Gilroy High baseball team off to promising 2-0 start with wins
over Soquel, Watsonville
GILROY – The Mustang diamondmen will be filled with young, first-year varsity players, but veteran skipper Clint Wheeler likes his team’s chances for the upcoming season – especially with junior ace Peter Mickartz anchoring the rotation.
“He’s our guy on the hill,” said Wheeler of his right-handed pitcher, whose fastball has been consistently clocked at 86 miles per hour early on. “He’s the hardest working kid we got out there. The kid really wants to be good and he’s definitely taking some steps forward.”
Mickartz was a modest 3-2 in league last season, but both Todd Gimenez and John Kirkish are now playing at Gavilan College, so he’ll be going up against the opposing team’s top pitchers.
Playing catch with Mickartz will be sophomore catcher Chris Hernandez, who moved up to varsity as a freshman after starting on the JV squad and played out the last half of the season.
“I think he’s going to play a much bigger role for us this season. He’s worked hard. He’s a better catcher and better hitter now. The guys are really looking to him to be a leader out there,” Wheeler said. “He’s also going to be our closer.”
Senior third baseman Ben Hemeon arrived late from basketball season, and is battling for the starting job with junior Mark Gonzalez, who played on junior varsity all of last season.
“He just got out here Saturday, so right now he’s battling for a job with Mark Gonzalez,” said Wheeler of his returning starter. “He’ll be DH-ing and playing a little third.”
Junior leftfielder Marty Sustaita returns to the outfield grass for Gilroy, as well as seniors Ron Colmon and Derrick Fellows, who both just finished up their basketball seasons as well.
“(Sustaita) is another one battling for an outfield spot. He can bat 1, 2, even 3 down to end of line-up,” Wheeler said. “We have some fast kids out there. (Colmon) is a great defensive player. Hopefully, he can swing the bat a little bit better this year. … (Fellows) is a strong kid. He’s a streaky hitter right now.”
Junior Joe Cano is vying for an outfield spot, swinging the lumber well early on, and could also get some time on the hill this season.
“Right now, he’s not a power hitter, but when he’s done playing baseball, he will be,” said Wheeler of Cano, who also plays football. “He has a nice, solid stroke. He goes the other way well.”
Sophomore centerfielder Josh Sterling is also in the outfield mix, coming up from junior varsity last season.
“We can put an outfield on the field that can really cover some ground,” Wheeler said. “(Sterling) is a young kid. He has some speed. The first two games, he played centerfield for us and did a great job.”
The Mustangs are already 2-0 in non-league action, defeating Soquel, 5-2, on Feb. 18 and Watsonville, 15-14, on Friday.
“These guys, they are clutch hitters. They come up with big hits when we need to put the ball in play,” Wheeler said. “The other day I walked out there when we were in a tight game against Watsonville and the kids were relaxed. They were not even nervous. I guess it’s one of those things where they are too young to know they should be nervous.”
Gilroy, which won six straight to close out its league season last year, including back-to-back victories over co-league champions Live Oak and Hollister, will play at home today against Fremont at 3 p.m. in its opening game of the Blossom Hill Tournament.
“I think our league is going to be pretty average this season. There is no frontrunner out there,” Wheeler said. “I told our guys it’s out there for the taken. Any team that stays focused for all 15 league games, that’s what’s going to win it.”
The Mustang infield was hit with an early setback since junior shortstop Jordan Newton did not make grades and is out for the season. But Gilroy’s got options with junior utility man Anthony Lucio, who can play every position and even pitch, and sophomore second baseman Drew Anderson, who played JV last year.
“After we lost Newton because of grades, we told all the guys that they are going to learn every position, so every infielder can play second, short and third,” Wheeler said. “(Anderson) is a smart kid. He works hard and has been playing great defense for us so far.”
Junior Armando Franco, a JV starter last year, is slated to play first base and do some pitching as well.
“He’s a real big kid. He does a great job (at first base). He’s got good feet and he moves around the bag very well,” said Wheeler of Franco. “On the hill, he’s done a great job. He throws strikes and chews up innings.”
Junior right-hander Carlos Garcia, who pitched some on varsity last season before hurting his arm, is battling for an infield position, while junior catcher Kevin O’Docharty, junior outfielder Justin Sabla, and junior left-hander Jeff McPhail are all expected to make contributions.
“I think we’re getting better every day. We’ve made only a few errors early on, but that will get better with hard work,” Wheeler said. “I’ve got a great group of kids. They may be young, but they make up for it because they work hard and they are smart.”
