Expectations High for Cheshire Baseball

A look at Cheshire's baseball, softball and lacrosse teams heading into the 2011 season. Other teams will be featured in subsequent Ram Reports and stories.

The Cheshire High baseball team returns 11 seniors and already expectations are lofty.

A wealth of pitching comes back with seniors Ryan Rougeot (4.32 ERA), last year's closer Max Slade (2.45), Dom Severino (2.96), Matt Croteau (3.56) and Ryan Fowler (4.87).

"We very optimistic," Cheshire coach Bill Mrowka said. "Ten out of 11 (of the seniors) had a major impact last year either starting the whole year or the second half of the year so pretty good players across the board at all different positions. I probably have eight arms that I don't have a problem going to at any point in a game.

"We have high expectations for each kid. How they conduct themselves on and off the field, so we're going to hold them to a higher standard than we might a younger team that we will probably have next year."

The rotation will be Slade, Rougeot and Fowler with Serverino the likely closer.

Senior catcher Connor David, who along with Slade will be at UConn next year, will handle the staff, something he's done since a freshman. David also adds offense, hitting .380 with 19 RBI and 18 runs scored last season.

"Connor David has a great sense for the game. He's a great leader," Mrowka said. "It's his second year being a captain. Slade and Severino are the other two captains. Connor is just awesome. Whenever you need something done, he's out there taking charge, getting it done. Max and Dom follow his lead."

Slade will also be an offensive contributor (team high .400 batting average, 19 RBI, 19 RS) in addition to filling a starting pitching role this season.

The infield returns Severino (.357, 19 RBI, 5 HR) at third base, Croteau (.357) at first and senior middle infielders Greg Leonetti, Tyler Robertson and Slade.

Outfielders will include more seniors, lefty Matt Jefferis and David Wright.

The Rams finished 13-9 last season and reached the second round of the Class LL tournament. Cheshire would like to end Amity's strangle hold on the Housatonic Division title (seven straight) and win its first since 1996.

"I like our team in all aspects," said Mrowka, in his 14th year at Cheshire. "I like our offense, I like our defense, our pitching is obviously very good. We just want these guys to know, you just can't throw the ball when you go out there and think you're going to win. It doesn't work that way.

"You need to hold them accountable to even to the smallest detail and remind them that one play can determine the outcome of the game. You think you may be out of it early, being down, but you can battle back. It's the smallest of things that can affect it."

Softball

Coming off an 18-7 season, Cheshire will need to replace two middle infielders and a catcher, all captains and major contributors who graduated. The Rams won their fourth consecutive SCC Housatonic Division title last season at 5-3 and reached the second round of the Class LL tournament.

Senior captain Bethany Orcutt played the outfield for most of last season but also started the season as the team's starting pitcher. She returned to the pitching circle late in the season after starter Nicole D'Amato, a junior this season, was injured with a concussion after an impressive start. Both should contribute and are complemented by a third pitcher, junior Alyssa Cavanaugh.

Two All-State/All-SCC players junior outfielder Anna Marcucilli and captain and third baseman Ali Giannone should provide plenty of offense. Giannone hit a team-high .448 while slugging .746 and Marcucilli hit .300.

Other key players should include sophomore Caroline Kushner and juniors MacKenzie Abelli, Sarah Duwenhoegger and Chelsea Mongillo.

Sophomore Lauren Fountain will fill the catcher's position, held by her sister Allison last year, one of the three captains who graduated.

Boys Lacrosse

After a Class L state championship season and losing a career leading scorer will be a daunting task for coach Rich Pulisciano, but the Rams should be more than competitive.

The Rams lost 22 seniors to graduation, so finding the right combination of players will be the main challenge. Though Cheshire lost Todd Heritage (Bucknell), career and single-season record holder in points and assists and career leader in goals, and Nick Carisio (team-high 70 goals), there are plenty of returning players to help bolster the offense.

They include: Top returning scorers captain Matt DuPont (12 goals, nine assists) and Kevin Adams (18-11); on defense, All-American and captain Torrey Martone and All-State captain Evan Gaudio, along with juniors Nick Palladino, Dylan Baumgardner and Kevin Pasquale.

Midfield returns juniors John Cunningham, Spencer Hackett and sophomore transfer Jake Nesdale, all from the Division II state championship hockey team. Other hockey team members include juniors goalie Will Devine, Tyler Violano and Tyler Carbone.

Girls Lacrosse

The girls team also lost career leaders in All-American Katherine Eddy (first in points, 346; second in goals, 240) and All-State second team Kailey Farrell (third in goals).

But coach Dan Warburton returns an experienced midfield and three senior captains in attack Jess Sudock (30 goals) and Alayna DePaolo and Paige Pikulski on defense.

The midfield features all juniors, Maria Blois, who scored 47 goals, Alexis Sansone and Alyssa Hague.

The Rams finished the regular season 12-4 before losing for the second year in a row to Daniel Hand in the SCC tournament final and bowing out in the first round of the Division I tournament to Darien.

Briefs

The Cheshire girls basketball team earned the New Haven board of referees Sportsmanship award for the past season. The award goes to a team that shows best sportsmanship and fair play on the court. It's voted on by the area's referees.

• Cheshire High winter season awards were recently announced. Some of the top honors went to Matt Bailey and Greg Leonetti, boys basketball MVPs; Julia Strobel, girls basketball MVP; Owen Powers, boys hockey outstanding offensive player; John Cunningham, boys hockey outstanding defensive player, Spencer Hackett and Tyler Carbone, boys hockey Coaches Award; Jake Scinto, boys track MVP; Ashia Wright, girls track MVP; Scott Tomlinson, wrestling MVP.
• In addition, goalie Carbone earned first team All-State and All-SCC Division II honors and Cunningham was named second team All-State and first team All-SCC Div. II; Kelsie Carlette earned All-Class L and team MVP in girls skiing; Andrew Brown was team MVP in boys skiing.
• Sportmanship awards from the Kiwanis Club went to: David Wright (boys basketball); Ryan Powers (boys hockey); Ben Phillips (track and field); Dan Mongillo (swimming); Andrew Rogers (wrestling); and Colin Bogrette (skiing).