Post 45 Ready to Take the Diamond

The Medford Post 45 American Legion baseball team is set to kick off the 2011 season today at Playstead Park. Medford will open the summer term against Watertown at 5:45 pm.

The local nine begin the campaign with a four-game homestand and Weston, Newton and Sudbury—the latter two perennial state powers—will all follow Watertown to Playstead over the course of the next week.

Medford competes in District 5, which encompasses Middlesex County, and features many Division 1 college recruits, committed to such prominent programs as Vanderbilt, Boston College and Columbia.

Post 45 features a brand new coaching staff this year, along with a host of familiar names from the recently ended high school season.

Medford High assistant varsity baseball coach Ryan Kozul takes the helm this term, and at his side will be former Austin Prep head coach Dom Parillo, who led the Cougars from 2004 to 2010.

“The league is very tough,” Kozul said about the competition his team will see this year. “It will be challenging, but exciting at the same time.”

Kozul played for Post 45 from 2003 until 2006, and recently finished his first year under head coach Mike Nestor at Medford High. The Mustangs were ousted in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 North Sectionals by Chelmsford in a gut-wrenching 5-3 contest that required 13 innings to settle on June 3, but the successful year of varsity coaching experience should serve Kozul well during the imminent Legion campaign.

Especially given the makeup of the Post 45 roster.

Traditionally, Post 45 has struggled to attract the premier players from the area because of the presence of two Senior Babe Ruth teams and the Intercity League. A situation that Kozul has been working hard to remedy.

“I’ve put in a lot of work to change that over the last few months,” he said. “I’m confident it can translate into success on the field. This is definitely the most talented roster the team has had in the last decade.”

The squad includes eight key players from the 15-5 Medford Mustangs, including Greater Boston League All-Stars Danny Gilchrist and Chris Salvati. 

“On the pitching side, I’ll be leaning on [Gilchrist and Salvati],” said Kozul. “They were both GBL All-Stars, and two of the best pitchers in the area.”

Other Medford High players wearing Post 45 jerseys this summer include Nick Rocco, Mike Pizzi, Tyler McLean, Pat Duffy, Cory Devlin and John Lavoie. 

Lavoie, as one may recall, came on in relief of Gilchrist in the Chelmsford game, and the sophomore pitched almost seven innings of strong work under the most stressful of conditions. 

“Lavoie was huge for us at Medford High down the stretch and in our state tournament game against Chelmsford,” Kozul said. “He is a crafty and efficient pitcher, who has a lot of potential to play at the next level down the road.”

Joining Gilchrist, Salvati and Lavoie on the list of hurlers that figure to see some summer innings with Post 45 are southpaw Nolan Brennan of Belmont Hill, who Kozul characterized as a “promising young lefty,” and the hard-throwing Paul Covelle who plays his high school ball at Malden Catholic.

With young catchers Rocco and McLean to work behind the plate, Post 45 should be assured of a solid battery for the summer, and the experience will serve both young athletes well.

“They both performed well during the high school season and improved with each game,” said Kozul. “Playing against this level of competition will only help them progress as players.”

Two players that Kozul is hoping will step into a leadership role this summer are former Medford High Mustangs John Mangiasi (2010) and Kyle Heath (2010). Both players are outfielders.

“They bring a lot of experience to the table,” he said of the pair. “I’m hoping the younger guys will follow their lead.”

Another Mustang duo, albeit a current one, will also be expected to make a contribution from the outfield. Duffy and Pizzi, mainstays of coach Nestor’s lineup throughout the spring, should both see significant playing time in the outfield.

A former assistant at Arlington Catholic, Kozul is pleased to have three representatives from the 2011 Cougars on board this summer as well. Ryan Carvalho, Anthony Barry and Mark Fusco will don the Post 45 uniform this year.

“Barry performed well there as the starting third baseman,” Kozul said. “Carvalho and Fusco are both very versatile and give me a lot of options. Especially late in games.”

The new boss of Post 45 baseball was quick to acknowledge the support of John Granara and the entire Medford American Legion Post 45, which according to Kozul, has been unwavering throughout the troubling times the economy has seen over the past decade.

“In an era where parents are paying thousands of dollars for their children to play high-level athletics, we are very fortunate to have the support of the Medford Legion Post,” Kozul said. “Their support allows our players to play elite competition at a very small price.

“My number one goal is to reward that support with a successful season on the field.”

 For more information about District 5 American Legion baseball, complete team rosters and schedules, please visit http://www.legion5baseball.com/