High school baseball
With and all-underclass lineup, Mapletown looks to the future MAPLETOWN – If one had to describe Jay Donley in a single word, that word might well be “confident.”
The long-time Mapletown High baseball coach is not only enjoying the season now under way, he is also anticipating what the future might bring.
As he watched his players warm up, Donley said, “We’re making some mistakes, but this is also an underclass lineup. All nine of our starters will be back again next year, and they will have the benefit of this year’s experience. We may take some lumps this year, but hopefully they will learn from this year and apply it to next year.”
Donley, who is also the “Dean” of area baseball coaches, is starting his 25th year as head coach of the Maples, plus one year as an assistant before that. His assistants are Mike Gresh, long-time County League player, and Kevin Pincavitch, a standout scholastic player who still pitching professionally.
Their first task is replacing five starters from last year’s 11-8 team, including four pitchers. Jay Dias, who caught, and also pitched three of their wins, is now at Waynesburg College.
The Maples are like that famed Irish band of song; they are few in numbers.
Five of the returning players are lettermen – pitcher Chris Petrick, outfielders Andy Latusek and Joe Clites and infielder Jayce Donley, all juniors. Plus junior outfielder-pitcher Drew Dunham, who is injured but will return to the lineup shortly.
There is only one senior in first baseman Earston Whyel.
Returning juniors are outfielder Joe Kovach and second baseman Matt Brown.
Sophomore players are shortstop Gerod Buckhalter, catcher Justin Corso and infielder Steve Roszak.
Freshmen players are third baseman Brad Myers and pitcher Mike Pincavitch.
Donley allowed, “We aren’t striking out as much in the early games as we did last year. Against Monessen, not one player on our side struck out, even a called out, and that’s the only time I can recall that happening in all the years I have coached.
“Beth-Center got us three times on strikes. The big thing is, we are putting the ball in play. Defensively, our outfield has been good, but we are making errors, both physical and mental, like not covering the right base and throwing to the wrong spot. I keep telling the players that you can’t make either mental or physical errors in a game let alone both of them.”
Pitching is always the number one priority, whatever the level of play, and Donley is no exception to that adage.
He noted, “We have pitchers who have been throwing strikes, but we just don’t have the one or two who can strike out a dozen or so in a game, so we are going to have to rely on defense to get the outs.”
As for the section race, Donley said, “Chartiers-Houston can be strong with its pitching, and Carmichaels has a good solid team. After that, it’s Jefferson-Morgan, Avella, West Greene and us in a real scramble.
“The key to our season will be developing our pitching as we go along, and our defense has to shore up. We also have pretty good speed at the top of the order, and the rest has to develop.”
And as that old military recruiting poster once proclaimed, “Look to the Future.”