Apr 6, 2006 By Pete Riddell For The 3 min read

Last season was an exercise in on-the-job training for Robbie Kezmarsky. Uniontown’s successful boys basketball coach, Kezmarsky became a varsity baseball coach for the first time a week before the start of the hardball season. When the dust settled, he’d managed to coax a respectable 6-6 record from a hard-working Red Raider squad in a highly competitive Section 2-AAAA.

With a year under his belt and an experienced returning nucleus, Kezmarsky feels good about the product Uniontown will put on the field in 2006.

“I think we’ll have some success,” he said. “How much will depend on how well we execute.”

The Red Raiders will feature one of the better pitching staffs in the section, anchored by senior lefties Nathan Fike and Ryan Robowsky. Fike is more of a power pitcher, while Robowsky mixes things up well. But while their styles differ, their results do not. Both have already combined to pitch a no-hitter this season, against Belle Vernon.

And Kezmarsky is quick to point out that the Raiders’ pitching depth goes deeper than their dynamic duo. Juniors Nick Apicella and Cory Sawka will be counted on heavily during weeks when Uniontown will play three and four section games.

“We’re going to need a lot of pitching, especially having to make up rainouts,” he said.

Backing the experienced staff is a rock-solid defense that Kezmarsky is counting on to keep games close. Three starters return around the horn in seniors Steve Kezmarsky (2B), Matt George (3B) and the aforementioned Apicella (SS).

In the outfield mix are seniors Terry Guthrie, Ryan Kennedy, Alan Witt and junior Ryne Turner.

“As long as we can steal some runs and don’t beat ourselves, we’ll give our pitching and defense a chance to win games for us,” said Kezmarsky.

Offensively, Uniontown has some proven commodities at the top of the lineup. After batting near .400 last season, George returns at leadoff.

“He could probably hit third or fourth, he hits the ball so hard,” said Kezmarsky. “We definitely want him and Stevie (Kezmarsky, who bats second) getting on base.”

Robowsky, Fike and Apicella comprise the heart of the order. Beyond that, the lineup is still being tinkered with.

“For us to have a chance, we’ll need to be productive at the bottom of the lineup,” said Kezmarsky. “We’re still working on the right combination.”

Returning senior catcher Josh King has been a pleasant surprise in the early going.

“Josh put in a lot of work in the weight room,” Kezmarsky said. “He has a lot of speed and has been hitting the ball really well. Sometimes we’ll bat him high in the lineup, or lower as sort of a second leadoff man.”

Kezmarsky expects Section 2 to again be highly competitive with Norwin and Connellsville returning strong teams. Having finished just two games out of a playoff spot last year has the Red Raiders hungry for the postseason.

“We tell the players that each game is like our first playoff game,” said Kezmarsky, who will be assisted by John Patek, Kyle Clay and Bob Keslar.

The second-year coach invites the community to check out the 2006 Red Raiders and promises that fans will come to appreciate what he did during his rookie season a year ago.

“Looking back, I realized how much fun it was to coach these guys,” he said. “We have some good kids who play hard. We’ll be playing again at Wharton Park, and we invite folks to come check us out. I don’t know if people realize how much fun high school baseball is.”