole Shimek is being counted on to take a more productive role as both a hitter and in the field this season.

He will be part of a potentially strong outfield that also includes veterans Elijah Waltz and Austin Mattos.

Waltz had a particularly productive junior season, batting .273 and driving in 11 runs.

Connor Klemenok brings a veteran’s presence to the infield after hitting a solid .286 in 11 games last season.

Senior Noah Bailey, an outstanding basketball player, batted .375 in nine games last season. His bat could land him more playing time this season.

A potential standout is sophomore Jake McCoy, who got a look-see with the varsity last season.

“He is young, but he has a bulldog mentality,” says Fillinger. “He has the mentality to play at the varsity level.”

McCoy will play the outfield as well as pitch.

Casa Grande has added three potential contributors in newcomers Kyler Taylor, a first baseman, and pitchers Payton Baxter and Giovani Bentivegna. None of the three played baseball last season.

“We think they can contribute,” says Fillinger.

Julian Centeno batted .345 for the junior varsity last season, while Mario Taormina batted .333 and brother Nick hit .316. They, too, could contribute at the varsity level.

Pitching stands as the questionable elephant in the Casa room.

Blessed with outstanding hurlers like Nick Kamages and Broc Burleson last season, the Gauchos return only Chris Sanchez with any substantial varsity experience, and he had only eight appearances last season. His experience will be counted on to not only make him a key hurler, but also to help his younger teammates. He is also an outfield candidate.

“The others are going to have to take up the slack,” Fillinger says.

There are no lack of candidates to do just that.

Coming up from the junior varsity with good credentials are Patrick Sharp, Max Smedshammer, Mario Taormina, Koby Kranaich and Russell Davis.

Newcomers Baxter and Bentivegna will also help, as will McCoy and Klemenok.

“They all throw strikes,” notes Fillinger.

For Fillinger, coaching is more than about baseball. “It is about trying to create a culture that will allow the players to be successful as men once they leave our program,” he says.

Casa Grande won 20 games, a league championship and a NCS playoff game in Fillinger’s first year as head coach, but he knows things will be tougher this time around.

First of all, there is the new league as Casa moves into the highly competitive Vine Valley Athletic League.

Then there is a loaded schedule that includes participation in both the Boras and the equally competitive Elite 8 Tournament.

It is a challenge the coach and players are eager to take on - if only they could get on the diamond.

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