Patriots Expecting Nothing Less Than A Repeat Of 2012

When Bruce Aven took over as manager of the American Heritage Patriots in the summer of 2011, there was some shock around the county. Former manager Todd Fitz-Gerald had been at the school for 16 years and his sudden departure left some fans wondering where the Heritage program was headed.

By late May, that destination became clear: Port St. Lucie, where the Patriots would go on to win two games, securing not only a 5A state championship but also a national championship. It was a ride that the players enjoyed so thoroughly, that they intend on repeating the journey in 2013.

“We all came together right from the beginning last year under Coach Bruce,” said senior leader Zack Collins. “Coach demanded a lot from us, and we responded. I don’t think much has changed this season. We’ve lost a few key players, and we’ve picked up some good ballplayers as well. Our goal is to again have that feeling of winning a state title.”

When teams such as Heritage start winning, the players in the county take notice. This past summer, two of those players were CJ Chatham and Dean Pelman. The pair, who starred for Nova last season, made the move to Heritage, making a dangerous team already returning eight players even more potent. For Pelman, the decision to leave Nova was a tough one but one he feels was for the best.

“It was an extremely difficult decision,” said Pelman. “We had a lot of success both individually and as a team last year at Nova. CJ has been one of my best friends for years, and he was a main reason I went to Nova in the first place. To be able to play with him again over here, and with some of the guys that we know well that were already here. I just think it was all about winning a title in our senior year, and that’s what we are focused on.”

Some critics believe Aven has become quite the recruiter in his time at Heritage, and the former Florida Marlins player understands the criticism, but that does not mean he agrees with the notion.

“I have never recruited a player to come to Heritage,” said Aven. “First off, I have an academy, this team, and my son’s team to deal with every day. I don’t have time to worry about the outside stuff. This school is one of the best academic schools in the country. Players that come here have to be exceptional in the classroom even to get in. These two guys from Nova, I didn’t even know who they were until they showed up on my field and said they were accepted to the school.”

Aven also understands that sometimes, having a powerhouse program can actually hurt the depth chart.

“I lost three guys to other schools this year that were pretty good ballplayers,” Aven said. “But they had guys in front of them that were two-year starters. Everybody wants to be a part of a winning program, but they want to do it out there (pointing to the field), not in there (pointing to the dugout). So we may pick guys up, but we lose guys as well. It hurts our depth because nobody wants to sit on the bench.”

The depth may an issue in 2013, but the starting lineup will not. Returning from last year’s championship team are Collins (.443), Danny Zardon (.419), Brandon Diaz (.386), David Villar (12 RBI) and Dallas Perez (13 runs).

Other players who were in action sparingly last season or were part of the Patriots JV program but are expected to contribute to this year’s squad are Magglio Ordonez, Miles Moran, John Felicie, Louis Beck, Juan Oliveres and Ryan Givens, who is back at Heritage after moving away from the area last year.

The lineup is expected to be one of the best in the state and has a few guys shuffled from their spots last year. Aven is hoping that Diaz and Perez become set-up guys at the top of the lineup, with Zardon, Collins, Chatham and Villar in the meat of the order.

The team is losing lead-off hitter Gabby Aurrecoechea, DH Esteban Puerta, and shortstop Brandon Lopez, along with Brandon Vicens, who transferred this summer. The four accounted for 86 of Heritage’s 202 runs last year. They also drove in 67 runs among them.

Even with the losses offensively, the Patriots project out well this year.

“We have a pretty deep lineup, and coach is always stressing the right way to approach our at-bats,” said Zardon. “We work every day on situational hitting, moving guys over, hitting behind runners, and when we need to, driving the ball. It took us a while to realize last year that each of our at-bats matter and that one fundamental mistake could cost us a game. But this year is different, everyone knows what they have to do, and we just have to continue to execute.”

Although the offense appears set, there are some question marks on the mound. The questions do not come in the form of talent, of which the Patriots have plenty, but how that talent will perform with the spotlight on the team from the start. The staff has some big shoes to fill, with Alex Seibold, Domenick Mancini and Brandon Diaz having graduated. The 2012 staff had a 1.33 ERA, a number that will be hard to duplicate no matter how well the 2013 version performs.

“This year will be different,” said Heritage ace Shaun Anderson. “Last year, nobody really knew what to expect from us, and we were even kind of feeling our way through the season. This year, the target is on our back. Teams are going to bring their best against us every time we step on the field, and we need to be prepared for that.”

Anderson, a University of Florida signee, will be trying to improve on a stellar 0.87 ERA from a year ago. The senior struck out 66 batters in 56.1 innings as a junior, and with his fastball in the low 90s, topping the 2012 strikeout total is a possibility.

After Anderson, the Patriots will trot out Pelman to the mound, and they have Chatham who could develop into the team’s closer.

Defensively, Aven is dealing with a good problem to have. Zardon, last year’s third baseman, and Chatham both would like to play shortstop. Several other players are competing for third base and outfield slots, and the competition is a good thing, according to Aven.

“These are all great ballplayers that can play multiple positions,” Aven said. “We have been playing them at some different spots, trying to find the best mix. Everyone wants to be the shortstop, but that’s only one position. So we’ll see what happens the rest of the fall, but the competition for the positions has been healthy, and it’s made every guy work hard.”

The schedule for this year’s team will present several challenges. The team will face several power teams from Miami and will travel to face a few more strong programs in other parts of the state. Aven was hoping to secure a game with crosstown rival and three-time defending state champion Archbishop McCarthy, but the teams could not find an open date to face off. The Patriots main rival in the district again will be Pompano, which also returns some top talent.

As Archbishop has learned the past two years, winning the first one is tough, but repeating is tougher. The biggest thing state champions must deal with is complacency, and Heritage is hoping to avoid the complacency bug.

With a team that is senior heavy, there is always a fear of the senioritis disease that creeps up towards the spring. It is something that has held many a potential great team back over the years, but Aven has been delivering a message to his seniors for two seasons now.

“I always tell them, ‘you’re going to play college ball, some of you pro ball. The money and the fame will be there if you’re good enough. But the one thing that makes people stand out is leaving a legacy, and collecting those rings.’ I have a drawer full of rings that I won for football and baseball. I don’t wear them, but I have them. And I tell my guys, ‘When I go back to my high school, and my jersey’s retired, and my name’s up on the field. That’s special. That’s something that stays with you the rest of your life. I’m 40 years old now, and the legacies I’ve left can never be taken away. You don’t realize how it stays with you through the years, but it does.'”

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