Fort Zumwalt South Baseball Prepping for Season

Although the baseball team lost six seniors to graduation in its starting lineup, head coach Keith DeShurley feels the 2011 campaign can still be a success.

“When we won a state championship in 2009 it elevated this program to a whole other level,” DeShurley said. “We lost quite a few kids last year, but I would still expect us to be competitive.”

FZS finished the 2010 season with a 23-7 mark. Junior Gerrion Grim will lead the Bulldogs’ from the mound as the No. 1 pitcher this year DeShurley said.

“He (Grim) got a lot of innings as a sophomore,” DeShurley said. “When he’s on the mound we’ll be competitive. There will be questions on the back side of the rotation.”

 Senior Ryan Haskell will be the Bulldogs’ No. 2 pitcher this year and sophomore Jeff Smugala will returns as catcher.

“He doesn’t look like a sophomore out there and he won’t play like a sophomore,” DeShurley said. “He had a really good freshman year. Jeff is a quiet and very tough-nosed kid.”

Grim, senior Tommy Moran, and sophomore Jeremy Light are all competing for the first base position. Ryan Fleming will play second base and senior Dan Seddon will play shortstop. Seddon played second base on the 2009 state championship team and moved to shortstop last year. Senior Ryan Light, Jeremy’s brother, will play third base.

The Bulldogs have no full-time starters back from last year in the outfield. David Gambino will play centerfield. DeShurley said he was a quality defensive player last year but will be expected to hit the ball well this year. Senior Cody Spotanski will play left field and senior Blake Hetelle will play right field. DeShurley said a good season out of Spotanski or Hetelle could make or break the season.

When it comes to hitting and knocking in runs, DeShurley expects a different strategy than last year.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to score at the level we did last season,” he said. “We might have to go back to the way we were in the 2009 season where we stole a lot of bases, bunted our way on base, and used sacrifices. We don’t have a power hitter on the team so we’ll have to manufacture some runs.”

DeShurley said he expects Ryan Light and Seddon to be the team’s top hitters this year. He called Light a “proven hitter” and called Seddon a “clutch hitter.” Light hit .387 last year and Seddon hit .390.

The Bulldogs first game in 2011 is Friday, March 18 at the Troy Tournament.