Corey Saccone, Contributing Writer
This is the first year head coach Sean O’Connor takes his MLB and all three NCAA divisional experiences to Saint Leo University.
With the baseball season officially underway, somewhere around Saint Leo University there are 15 seniors eager to leave with a ring on their finger, a banner in the gymnasium, and everything they have left out on the diamond. If that is not motivating enough, why not take a look at last year’s disappointing 22-23 record. Certainly there is room for improvement, and every game counts.
Former head coach Russ McNickle took a job with the San Diego Padres in the offseason, opening the door for Saint Leo Hall of Fame baseball player, Sean O’Connor to take the reins as head coach. As a player’s coach, he brings a loose environment, but simply means business. His resume consists of a 129-113-1 overall record. He is accompanied by pitching coach, Keith Strickland, and hitting coach Lee Parks, who returns for his 5th season with the Lions.
“I feel with our talent we have the ability to accomplish whatever we want. We need to be unselfish and become a team in order to get where we want to go. Where we want to go is up. Sitting near bottom of conference is not acceptable,” said Coach O’Connor.
Catcher, Daniel Torres and outfielder, Christopher Newcomb are coming off strong offensive and defensive years. Last season Newcomb provided dominance at the plate and on the base paths, leading the team with 8 home runs, 20 walks, and 17 stolen bases. His speed and range in the outfield rarely allows the opponent with an extra base hit.
“I spent a lot of time working out getting stronger, but at the same time worked on line drives to reduce pop outs and allow my batting average and extra base hits to increase,” said Newcomb.
Torres provided steady offensive numbers and is an absolute brick wall behind the plate. He allows pitchers the confidence to throw breaking balls in the dirt without worrying about them going all the way to the back stop.
“I am always working on things during practice. I work on foot work still and being quick with my hands even though I’m still warming up. A specific drill would be having someone throw dirt ball pitches to react to and work on blocking,” said Torres.
Also on the offensive side keep an eye out for shortstop, Frank Rawdow, and first baseman, Michael Revell. Rawdow provides solid defense up the middle and has some pop in his bat. Simple way to describe him is a hard-nosed, gap to gap hitter. Revell is a senior so look for him to explode offensively. He bats in the middle of the lineup and can put up big numbers if he stays consistent.
Pitching wise, Saint Leo has a lot depth. Rick Teasley led the Lions in ERA (earned run average) and Charles Neely was at the top of the win column with 6. Brent Krauss is a new addition to this year’s team and will take the third spot in the rotation. Tyrone Miller and Michael Dunnigan will rack up innings during the week and out of the bullpen Matthew Hewitt, Adam Albers, and Brandon Mumaw will add insurance. Ryan Sadler is currently injured, but when he returns he will take his 93 mph fastball to the mound for the big conference match ups.
Overall the Lions have much to make up for from last season. With the new attitude throughout the team, it seems quite possible that they can make it far after the regular season. The coaching staff has mixed and matched some drills and routines to shake things up a bit. Much hard work and dedication will be needed, but with 15 seniors, that alone speaks for itself.
