Main Line baseball squads should be strong again this spring

The Main Line high school baseball scene this spring features a number of teams coming off successful seasons last year. Malvern Prep (28-6) won its sixth straight InterAc title. Haverford School (24-8) captured the PAISAA state tournament championship. Radnor won its first-ever PIAA Class AAA District One title. Shipley captured the Friends’ Schools League championship, and Friends’ Central was the No. 1 seed in the FSL playoffs. Conestoga, Episcopal Academy, Harriton, Haverford High and Barrack Hebrew Academy also posted winning records last spring.
Here is an early-season look at the Main Line high school baseball teams, compiled from information sent to us by the respective teams’ coaches:

Barrack Hebrew Academy
Head coach: Justin Cooper, fourth year.
Last year’s record: 13-6 overall, 5-2 Tri-County League, 7-2 Penn Jersey Athletic Association.
Key returnees: junior pitcher/second baseman Josh Beal, junior shortstop/pitcher Jacob Felger, junior pitcher/first baseman Jared Shotel, senior pitcher/outfielder Simon Gordon.
Others to watch: senior catcher Andrew Axelrod, sophomore pitcher/third baseman Josh Berkowitz.
Lost to graduation: shortstop David Gordon, outfielder Sam Falkowitz, catcher Aaron Bernstein, third baseman Jon Cohen.
Outlook: Cooper said, “Our biggest strength will be our bats, and our experience up the middle. We also have lots of experience coming back on the mound. We have 4-5 really good arms who can be workhorses. As always, we must play defense behind our pitchers. I see no reason why we can’t return to both the Tri County Independent School League and Penn Jersey Athletic Association Championships.”

Conestoga
Head coach: Matt Diamond, first year.
Last year’s record: 12-7.
Key returnees: senior pitcher Angus Mayock, junior catcher Luke Czeipel, junior shortstop Jacob Marcus.
Others to watch: senior outfielder/infielder Eric Hutchinson, junior third baseman Luke Turner, junior pitcher Ryan Buck.
Lost to graduation: pitcher/infielder Tim Miller (University of Richmond), first baseman Tom Fogarty (Utica), outfielder Grayson Avotts (Wells College), outfielder Alex Lee, outfielder Jonah Siegel.
Outlook: The Pioneers are young and will be replacing seven starters from the 2016 squad. Conestoga will rely on strong pitching and defense this season – Mayock, Buck and Marcus should log a lot innings on the mound for the Pioneers this spring. Mike Della Polla and Owen Margolis also should give the Pioneers quality innings. Hutchinson and Turner are expected to help the Pioneers offensively, while defensively, Marcus, Czeipel and Hutchison should lead the charge for Conestoga.

Episcopal Academy
Head coach: Mike Hickey, fourth year.
Last year’s record: 16-15 overall, 5-5 InterAc.
Key returnees: senior right handed pitcher/middle infielder Kyle Virbitsky (Penn State commit), senior left handed pitcher Cam Van Hoorebeke (Lehigh), senior outfielder/first baseman Dylan Everly (Elizabethtown), junior middle infielder/right handed pitcher Isaiah Payton (Penn State), sophomore middle infielder/right handed pitcher Jack O’Reilly (Notre Dame).
Outlook: Hickey said, “We will be in the mix. We can beat anyone when Kyle Virbitsky throws, and we play arguably the most competitive schedule in the region. Vrbitsky is a true three-sport athlete, which in this day and age is exceedingly rare.”

Friends’ Central
Head coach: Jon Rubin, fourth year.
Last year’s record: 16-12 overall, 9-2 Friends’ Schools League.
Key returnees: senior pitcher Alec Andrews, senior pitcher/outfielder Chris Annas, senior infielder Robbie Winward, senior outfielder Max Auerbach, senior catcher/outfielder Ben Kenney, junior third baseman Dane Griesiger.
Others to watch: junior pitcher/infielder Nick Tuverson, sophomore catcher/infielder Ben Kollender, sophomore infielder Mark Masi.
Lost to graduation: infielder/pitcher Joey Lawall, shortstop Gil Dreyfuss, first baseman Steven Folwell, pitcher Connor McVail, outfielder Michael Norcini.
Outlook: Rubin said, “We are returning a strong senior class with outstanding leadership potential. We have a small roster so we will need to stay healthy to compete effectively.”

Harriton
Head coach: Scott Kurzinsky, 11th year.
Last year’s record: 13-7 overall, 10-6 Central League.
Key returnees: junior pitcher Jonah Frankel, senior catcher Will Hoffman, senior first baseman Ben Newbert, senior shortstop Lorenzo Solon, senior outfielder Sean Mullen, sophomore pitcher Jack Kochanowicz, senior pitcher/outfielder Don DiLoreto.
Others to watch: senior second baseman Aaron Deustch, junior third baseman Jack Herrmann, senior outfielder/pitcher Sam Nichtberger.
Outlook: Kurzinsky sees the Rams’ biggest strengths as pitching and infield play; their biggest challenge as scoring runs.

Haverford High
Head coach: Paul Bogosian, 31st year.
Last year’s record: 13-8 overall, 9-7 Friends’ Schools League.
Key returnees: senior pitcher/first baseman Nicholas DeFeo, senior catcher Drew Fowler, senior pitcher Corey Hunt, senior shortstop Luke Marmer, senior right fielder Dylan Resnick, senior center fielder Chris Trainor.
Others to watch: freshman outfielder Trey Blair, junior third baseman Pat Boyle, junior left fielder Andrew Elcock, sophomore second baseman Dan Kelleher, senior catcher Alex Mong.
Lost to graduation: shortstop Nick Cerelli (Immaculata), pitcher Mike Garcia (Cabrini), third baseman Kenny Kissinger, pitcher Jake McClelland, center fielder Ethan Samel, first baseman Denis Spaventa, pitcher Nolan Buszka, first baseman Brendan Boas.
Outlook: Bogosian said, “Great leadership and the core of the team is returning. Like everyone, we could use more pitching.”

Haverford School
Head coach: Bob Castell, 25th year.
Last year’s record: 24-8 overall, 4-6 InterAc, PAISAA state tournament champions.
Key returnees: senior second baseman Tommy Toal (.402 batting average last season, along with 39 hits, 35 runs scored), senior shortstop David Hogarth (.289 BA. 29 hits, 30 runs), senior catcher Bryan Hyland (.304 BA, 30 RBI’s, 28 hits), senior pitcher Tyler Dunbar (3-1 record, 35 IP), senior Dex Frederick, junior third baseman/pitcher Justin Meyer (.323 BA, 35 RBI’s, 30 hits), junior pitcher Grady Nance, junior outfielder Isaiah Winikur, junior outfielder Nick Holtz, junior pitcher Tommy Bagnell, sophomore outfielder Logan Keller.
Others to watch: outfielder/pitcher Calvin Costner, pitcher/infielder Zak Summy.
Lost to graduation: team MVP James McConnon (playing at St. Joseph’s University), Cameron Miller, Ben Tracy, Mike Warnick, Drew Sterman, Ryan Tino, Kenny Fitzpatrick and Chris Ambrosio.
Outlook: Castell said, “We will count on the strength of our experienced pitching staff, solid team defense, as well as good team speed, to win games this season.” With a veteran team comprised primarily of juniors and seniors, the Fords look to count on the maturity and confidence of the players who gained experience during the 2016 PAISAA championship campaign.

Lower Merion
Head coach: Jeff Nyce, third year.
Last year’s record: 3-13 overall, 2-14 Central League.
Key returnees: senior pitcher/third baseman Alex Hurowitz, junior catcher Marek D’Alonzo, junior shortstop Jake Stoller, junioor designated hitter Josh Jenkin.
Others to watch: junior outfielder Jake Rocco, sophomore first baseman/pitcher Casey Murphy, sophomore pitcher/outfielder Alec Deegan, freshman second baseman/outfielder Drew Riesenbach.
Lost to graduation: second baseman Brandon Jones, outfielder Jeremy Hillsberg, catcher Alex Koch, pitcher/outfielder Danny Roth, pitcher Aaron Strongin, outfielder Daniel Wilson, pitcher Jesse Siebert, outfielder Quinn Vagnoni, outfielder Chris Goodwin, first baseman Eli Needle.
Outlook: Nyce said, “We should be a very stong defensive team with above average pitching. The key will be the contribution of our sophomore class, helping to provide depth to the juniors and seniors on the roster. Our biggest challenge will be on the offensive end – stringing together solid at-bats and getting the clutch hit that will turn around last year’s 2-6 record in one-run games.”

Malvern Prep
Head coach: Freddy Hilliard, seventh year.
Last year’s record: 28-6 overall, 7-3 InterAc.
Key returnees: senior shortstop Matt Daller, senior catcher Shane Muntz, senior outfielder Nick Li, senior outfielder Vince Sposato, senior right handed pitcher Jalen Wade, senior right handed pitcher Jimmy Kingsbury, junior right handed pitcher Billy Corcoran.
Others to watch: sophomore outfielder/left handed pitcher Chris Newell, junior right handed pitcher Brady Devereux, senior infielder Billy Wolfe, freshman infielder Connor Offshack, senior infielder Will Burgess.
Lost to graduation: Chance DiFebbo (playing for Delaware), Brent Greeley (Tufts), Sean Flynn (Mt. St. Mary’s), Cam Williams, Jake Mullan (Widener).
Outlook: Hilliard said, “I’d like to think our strength will be our experience. Our challenge will be finding consistent offense and finding enough depth on mound to carry us through our schedule.”

Radnor
Head coach: Joe Kerrigan, first year.
Last year’s record: 14-11 overall, 7-9 Central League, won PIAA District One championship, lost in PIAA state quarterfinals.
Key returnees: senior pitcher/first baseman Will Hoysgaard, senior pitcher Charlie Connolly, senior third baseman Patrick McDermott, senior second baseman Jack Deshan, junior shortstop Sean Mullarkey, junior pitcher.
Others to watch: sophomore outfielder Seamus Kennedy, senior outfielder Evan Zhang, sophomore catcher George Hoysgaard.
Outlook: Kerrigan said, “A strong pitching staff of Hoysgaard, Connolly and Lofton, along with senior leadership should help [us] contend for another district title and be a contender in the Central League.”

Shipley
Head coach: Bryan Bendowski, 14th year.
Last year’s record: 16-8 overall, 10-2 Friends’ Schools League.
Key returnees: senior pitcher/outfielder Jack Dougherty, senior catcher Darien Pass, senior infielder/designated hitter Jesse Haines, senior pitcher/first baseman Kevin Verzella, junior pitcher/third baseman Gerard Sweeney, junior pitcher/infielder Blake Rodack, junior pitcher/outfielder Cole Humes, junior pitcher/infielder Ian Humes, junior infielder Max Warshal, sophomore outfielder Evan Johnson, sophomore catcher/first baseman Reed Sullivan.
Others to watch: sophomore pitcher/outfielder Liam Riley, freshman pitcher/outfielder Jeff Extor, freshman pitcher/outfielder Dillon Bevan, freshman pitcher/infielder Marco Grimmig.
Lost To graduation: Nick Wojtelwicz, Pete Sobelman, Phil Johnson, Evan Spector.
Outlook: Six starters return and all but one pitcher returns for the Gators. Expectations are high as the team looks to make a return trip to the Friends Schools League championship after winning back-to-back titles. Bendowski said, “Our pitching staff has depth and experience, and has been upgraded with the addition of Humes twins and Jeff Extor. The offense should put pressure on opposing teams. We look to make a run in the [PAISAA] state tournament.”

NOTE: Archbishop Carroll did not respond to our requests for information about their team. If and when that information is provided, we will update the story at PaPrepLive.com.