Mustangs’ baseball takes to the diamond for its first game today
at home against Homestead
Last year, it was Ben Hemeon. This year, it’s Peter Mickartz. For two consecutive seasons now, the Gilroy baseball team has had to replace a graduating slugger. During the 2005 season, Mickartz stepped into the void Hemeon left to lead the Mustangs in just about every hitting category.
So, who’s going to fill Mickartz’s shoes?
“I don’t know if we need that one guy,” said Gilroy head coach Clint Wheeler, returning for his seventh coaching season. “We have eight solid guys in the lineup.”
Perhaps that’s not exactly what Gilroy baseball followers were expecting for the 2006 team, which lost 11 players to graduation, including Mickartz, who is now a redshirt pitcher at Chico State.
And that’s just fine with Wheeler.
“I think the good thing is that people don’t think were going to be good,” said Wheeler, whose team opens its season today at home against Homestead at 3pm. “We’re going to be a little young, but I don’t really feel like that. We got some good experience this summer.”
The coach would even go as far to say that from top to bottom, the 2006 team is better than the 2005 Mustangs, who finished tied with San Benito for second place in the Tri-County Athletic League behind Live Oak.
“I think we’re going to hit the ball well,” Wheeler said. “And we’re playing defense really well right now.”
Gilroy, which finished 16-11 last season, returns starters Drew Andersen (shortstop), Chris Hernandez (catcher, pitcher), Josh Sterling (center field), Michael Stevens (third base) and Jeremy Teschera (pitcher, outfield).
As a sophomore, Stevens played second base. But Wheeler has moved him to third and plans on using Ben Hemeon’s younger brother, Matt, a junior, at second. Sobrato junior transfer Tyler Osborne will take over first base for Mickartz.
The departure of Mickartz, used as a reliever last year, also leaves a hole in the pitching lineup. But Teschera, who is still taking care of business on the basketball court with the Mustangs as their starting shooting guard, will be one of the top pitchers once the hoops season is over. Also in the rotation are newcomers Jacob Dexter, a sophomore who will miss the first two weeks with an injury, sophomore Kevin Grove, Evanger and Osborne. Veteran Hernandez is also in the mix.
When it comes to pitching, Gilroy’s strength is in numbers. Taking an unorthodox approach, Wheeler plans on having five or six different players pitch each week instead of two or three like many other high school teams. The coach plans on starting Osborne today.
As far as TCAL play goes, Wheeler expects it to be the usual five-team race between the offense-packed Palma, Live Oak, San Benito, Salinas and his Mustangs.
The coach would like to see his team break through as league champs this year, though history doesn’t sit on the Mustangs’ side. In the seven years Wheeler has been coaching at Gilroy, the Mustangs have been the TCAL runner-up six times.
“We can’t win the big one,” laughed Wheeler. “So right now I say we’ll come in second for sure.”
Today’s Game
Gilroy vs Homestead
3pm – Gilroy High School
2005 result
16-11 overall, 10-5 in TCAL (T-2nd), lost to Valley Christian in first round of Division I CCS playoffs
Key Losses
P/1B Peter Mickartz, OF Jared Gamm, OF Marty Sustaita, OF/P Joe Cano
Top Returnees
SS Drew Andersen, Sr.; C Chris Hernandez, Sr.; CF Josh Sterling, Jr.; 3B Michael Stevens, Jr.; OF/P Jeremy Teschera, Sr.
Top Newcomers
2B Matt Hemeon, Jr.; 1B/P Tyler Osborne, Jr.; P/3B Ryan Evanger, P/OF Jacob Dexter, So., P Kevin Grove, So.
