Chaminade-Madonna Preparing For Fresh Start

Losing nine seniors, including your two best arms, plus a few other transfers out of the program might cause some coaches to shake their head as to what they’re going to do now — especially considering seven of those graduates are now playing college baseball.

Not Mike Moss.

The Chaminade-Madonna manager, a veteran and longtime successful coach in Broward County, is looking at the situation as having a lump of clay in his hands to mold into his next masterpiece.

“Talent-wise, it’s tough to replace that, but what I like is that the group we’ve got now is a group of kids who are all on the same page and want to work hard,” Moss said. “They’re conscientious about the way they play the game. So I like the way we look with the new group. It’s like a fresh group. Obviously, last year was my first year back here, so now I can really implement my program a little bit more. We’ve got a good group of kids to do that with. They’re young, and we have some pretty good talent.”

The Lions, who went 14-13 last year, will be counting on a staff of mostly inexperienced pitchers to help them through not only a tough district slate but a challenging non-district schedule as well.

The staff will include Jordan Spicer, a sophomore whom Moss said “has a lot of ability.” He threw 4.2 innings last year. Adam Toombs joins the team as a transfer from West Broward. Other pitchers include Mike Ramunno, who threw three innings last year; Mike Nader, who played on JV; and Rashad Flerismond, who tossed two innings last season.

“Even though they’re young, they’ve got some ability,” Moss said. “They just have to get a little more game-tested I guess. We’ll see which one is going to step up.”

Hitting should be solid for the Lions, who lost a big bat in Luis Guillorme when he transferred. He hit .506 last year with 25 runs and 17 RBI, but Chaminade brings back its second-best hitter from last season, senior Mitch Moormann, whose average was .398. He scored 21 times, second-most on the team, and drove in 15.

“He’s a switch-hitter who has gotten stronger,” Moss said of Moormann, who will play short stop. “He’s a very good kid, smart kid. Works hard.”

Moormann explained his role as a senior leader as he sees it.

“I plan to get everybody in order and follow directions,” he said. “I plan to lead by example. I just want to lead our team to victory.”

Danny Vitello, a junior who will be the leadoff hitter, had a .313 average last year. Spicer (.286 last year) and Julian Pino (.284) also are solid bats in the lineup.

Moormann, outfielder Vitello and third baseman Pino are the only returning starters from last year’s team, which will make use of its quickness to score runs.

“We’ve got some pretty good speed, so we’re going to create some offense that way,” Moss said.

In addition to that, Moormann said the team is concentrating on small ball.

“With these BBCOR bats, you’ve got to lay down bunts,” he said. “It’s very important because you gotta get your guys moving around the bases. The more people on base, the more pressure you put on the other team, the more runs you can score.”

Pino said the team displays a competitive spirit and desire each time it takes the field.

“We fight. We don’t give up,” he said. “We’re scrappy. We’ll steal bases and do what it takes to win.”

The Lions will need all the offense they can muster if they’re going to do better than finish last in their district, one of the toughest in the county, and successfully make it through an equally challenging nondistrict schedule that includes American Heritage, Archbishop McCarthy, Monsignor Pace, Belen Jesuit, Southridge and Killian in addition to Orlando Lake Highland Prep and Orlando Edgewater. If that’s not enough, the Lions will compete in the Selective Recruiting Invitational, which features premier teams from the South Florida region.

“Our schedule is jammed. There’s no softies,” Moss said. “There’s no walk-over games.”

Chaminade battled through District 4A-13 last year and was competitive in every game. It defeated district champion Coral Springs Charter during the regular season and knocked out second-seeded University School in the district tournament.

“Everybody can play. That’s the great thing,” Moss said. “You know you have to come out every game ready to go.”

But with those games still months away, Moss said he and his assistants are focused now on just trying to see which players are going to help the team improve on that seventh-seed finish in the district among other things.

“The fall is a time for evaluation, giving every player some time to play, give them at-bats in game situations so you can see what they can do,” Moss said. “It gives us a much more accurate look and to be able to make some decisions rather than have a three-day tryout. We’ve got the whole fall.”

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