Roebuck likes competitive nature of Falcons
BROWNSVILLE – As a rule, “pushy” type people aren’t too popular, but Scott Roebuck will welcome all that he can get. There’s just one stipulation – their “pushing” has to be on the baseball field.
The eight-year Brownsville baseball coach has 25 prospects working out to prepare for defense of their section title, and one of their main points is very pleasing to him.
“I like the way some of our younger prospects are pushing the upperclassmen for positions,” Roebuck observed.
“We have a good all-around group of sophomores and three freshmen. As a rule, we keep the freshman players on the junior varsity, but we have three who have pushed their way into consideration for starting time. They want to play and they are pushing to get that playing time.”
The Falcons have six starters back from last year’s section championship team (17-2 overall, 10-0 section). They include seniors Brandon Williams (CF), a two-year letterman; Eric Highburger (P-IF-DH), Jason Rechichar (2B), Matt Rechichar (C) and Jared Slusser (P-IF), and junior Chad Rice (SS-P). Senior Bob Patterson (OF) is the seventh letterman back.
Roundingout the roster are:
Seniors – Philip Scabis (OF) and Craig Zivkovich (1B).
Juniors – Jake Hetrick (OF), Ross Martini (1B), Troy Nichols (2B) and Jon Sobek (C).
Sophomores – Dom DeCarlo and Lamar Thompson (1B-P), Chad Doman and Corey Watkins (OF-P), Justin Fertal and Mike Klamerus (IF), Bob Higinbotham (OF), Randy Stimmel and Matt Dominski (1B).
Freshmen – Josh Brown (OF), Scott Fraley (2B-P-C) and Kevin Garbutt (IF-P).
Ralph Rice and Ken Musko are the only assistant coaches.
Five players graduated from last year’s team, including Jason Cramer (3B-P), now at W&J; Jim Ducar (SS), at Penn State-Fayette; Chris Zivkovich (1B), Pitt; Joe Rechichar (RF), California Univ. of Pa., and Josh Petko (LF), Duquesne.
Along with the pushiness of his prospects, Roebuck likes “Our strength down the middle. You always have to be strong in the middle, and I think we should be alright there, with our pitching, catching, Rice at shortstop, Jason Rechichar on second, and Williams in center. All are returning players and they know what has to be done in the middle.
“I also feel we have pretty good speed, so we should be able to have a good running aspect to our offense.”
But while he enjoys the good points to his team, Roebuck wishes one minus aspect would go away.
He explained, “We have already been hit by the injury bug. Catcher Matt Rechichar, who led us last season in home runs and runs batted in, broke his hand and won’t be available for a good while. At the moment, Sobek is the number one candidate to replace him. Plus, Highberger has tendinitis in his shoulder, and Peterson and Scabis have pulled muscles.”
In the last three years, the Falcons have lost only two section games, going 28-2 (10-0, 8-2, 10-0) in that span.
But the section race could be a toughie.
Roebuck noted “We have a good section. Washington lost one or two players and should be strong, Charleroi is always solid, and McGuffey can be tough. Waynesburg won the section a couple of years ago, then had a down spot, but now they are on their way back. We have a real good rivalry with Beth-Center, and while they were young a year ago, if they have those players all back again they can be improved.
“Our own hopes rest on having no more injuries, and keeping our pitchers healthy. Right now, it looks like Highberger, Slusser, and Rice will do the bulk of our pitching, we just have to get them in some order of rotation.”
The players also have another goal of their own, Roebuck adding “they remember being upset a year ago in the first round of the playoffs, and they are determined to reverse that. The players have a good outlook, and the seniors especially feel they have a little pressure on them. They have been on teams that have lost only two section games in three years and they don’t want to be the ones that have more losses.”
That’s why the seniors are being a little extra “pushy” themselves.