St. Vincent loaded for baseball season

St. Vincent High School baseball coach Stan Switala is going to do things backward with Mustang pitching this spring, saving his best for last.

Faced with having just one pitcher with any substantial varsity experience, Switala plans to maximize the talents of that hurler - Trent Free - to finish rather than start games.

The coach explains that the plan will not only save his best pitcher to close out what he hopes will be a lead for the hard-hitting Mustangs, but also keep Free eligible to pitch twice a week.

Free is coming off an exceptional junior season when he had a 5-0 record with a 1.93 earned-run average. He struck out 34 and walked 19 in 25 innings.

Switala had to rethink his pitching plans when he learned that last season’s pitching ace, flame-throwing Gio Antonini, would be lost for the season to recover from surgery on a shoulder injury sustained during the football season.

Without Antonini, the Mustangs were left with only Free and AJ Fetter as varsity-veteran pitchers, and Fetter threw just 3? innings.

St. Vincent has no lack of candidates to fill in with Fetter, John Romano, Carson White, Joe Satori, Nathan Irving and freshman Carter Payte all anxious to help.

“They will be able to compete if they throw strikes and use a secondary pitch,” said Switala.

Whoever is on the mound will have a solid catcher to throw to, whether it be Coleton Cristiani or sophomore Nathan Berniklau.

One thing is certain - Cristiani will be in the lineup someplace. He batted .320 with power (three doubles, a triple and a home run) last season.

The infield is not exactly set, but it is solid.

Tyler Cunha, a solid-hitting junior who did not play last season as he recovered from an injury, will be at first base.

Ryan Nalducci returns to second base after batting .396 as a freshman.

The left side of the infield will be in good hands, but Switala just isn’t yet sure which hands.

There is a real competition at shortstop, with Irving, freshman Dante Antonini and Romano all in the mix.

Another possibility is Free when he isn’t pitching. A good glove man, he is also one of the team’s top hitters. He batted .385 with five doubles and four triples last season.

When he isn’t pitching or at shortstop, Free will be at third base, his position of last season.

When Free is elsewhere occupied, White or Sartori will be at third.

Several players can help in the outfield. The starters figure to be Cristiani in left, Andrew Kohler in center and Fetter in right. All three can go get the baseball, a must on St. Vincent’s lightning-fast synthetic turf. Kohler batted .410 last season. Cristiani hit .320.

They were major contributors to a St. Vincent squad that batted .397 as a team and averaged more than 10 runs a game.

Switala believes the Mustangs can do even better this season.

“I’m not worried about hitting,” the coach said. “I know we will hit.”

St. Vincent had a sensational season last year, dominating the North Central League II with a 12-0 record and going 25-1 on the season, not losing until the semifinals of the North Coast Section Tournament.

Switala said this season’s goals are the same - win the North Coast Section tournament.

His young team (only three seniors) hits well enough and fields well enough to reach the goal. The question is: Does it pitch well enough?