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Haymarket Senators unveil 2010 roster
Following up on a championship season is pretty tough. The teams that do it, especially the coaches, are faced with the question, "What now?"
That's what Haymarket Senators manager Ryan Fecteau has debated since last summer when the Valley Baseball League team not only clinched its first-ever winning season but won the summer tournament as a seventh seed.
Fecteau persuaded seven members of the 2009 squad to give it another go in Haymarket, including all-stars Matt Benedict (RHP), Grant Sasser (LHP) and Zeth Stone (2B). Other returners include Bob Van Woert (RHP), Mark Kuzma (LHP), Jim Vahalik (C), and Sam Greenberg (SS).
"I was kind of surprised at the guys we have returning," said Fecteau on Sunday, one day before he was due back at St. Lawrence University (NY) to start training for the spring college season.
"It's kind of tough because you don't know how many guys you want to bring back. You want just the right mix and the right type of guy,” he said.
The bulk of the roster is new to the team. Fecteau identified right-handed pitcher Taylor Everist from Florida Atlantic University as one of his prize recruits.
Coming in at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Everist is expected to be a "weekend starter" for the Owls this spring, according to Fecteau.
He explained that those type of starters are usually the best on a given college team, so Everist could potentially bring some power into the Haymarket rotation.
"Any time you usually get a weekend starter, it's a quality arm," said Fecteau.
The junior from Apopka, Fla. earned accolades at Tallahassee Community College during his sophomore season in 2009 when he went 3-2 in 17 appearances as a starter and reliever. He landed a spot as an honorable mention on the Panhandle Conference All-Conference team.
The Florida Sun Sentinel described Everist as a "big-time starting pitcher" who "has won at every level and is expected to immediately contribute at FAU." Everist "possesses the ability both on the mound and as a natural team-leader to add a positive presence to FAU's team in 2010."
Everist does have wooden-bat league experience as a pitcher last year for the North Florida Legends of the Great South League of Florida and southern Georgia.
Among southpaws, Fecteau identified 6-foot-2 Stefan del Pino, a freshman from Coastal Carolina University, as one to watch. The Cincinnati Reds drafted the lefty from Spartanburg, S.C. straight out of Dorman High School in the 27th round of the MLB draft last year, but he opted to go to college before entering the minor leagues.
According to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, del Pino went 5-4 with a 2.23 ERA in his senior season at Dorman. He allowed 44 hits in 44 innings pitched, with 67 strikeouts and 17 base-on-balls, throwing an upper-80s fastball.
Overall, Fecteau fielded seven lefties and seven righties for this year's rotation. He expects power and strength from outfielder Yoandy Barrosa of Florida International University.
"He's the type of guy with those pro intangibles," said Fecteau.
Barrosa's FIU teammate, Rudy Flores, meanwhile is a freshman coming in from Texas in one of the nation's best high school baseball programs.
"He'll see a lot of time from us in the middle of the order during the summer," said Fecteau.
Longwood University's Brant Jones also has some pop in his bat, as the junior from Richmond hit .387 during his sophomore season with seven home runs, 44 RBI and a .628 slugging percentage.
In wooden bat play, he earned a spot on the 2009 New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) All-Star team as a member of the Watertown Wizards.
Noticeably absent from the list of returners is league MVP Greg Hopkins. According to Fecteau, the third baseman literally had nothing left to accomplish with the Senators after winning a championship, landing a starting spot on the all-star team and earning recognition as the best players in the VBL.
"He's the kind of kid that wants to see new places and do different things," said Fecteau. "Really, what else can you do? It's almost like, the people in (this) area know him ... It's almost better for him to do something else."
Filling the hole created by Hopkins may be difficult, but the manager mentioned guys like him simply don't come around often.
Lineups and rosters change frequently from year to year for VBL teams as the players come from the NCAA.
The seven returning players and three returning coaches, including hitting coach Mike Martin and pitching coach Phil Myers, easily mark the highest retention rate in Senators history.
"I'm excited. I think they all had a good experience and they want to come back to Haymarket," said Fecteau.
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