Renzi starting 13th year as Connellsville baseball coach
CONNELLSVILLE – No matter what you say about Bob Renzi, you can never call him triskaidecaphobic. Trisk…etc. means a fear of the number 13, and if Renzi had that phobia, he might not be starting his 13th season as head baseball coach at Connellsville.
Renzi has completed 12 years as head coach of the Falcons, and in that span his teams have won nine section championships while earning an overall record of 187 wins and 70 losses – and there’s that 13 again – leaving him just 13 wins short of 200. Actually, if you count his overall career record, he has more than 200 already, for he had 65 more wins as head coach at Geibel Catholic before moving over to Connellsville.
So is he superstitious?
“Never,” Renzi said emphatically.
With the return of spring weather, the Falcons have been able to move outside to prep for their season opener Saturday at Canon-McMillan. The first two games are on the road, playing March 24 at Greensburg Salem before their home debut Wednesday, March 26, against North Allegheny.
The first task facing the Falcon coaches is replacing 10 seniors lost from last year’s team that finished 18-3, including 10-0 in section play and advanced into the WPIAL playoffs, losing in extra innings to North Allegheny.
Gone are Joe Kooser and Brad Livingston (1B), Anthony Smith (P-2B), who was also the section’s most valuable player; Brandon Bryner (3B), Jon Stutzman (C), Eric Luckey (OF-IF), Chris Marsinko (CF), Matt Rupp (P), and outfielders Josh Mancini and Brian Guynn.
As a start toward building this year’s edition of the Falcons, there are seven returning lettermen (all seniors), including Shawn Durr (1B-P), Brent Wilson (1B-P), Corey Fox (C), Justin Marsinko (OF), Andy Beucher (SS-P), Tony Marciante (OF), and David Show (IF).
Rounding out the roster are:
Seniors – Chris Speelman (IF-P) and Tom Cesario (P).
Juniors – Travis Henry, Wes Hughes, and Kevin Bell (IF-P), Jason Goodwin (OF-C), Kole Callahan, Paul Micklow and Phil Davis (OF), Justin Coffman (1B-P), Ryan Firestone (C) and Ron Addis (1B).
Sophomores – Andy Lonigro and Ed Welsh (IF), Jesse Irwin, Bobby Fulton, Chris Pepe and Tom Guess (IF-P), Adam Tannehill, Chad Shroyer, Andrew Rulli and Dave Sumner (OF), Richard Schielhauf (C), Zack Blackstone and Tom McAllister (OF-P), Nathan Pritts (IF-C), Casey Shultz (1B-P) and Aaron Bell (OF-C).
Helping Renzi groom the Falcons are Ray Orndorff (varsity), Bob Renzi (junior varsity) and Jeff McWilliams, a newcomer to the staff this year, directing the freshman team.
Looking ahead, Renzi said, “All of our returning lettermen have some varsity experience. We have two players who started every game (Beucher and Marciante) and Brent Wilson, while he was primarily a pitcher, earning a 7-0 record, played some at other positions. We have a lot of competition for every position.”
With any coach, from professional to sandlot, the big question is always pitching, and Renzi is no exception.
He said, “We do have some pitching experience. Wilson and Beucher have the most with Durr, Cesario and Speelman also getting some varsity work. Fox is the most experienced catcher to pair with them, plus he can be designated hitter or play the outfield. Firestone and Goodwin are backup catchers.”
The infield includes Beucher at shortstop, when he’s not pitching, with Show, Hughes, Henry, Bell and Speelman rounding out the prospects, but Renzi isn’t sure yet “who will be where. We will decide that as we go along. Wilson, when he’s not pitching, and Durr, will be at first base, along with Addis and Coffman. Marciante is our most experienced outfielder. Marcinko played some there last year, and Davis, Callahan, Goodwin, and Micklow are also candidates. Plus some sophomores are pushing for both infield and outfield spots.”
If any one thing displeases Renzi, it is the section schedule – not the opposition, but the shortness of the schedule.
Since last season, the WPIAL moved Hempfield out of Section 2-AAAA, with no replacement, of which Renzi noted “that leaves us with a five-team section and only eight games, which isn’t good for any section unless you have a lot of rain. Then you have fewer games to make up.
“Other times, when we had small sections, we played each other three times, now it’s just twice. Of course, there is one good point, in that by playing fewer section games you don’t have to have a lot of pitching depth. If you have one good pitcher, you can work him around to do the bulk of your games.”
The Falcons face a tough exhibition slate, meeting North Allegheny, Seneca Valley (twice), Franklin Regional, Bethel Park, and Shaler, which Renzi said “are all teams that go deep into the playoffs every year.”
As for his Falcons, the veteran coach said, “I want them to be as good as they can be, and whatever is going to happen will happen. We have quality people here, and now we just have to get them into the right spots. But that’s why you play exhibition games.”
Overall, it looks like Renzi is not going to have to be tris … etc. this year, either.
The exhibition schedule(4 p.m. unless noted):
March 22, at Canon-McMillan (noon); March 24, at Greensburg Salem; March 26, North Allegheny (3:30); March 27, at Latrobe; March 28, Penn-Trafford; March 29, at Shaler (12 noon); March 31, Hempfield; April 1, Norwin; April 2, Woodland Hills; April 12, at Seneca Valley (12 noon); April 17, at Bethel Park; April 19, Franklin Regional (12 noon); and April 29, Seneca Valley.
Section games (4 p.m. unless noted):
April 5, Uniontown (noon); April 8, at Ringgold; April 10, Laurel Highlands; April 15, at Albert Gallatin; April 22, at Uniontown (Farmington, 4:30); April 24, Ringgold; April 26, at Laurel Highlands (12 noon), and May 1, Albert Gallatin.