Baseball Squad Readies Title Defense

Tryouts started this week for the varsity baseball team, which is returning to action after winning the Division II state championship last summer.

Head Coach Steve DeMeo, during a recent interview, explained that the upperclassmen who are returning after last season's title run — many of whom will staff the club's pitching rotation — will be key to the team's success this year.

Returning to the mound this spring are seniors Gian Bianchi and Chris Pistacchio and junior Joe Pecchia, who provided offensive firepower and strong pitching for the squad last spring, and sophomore Joe Bongiovanni, who has the distinction of being on the varsity and JV championship teams, as well as the Junior Little League All-Star squad who .

"Chris and Gian are our captains, and Mike Pecchia was a good player for us last year, and all three of them went out, they prepared down in Warwick, they took a bunch of guys with them every Sunday for hitting, and a couple guys went for pitching, as well," DeMeo explained of the team's preparation even before pitchers and catchers reported last week. Of Bongiovanni, he added: "He's cool and calm. He didn't have any butterflies last year pitching at McCoy [in the championship series], and when you're on the mound, that's half the battle."

Junior Michael Pennacchia also returns to the Panther lineup this year, while his younger brother, Steve, is out to earn a spot in the lineup, DeMeo noted.

The longtime coach also explained that the Woonsocket Villa Novans, who forced the Panthers to a third game in their semifinal series last spring, will be the team to watch.

"Woonsocket's going to be good— they're like us, they have all their pitchers coming back [so] they'll be very competitive, because their sophomore group, when they were in eighth grade, won the middle school championship," DeMeo explained. "Our JV played them in the finals of the division tournament  [in 2011] — I have great respect for their coach, and their kids are good guys and they play the game the right way."

Asked whether he feels there's a lot of pressure on the team this year in light of their state title, DeMeo said this year's squad isn't facing the same expectations of the 2011 team that reeled off 10 straight wins to start the season.

"There's really not much pressure. Last year there was a lot of pressure because the kids knew they were good — we were successful two years before that, and we had nine returning seniors, so we were a very experienced crew," DeMeo explained. "This year, with only three or four returning starters, we have new guys being incorporated — which is good."

DeMeo also spoke about the depth of the town's baseball program, all the way through the Little League ranks.

"There's a lot of pride in Johnston baseball — it's our game," DeMeo said.

After a non-league scrimmage against Tolman High School on Mar. 31, Johnston is scheduled to begin their 2012 campaign on Apr. 2 at 3:30 p.m. at home against Scituate.

Past articles on this topic:

• , Dec. 27, 2011
• , Aug. 19, 2011
• , Jun. 9, 2011
• , Jun. 9, 2011
• , Jun. 1, 2011