Tommy Losito Is New King Of The Hill

The Dayton baseball team may or may not duplicate their magical 2010 season next spring but it won't be because of lack of excellence at the top of the pitching rotation.  

That's because last season's super sophomore, Tommy Losito, is poised to be the staff's new linchpin. He had a stellar 2010 as the second man in the rotation, as he went 6-2 and sported a 2.59 ERA. And in his 62 1/3 innings pitched he fanned 58, yet walked only six.  

But gone is last season's ace, Ross Goldfarb, who's heading to the University of Tampa, and in steps the junior-to-be Losito.

Although Losito showed flashes last season that he's capable of being 'The Man', he said he knows he's still a work in progress.      

"I'm nervous but I'll work on it," he admitted following a recent summer legion game.   

The ace of the staff now, Losito said nerves won't get in the way of him becoming a better leader. If anything, last season's acquaintance with championship-level players has primed him.     

"I felt good [last season] throwing and gained a lot of confidence pitching against good teams," he said. "If I keep working through the winter and the fall I should be alright. Learning from guys like Elliot [Karp], Alex [Popolani], 'Quay [Marquay Mayo] -- and I could go on and on – helped. But I'll take all their advice and work hard and keep up their tradition."   

According to Losito, one guy who is in his corner is Goldfarb.      

"I've seen Ross even though he's been busy getting ready for college," said Losito, who added Goldfarb is spilling all the secrets of opposing hitters and teams. "He's been telling me about all the teams and the kids. He told me a lot of stuff. He has confidence in me and is helping me walk through every step of the way."    

Head coach Mike Abbate said he's also firmly in Losito's corner and perhaps sees an even bigger impact than what Goldfarb had.   

"He's got a little bit more control and can definitely locate his fastball better," said Abbate. "Ross worked deeper in counts. The one thing we're working on with Tommy is to work the inner parts of the plate more. But he definitely has great control and is working a third pitch, a changeup, which Ross didn't really have."   

Abbate said another thing that Losito has to work on is what plagued Goldfarb early in his career: patience. But it's also something that Losito is starting to master at a rapid pace.   

"He brings maturity. There'd be some tight calls from the [legion] umps and he used to moan and groan but now he shows maturity as a leader," said Abbate. "He's had three of four errors behind him the last three outings that could've kept his outings to no runs. But he showed no emotion towards his teammates and instead picked them up. Just as a leader that's the first thing he's doing [emotionally] on the mound."    

Abbate added that physically, Losito is also ahead of the curve.   

"Ability-wise he's throwing strikes and changing pitches and getting quality college-bound guys and good high school guys out," Abbate said. "He's picked up right where he left off. He's pitching against teams with out-going seniors and different Group IV teams and is shutting them down this summer. I can't say enough about him."    

Abbate did add more, however, and said that Losito isn't just a one-dimensional player.    

"He's been playing well and not only pitching well but hitting really well against quality pitchers," added Abbate. "He's certainly been one of our top players so far this summer."  

One recent stretch, where the Group I Bulldogs went 3-2 against Group IV opponents, Losito picked up a 6-2 win over Linden while going the distance, allowing five hits and fanning a game-high six. He followed that up days later with a two-hit, RBI performance in a 4-1 loss to Clark.  

The uneven play of Springfield so far hasn't deterred Losito's play but he knows he can't do it alone. What he does know, however, is that this youthful bunch can sneak up on teams this summer and next spring.   

"I have faith that a lot of these kids will step up," he said. "Most of us have been playing together since we were like eight and won a couple of championships in middle school, so it's not like we don't have what it takes to get it moving and rolling like a wheel."    

While not going as far as guaranteeing back-to-back titles, Losito did say this current batch may actually have a leg up on last season's veterans.   

"It's going to help a lot," Losito said of the fact that Springfield is fielding a summer legion team for the first time in two years. "Kids will now have an opportunity to compete just like them [outgoing champion seniors] and who knows?" 

The calculated Abbate wasn't showing such bravado but did say winning can only enhance such confident talk – if they continue to do the right things.   

"You have to play good to have swagger," Abbate said. "But we have a ton of young guys here who need to make the plays and right now they aren't."    

Losito acknowledged they have a ways to go and said guys should be embracing the recent success instead of trying extra hard to live up to it.    

"We have to want to be out there. We just won the conference, so everyone should be up about that," he said. "We need to regain that swagger in the gym and over the summer. But we have time to turn it around."     

The supporting cast may be slightly lagging behind Losito right now but Abbate said it shouldn't be long before the team catches up -- if they follow the lead of his new king of the hill.   

"He has two big years and a summer ahead of him," said Abbate. "And we expect great things from him in leading us."