Apr 2, 2014 By Kevin Harrison for The 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE — Connellsville head baseball coach Rob Orndorff hopes a little spring training trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., will pay off with a run towards the Section 2-AAAA title and a playoff berth.

“I think the trip benefited us well,” he said. “We had weather and had a game every day. Plus, we had scheduled practice time every day to work on a lot of little things. We were on the field 6-to-8 hours each day. I’m pleased with the way the kids played down there.”

Orndorff said his main concern is putting together a pitching staff this season. He’ll be without projected No. 1 and 2 starters, losing Ryan Huey to surgery (Tommy John) and the tragic loss of the deceased Darrell Ross.

Orndorff will count on a number of arms to provide the Falcons with quality innings. In the mix are seniors Ty Henry, Jacob Wiltrout and Mike Durstine. Junior Dakota McWilliams could also crack the starting lineup.

“(McWilliams) didn’t pitch for us last year, but did a good job in American Legion,” Orndorff said. “He’s not going to overpower anyone, but he is crafty. His delivery can throw some battlers off-balance.”

Sophomores Jimmy Malone and Corey Fogle could also see time on the hill. Orndorff says both show a lot of promise.

Looking at his everyday lineup Orndorff things he has good experience on the field. Huey, even though he cannot pitch should be well enough to hold down third base. Junior Brock Bonadio moves from second to short with senior Evan Onusko taking over at second. Another junior, Luke Kisiel, can back up both and work as a spot starter.

Sophomore Austin Puskar will be at first and senior Mike Parlak will once again handle the catching duties.

Orndorff said a number of sophomores will push for playing time. He says that group won the junior league state title a couple of years ago, so they’ve had experience with pressure situations.

The outfield will be manned by seniors Caleb Stevenson in left, J.R. Blocker in center and Mark Kelly in right.

“If the ball is catchable, they’ll get there,” he said. “They allow us to some things we haven’t been able to do for a couple of years. I think position by position we are much more athletic this year.”

Orndorff said the early work has also paid off on the base paths. He says the kids are running more aggressively and taking advantage of situations. Most importantly, he doesn’t see some of mental errors that have hurt the Falcons in the past.

Orndorff said a couple of tough losses kept the Falcons out of the playoffs last season. He says the section will be strong once again. Penn-Trafford appears to be the team to beat, and Hempfield, Norwin and Latrobe are always competitive.

“We always talk about the mental aspects of the game more than the outcome. They can control their mental approach to the game,” he said.

“I can’t ask the kids to do more than they are capable. We want to make the playoffs. However we must focus on our day to day goals of doing the best we can on every pitch and the outcomes will take care of themselves.”