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Madonna Baseball Has Nucleus of Veterans for 2019 Season

WEIRTON — The Madonna baseball team got off to a shaky start last year but finished within two runs of winning the sectional championship.

While veteran coach Tim Provenzano lost six seniors to graduation and another player to transfer, he has hopes of repeating that performance this year.

The Blue Dons posted a 12-9 regular season record in 2018 but lost a 2-1 decision in the sectional championship game to perennial nemesis Wheeling Central.

In some ways, 2019 could be considered a rebuilding year for Provenzano, but he has a nucleus of veterans that includes three players who will end their careers with four varsity letters.

“We have five lettermen, and I think we can fill in some spots with some talented sophomores and freshmen,” said Provenzano, who has no juniors on the team. “We have four seniors that played well for us last year, and I have been impressed thus far with the sophomores and freshmen.”

Graduation took six from the 2018 club that finished 13-11 overall. Gone are three-year first baseman Tyler Wright, who took his team-leading .589 average to Waynesburg University; Mac Raymond, Jimmy DeMarco; Chase Lemley; Vince Pulice and Giovanni Lenhart. Add to that pitcher and utility player Nick Paul, who transferred to Weir.

“Nick would have been a solid starting pitcher for us this year, but we have what I consider a very good starting rotation,” Provenzano said. “Dom Mazur, Gavin Dietrich, Dominic Brncic and Mat Amasmeier should win some games for us. Jake McKay, who transferred from Weir, will get some spot starts.”

Mazur and Dietrich are four-year lettermen, while Brncic came on as a freshman last year and pitched some key innings in relief for the Blue Dons going down the stretch. Amasmeier is a freshman, while McKay is a senior.

A pitcher in his playing days at Oak Glen, Provenzano is well aware of the importance of having a strong staff. He will have eight pitchers to call upon. Besides the starting rotation, he has senior Christian Ridgeway, a four-year letterman toeing the rubber this year, along with fellow senior Dylan Austin. Both of them could get a spot start or two.

Austin played baseball as a freshman. After sitting out his sophomore and junior years, he wants to give baseball another shot. Provenzano also has Ethan Rowing, a hard-throwing sophomore.

“Pitching is a priority with me, so I want to make everybody a potential pitcher,” Provenzano said.

Provenzano thinks his defense will be solid, with Luke Beatty returning behind the plate and Dietrich back for his fourth season as the starting shortstop. Brncic looks like he’ll get the nod at second base, with Mazur at first base and Rowing at third base. Ridgeway played a lot in left field last year but will slide over to center field to replace the steady Lenhart. Austin, along with sophomore Dylan McDaniel and freshmen Cameron Gray, Nate Elias and Amasmeier, will get opportunities to start in right field and fill in at the other two outfield positions.

“I think we could be a strong hitting team again this year,” Provenzano said. “Hitting definitely will not be our Achilles’ heel.”

Beatty, who batted .426 in 2018 and earned special honorable mention all-state, is expected to lead the offense this year. He laced 10 doubles, had a home run and drove in 20 runs. Dietrich hit at a .351 clip last year with five doubles, 13 RBI and 31 runs scored.

“Mazur was our hard-luck guy last year,” Provenzano said. “He finished at .292 but had a lot of hard hit balls directly at the opponent’s defense — the old at ’em balls. He had 17 singles but made the most of them, driving in 19 runs for us last year.”

Provenzano added that Dietrich will anchor the defense at shortstop. Mazur probably will play mostly at first base but has played every infield position throughout his career.

“I think we’ll be solid defensively,” Provenzano said. “Yes, we’ll have to fill in gaps when some of the guys like Dietrich, Mazur, Brncic and Ridgeway are pitching, but I have full confidence that the younger players will step in and step up. Also, the return of Austin will be a great addition for us. He adds speed and maybe won’t hit for a lot of power, but I think he’ll get on base and cause some problems for some teams.

“We like to take a trip every other year, and this year we’re going back to a tournament in Nashville that we played in 2017. Trips like that give us a good opportunity to play against some different competition from around the Eastern United States and also gives us a good opportunity to bond as a team.”

Provenzano has the same three-man coaching staff that have been with him for several years in Erik Sperlazza, Luke Myers and Jeff Sylvestri.

“This is my sixth season as head coach, and these kids are among the best I’ve had,” Provenzano said.

“They are respectful, coachable and they are a hungry group that is putting in the hard work it takes to be champions.”

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