St. Thomas Aquinas Casts A Long Shadow In 2014

All the pieces seem to be in place.

Looking to build off a 2013 campaign that ended in the state semifinals, St. Thomas Aquinas seems to have all the answers for the personnel that they lost. Players and coaches are hungry and focused, and everyone has the same drive to go after the school’s third state title.

Having guys who are capable of doing it is one thing, even if it is the most important part. But after falling in a tough 2-1 loss to Haines City in a state semifinal that the Raiders felt was theirs for the taking, they have learned that there are a lot of factors necessary to overcome each and every adversity. Although the team brings tons of talent to the field, they still have to replace their top performers who were also their top leaders on the squad. What the club is learning is that as a whole they just may have more talent this season.

“There is certainly a lot of talent we have to lead this year,” said senior catcher Teddy Meissner, who is one of the returning starters who has stepped up to embrace a leadership role. “I try to keep talking and keeping guys up, and just give everyone a lot of encouragement. There are a lot of times when you are unmotivated and you go out there all quiet, and then the bats are quiet and the pitchers are out of it on the mound.”

Although a healthy jolt of enthusiasm from an important player such as the starting catcher is helpful, overall the Raiders anticipate that the memory of how close they were last year will always serve to keep the hunger pushing them onward. Even though the group graduated 11 seniors from that squad, it brings back numerous veterans and also several key transfers that all yearn for another chance for the Raiders to play at jetBlue Park in Fort Myers come season’s end.

Pitching led the way for the club a season ago, where the team leaned heavily on two guys now playing college baseball in Frank Rubio and Alec Byrd. As dominant as those two hurlers were, the team has the chance to be even better and deeper as a pitching staff now. Returners such as senior Kevin Balfour and junior Christian Demby have matured into leading roles, and the squad also gets a huge boost in welcoming in Chaminade-Madonna junior transfer Jordan Spicer and Nova junior transfer Nick Marchese, both of whom were the top starters for their respective former clubs. Also in the mix are two veteran left-handers in Grant Black and Hunter Schoenfield, and side-armer Wesley Spano.

“We have a lot of depth and I think we have a chance to be even better than we were last year,” said Balfour. “It’s awesome that we have so much competition towards each other and it just pushes us everyday. We can do big things. We lost a lot losing Byrd and Rubio, but they taught me how to step up and how to dig down deep, and how to pitch out of tough situations. I got all of my knowledge off of them and now I am just going to give it to these younger guys.”

Being able to share what you learned on the playing field helps to maintain legacies and traditions among any program, and perhaps nobody knows that better than Raiders manager Troy Cameron. When Cameron took over the top spot a year ago it took almost no time for him to earn his players respect, since he too had formerly played and excelled for St. Thomas during his high school years. Cameron was a part of the school’s first state championship team in 1995, and he also enjoyed a nice professional playing career prior to finding himself back at his alma mater.

Knowing that their coach has donned the same team colors and led this same program to glory once before has given the players that much more trust and confidence that he knows how to guide them to the same success. Players and coaches alike are unified in their appreciation for the program traditions, and there is constant conversation regarding how the things their predecessors have done before can now be applied in the current regime’s approach.

“The tradition of the baseball program of where it’s been and what visions we have of it being, these kids want to be the ones who take it there,” said Cameron. “These kids have the drive, the attitude and the desire; they get it now. They go out everyday with the expectation to win. This year we will make sure these kids know they will have worked harder than any other kids, and they should take that out there expecting to win every game.”

The players also believe that they can win them all. The offense and defense have come along well leading up to the season, with guys like Demby at third and Ross Thibeault in centerfield anchoring both units. The pitching staff is loaded with ability from both sides of the rubber. Cameron jokes that his responsibility with the staff got much tougher now that he can’t just run the same two guys out there every time. If they realistically chase after perfection, they have Demby throwing in the low nineties and Balfour, Marchese and Spicer all proving they can succeed every time they take the dish. Pitching always takes teams far, and that is the goal here.

“The experience you get from winning a championship with your buddies is one that ranks at the top of your baseball experience list,” said Cameron.

The guys all know they got just a sample of that glory, and even that left them in awe as they clamor for another taste.

“Going to states is like a dream,” said shortstop Gary Mattis. “You work so hard running and hitting in the cages, and then it’s an eye-opener when you walk in the place and see the big stadium and the field. It’s amazing.”

Mattis is a strong example of Cameron’s willingness to trust his player’s talents, and that if a kid can play then he will play. The sophomore got a chance as a freshman, and he responded by working his way to earn the starting job. Mattis hit .258 in 31 at bats, and came on strong offensively towards the end of the season when it mattered most. Cameron notes that he thinks Mattis is going to be very special in his high school career, and Mattis appreciates the input he gets from a coach who also earned the starting job as a St. Thomas freshman. The way his coaches and teammates have embraced him has given him all the confidence he needs.

“Last year coming in as a freshman with so many seniors, I was scared and was just trying to do my own,” Mattis said. “They brought me up and made me who I am today, to have confidence that I can play shortstop. I’m lost for words by the respect that they give me.”

Cameron knows that how far a team goes is sometimes out of their control, but what they can control is how much they get out of all their players. The group got a taste for the ultimate glory and now they want to prove they can get back and take control of that moment again. They intend to go out and play as hard as they can and excel at putting pressure on the other teams. Their depth will allow them to always keep the foot on the gas pedal, and they will continue to enjoy the athletic ability that has always been a luxury with St. Thomas students.

“They need to learn how to compete and beat their best friend for that position,” Cameron said. “Everyday in practice they need to compete if they want to be the starting guy. Everyday is a new day so keep putting in the effort and the time. In baseball that’s what gets rewarded.”

Support is evident across the roster between every guy, even as the guys compete for their playing time. They seem to understand that they need to succeed together to succeed at all, and that by driving one another every day they will always force the best from each other. Coaches are trying to force-feed as much baseball knowledge into their brains, and a group with a team GPA of 3.7 means they have the wherewithal to understand what they are being taught.

Guys use every chance they can to be better players, to be better leaders, and yet still maximize their own effort to improve as an individual. Meissner is a prime example, as the starting catcher spends a lot of time catching bullpen sessions for all of his pitchers. Meissner has stepped up to the challenge of handling such an important role on the team, and he has learned how to turn the extended bullpen sessions into extra practice for himself as well.

“A lot of guys take it like they are just there for the pitchers, but if you use it as your time to work on things it makes you a lot better,” said Meissner. “It helps a lot using that mentality out there. If you’re always thinking like it’s a game, then it’s nothing different. This year I’m trying to focus on that, and it is actually me getting better from the pitchers.”

This brand of thinking and level of preparation fuels the entire mindset of the Raiders clubhouse. The guys want to win and strive for greatness, and stamp their place in the timeline of a school they take so much pride in playing for. This pride is also crucial in regards to one of the team’s biggest hurdles, and that comes from district rival Nova. Coach Cameron believes that a good rivalry makes teams more competitive, and he relishes the healthy rivalry that exists between Nova and St. Thomas.

Cameron feels that every hero has to have a villain, and for the Raiders Nova is that villain, just as they are sure the Raiders are Nova’s villain. It’s something that is good for high school baseball to have such intensity in one single game of baseball, and last season the Raiders maximized those moments to go 4-0 against their rivals. It is something that only adds fuel for both sides, as one works for revenge and the other looks to maintain that streak.

Cameron just hopes the Raiders can find a way to play that way everyday, and treat every opponent as if it was Nova they are playing. If they do that, they will always be at their best and ready to push towards the overall goal of winning a title. He knows what it’s like to win for this program, and he knows how badly the seniors in particular strive to stamp their legacy.

“When I was a freshman here, I never thought it would come this fast,” said Balfour. “Now I’m a senior and I’m ready to be part of the tradition, and to win it all would be a dream. When we put the uniform on we respect every person who has ever put this uniform on before. There is a legacy behind us and they want us to produce that now.”

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