Pine Crest Ready To Shine Under Manganaro

When Panthers senior Brady Acton finishes his last class of the day, he sprints to get to baseball practice. The veteran infielder hates missing any practice time, and he apologizes every day for being late even though it is something beyond his control due to the academic focus at the school. Acton just can’t wait to get there with the team, knowing there is something special with this group.

There is no mistaking the buzz going on with the Pine Crest baseball team.

As the team enters a new era under Manager Nick Manganaro, there is infectious enthusiasm radiating from both players and coaches. It is a team brimming with talent and potential, and a coaching staff that is youthful but experienced. The excitement is evident on the faces of any body wearing a Pine Crest uniform, and everyone seems to sense that 2014 is going to be a special season.

When longtime manager Glen Pierson made the decision to turn over the lead reigns at the end of last season, he knew after 19 years in which he molded the Panthers into a true contender that it was the right group of guys he was entrusting it to. In fact, Pierson has remained on as an assistant coach, enjoying the chance to continue to give to the program he loves so dear while still having the flexibility to spend time watching his son play college baseball as well. Pierson has always appreciated what a great group of coaches he had on his staff, and the way they support one another under Manganaro is downright inspiring.

“We want our attitude and our energy to reflect on our players so that we get the most out of them,” said Manganaro. “They see our energy and feed off of it, and sometimes they get us lively when they’re having a great time. It’s a tremendous group of kids and we believe we can get it done this year.”

The Pine Crest coaches are an experienced and excitable bunch, guys who love the game and who take great pride and pleasure in serving within this rare unit. There is tremendous trust in faith within the group that also includes Ryan Shealy, Dave Hollingsworth and John Zimmerman. Shealy has been the team’s hitting coach for several years, and was also a candidate to replace Piersen.

“Having a guy like him around to reinforce the hitting is a real treat,” Manganaro said. “We always joked about it, but I know he’ll get his time eventually. He enjoys where he is right now and we really work well together. We talk about everything as a staff and nobody steps on each other’s toes. Our offense has bought into what needs to get accomplished, and they know our approach. It’s always the same things over and over that we preach and they get it done. It’s evident in how many guys get better and better every year.”

The Panthers are coming off a benchmark season in which the batted .328 as a club, with six returning starters who all hit over .300. They clubbed 22 home runs and had a .499 slugging percentage. Nearly all of those hitters come back this year, as well as many others who are emerging to earn their swings.

Leading the way is senior Matt Rothenberg, a fourth-year varsity player who will move on to play baseball for Harvard next year. The slugger led the team in nearly virtually every offensive category a season ago, hitting .333 with 33 runs, 25 RBIs and five home runs. Manganaro marvels at how focused Rothenberg has become over his high school career, and what an example he sets on the team.

“We have a core group of guys who have been on the team now for four years or so,” said Rothenberg. “We started as a young team then but now we are stepping into bigger roles and we know we have to produce both on the field and also day by day in practice. It’s an exciting year and we should be able to do what we have wanted to do all along. We’re super hungry because we feel we have a great team and we should be able to put this together. We just enjoy being out on the field together.”

Unlike in most other circumstances, the transition to a new coach has been essentially flawless for this squad that already knows there new head guy. The level of respect is there on both sides and the players already love playing for him and all of their coaches. Having Coach Pierson still there is like having the best of both worlds.

“I was lucky to have somebody like Glen Pierson to work under. His 19 years of experience helped me learn so much,” said Manganaro. “That’s going to help me in my first year and for years to come. It’s a little overwhelming how much you have to do behind the scenes. But nothing can take away the feeling you have once you step onto the field. Getting to design my own practices and bring in new staff has been really fun.”

Coach Manganaro understands it is important to keep this veteran club intact to the recipe that has brought them this far, while it is also equally important to fine-tune things to help in their improvement. Any new coach has to make his impact with his philosophy, and Coach Manganaro has seen positive results from the way he has made changes and streamlined the practices.

Consistency is crucial to any successful club, and the team seeks to elevate the production from the pitching staff and defense to maximize them the way they are starting to maximize their offensive potential. Players have fielded a million ground balls in practice, have run through a million situational drills and the pitchers are being strict to their regiments. Coaches are trying to put them in pressure situations so they are ready for the pressure situations they will face down the road.

Offensively, the team continues to follow the model being set by Coach Shealy. The formula is proving its worth and everyday the batters find new ways to strengthen their value at the plate. Between the various abilities in the lineup and the chemistry that they all share together, things are easily falling into place for each player to find their role within the system.

“We’ve had some great years and we’re trying to build off of that,” said Manganaro. “We’ve been right there every year and I think this is the year we’re going to turn that corner. The kids want it and they believe in themselves. You can see it in their eyes. We feel it as well and we are trying to give them that support because we believe that they can do it.”

Every team has got to have heart, and for the Panthers that sort of example shines the brightest from catcher Alex Perez. The senior handles the pitching staff well in being their rock behind the plate, and he is one of the guys who gives them a tough mentality. Perez also brings another dangerous bat to the order, after he clubbed a .415 batting average a season ago.

The coaches talk about how exciting it has been to work with some of these players for so long, and how those leaders set such a great example nowadays just in the way they hustle on every single play. First baseman Chandler Cissel and shortstop Duke commit Zack Kone are a pair of veterans who do a tremendous job of leaving it all on the field, and both will play crucial roles in the team’s success.

The deep roster at Pine Crest is only working to create more confidence amongst the individuals. Backup catcher Ben Fiedler went down with a torn labrum that will hold him back early in the season, but thankfully the team has gotten a nice boost from freshman newcomer Michael Rothenberg. Junior outfielder Griffin Conine is also showing the drive he has to play towards the next level. Conine provides a ton of pop at the plate and hustles as hard as anyone, always looking to improve how he screens fly balls and makes his reads.

A welcome addition to the club this year is Brady Acton, who returns to the school that he attended up until he began middle school and transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas. The senior has strong character and he comes to practice everyday ready to work and lead by example. He has already established himself as one of the leaders on the squad.

“Just coming back and being a leader, I couldn’t be happier here,” said Acton. “I love these guys and I feel like I’ve settled in really well. I just try to help these guys understand to appreciate it, because any game could be your last. If I wasn’t able to come back here this year I don’t know what would have happened for me.”

Although the team appreciates that it has established a hitting identity, the Panthers understand that it is the pitching and defense that wins the big games. This is often the great equalizer of high school baseball, and it typically decides the outcome of any big contest. Coach Manganaro has challenged his pitchers to adapt a tougher mentality and use the same aggressive approach that has worked so well for the hitters.

“Coach Mango is really enforcing how walks can kill us,” said sophomore starter Garret Rukes. “You can’t play defense against a walk, and that’s something that we’ve been focusing on in practice. I just try to throw a first-pitch strike so I can work ahead and not be forced to just go to my fastball. We want to establish a good rhythm and keep the pace going.”

The lefthander has earned the chance to be the team’s number one guy, and he has quickly established his presence as a bulldog and a gamer on the mound. Coach Managanaro raves about how Rukes fills up the strike zone and relishes his opportunity to pitch the most important innings for the club.

Future Duke Blue Devil Chris Koppenhaver will also play a larger role on the staff, where he is making strides and turning the corner towards where the team needs him to be for the start of the season. Of the five seniors who graduated from last year’s team, much of their production came on the bump. Koppenhaver, junior Tom Walker and also Matt Rothenberg have been some of the guys to step up looking to fill that void.

Pine Crest fell just one game short of qualifying for the regional playoffs last year, and even with the district realignment the competition has remained relatively the same. One way in which the team looks to improve is their ability to execute in tough road settings. The club has been very tough at home, where they take great pride in defending their home territory in going 27-9 at home over the last three seasons. This year they will look to gain valuable experience by traveling to hostile environments such as Key West, Coral Springs Christian, Gulliver Prep, American Heritage and Monsignor Pace.

The Panthers respond well to challenges, and this fact is highlighted every day just by the way the guys balance their academic responsibilities along with their obligations to the team. Pine Crest is an esteemed academic institution and coaches in every sport accept that with that designation comes the necessity for them to work around the kid’s academic needs. Pine Crest players are true student-athletes who face several hours of homework a night after a long day of practice or game action.

“It teaches you about baseball to learn to handle the schoolwork and those things,” said Matt Rothenberg. “It teaches you about life and how to manage your time and make sure you’re taking care of business. Baseball is a good little break from all that hard work in the classroom.”

Coach Manganaro even jokes that his intelligent players help to keep him on his toes at all times. If he makes a mistake on his practice schedule, the players will let him know it. They dissect everything incredibly well and can evaluate anything that happens on the field. Playing on the team after a long and challenging school day is the reward for many of these players.

“All you can ask for is coachable kids who are willing to work hard and do what they need to do for the team,” said Manganaro. “We have kids who really want to be out there on the field.”

Leave a comment using your facebook account!