Western Pushes Ahead With A Fresh Crop Of Talent

The Western Wildcats have a lot to prove.

The way the team battled through adversity last year exhibited the type of pride and character that is inspiring. The Wildcats fought through a rash of freak injuries to most of its seniors, and also a few bad bounces, to make a late season rally in 2013. Unfortunately they came up just short, missing out on the district playoffs after coming on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision in their final district contest.

That sting has left the returning players hungry, focused and motivated.

“We had an incredible amount of talent and a lot of guys who went on to play college baseball, but all we talk about is how we don’t want a repeat of last season,” said senior pitcher Ellison Garcia. “We had too much talent that didn’t show on the field. We’re working on the basic things, playing baseball and keeping your mind in the game. A lot of times we were not focused, so the coaches are really making sure we make those easy plays on those easy ground balls. Every time we play like a team we win.”

The Wildcats have certainly focused on playing together and being as strong as the sum of all of their parts. Players have been working nonstop since the end of last season, and the veterans have taken an active role in working with the younger guys. That has benefited the new players and has made the older guys better leaders for it. Now the coaches are just hoping that it will translate into a little better luck and a lot better baseball.

“A few of the juniors who were coming back as seniors came to me at the end of last season and they said that they don’t ever want to feel this again,” said Wildcats manager Paul Barnes, who is entering his third year at the helm. “Last year was frustrating because I think anyone would agree that we would a lot of talent and we kind of shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. When you lose games that you have a chance to win, you kind of dig yourself into a hole and we just couldn’t get out of it.”

That club graduated 13 seniors, including the core few players who carried most of the weight of those expectations on their shoulders. Even with the return of 13 seniors, the roster is made up of many good young players who just lack the varsity playing experience that comes with getting on the field. Young guys are pushing the veterans and there is lots of healthy competition, something that Coach Barnes hopes will benefit them all in the end.

“I think last year everyone looked to a few guys to lead them and always come through for us,” said Barnes. “It put a lot of weight on just four or five guys. This year they are taking it upon themselves to be the ones who are going to deliver.”

There is plenty of depth across the boards on this roster, and the program has always succeeded in integrating all of its players into action. Although few of the returning players were starters last season, virtually everyone on the team logged some innings on the field of play. Heading into the spring there are plenty of opportunities still open for the taking, although the reality is that each guy simply need to show what they offer in order to let the coaches decipher how best to use each one.

The primary focus for improvement is in regards to offensive consistency. Practices have been more focused on executing and not just trying to rely on guy’s natural talents to take them through. The coaches have thrown lots of situational intra-squad practices at them that are geared towards executing in the key moments. The team has a tendency to play close district games, and therefore they view their execution during scoring chances as the key to getting over the hump.

Even though the team has not tasted the postseason for a little while, the Wildcats are still regarded as a tough opponent by all the teams on their schedule. The players are always very coachable, and it is a strong and dedicated staff in Al Schwach, Dave Flores, Steve Triana, Keith Williams, John Brown and Lenny Schettino. The program has a history of success and a reputation earned for its tough play.

“I want the kids to say that whatever happened we left it all on the field, and that no one out-worked us,” said Barnes.

Several veterans have worked their way into expanded roles already, such as juniors Anthony Gutierrez and Trent Massaro. Senior Carlos Rodriguez had a solid .341 batting average with 10 runs, four doubles and two home runs in just 44 at bats last season, while fellow seniors Anthony Difabio, Diego Acosta and Jaime Del Hoyo have begun to come together as each starts their second varsity season.

Western also got a nice boost with the addition of two Piper transfers in junior Anthony Urso and sophomore Joseph Spano. These two former Bengals bring a fire and intensity, and Coach Barnes appreciates the youthful energy they bring and how hard they push themselves. They have gelled well with their new teammates, even those guys who they are competing for the same position with.

Another staple of the Wildcats approach is in how they move along younger guys in the system, and 2014 figures to bring more of the same. Sophomore outfielder Brannigan Hart is working his way into the lineup, and giving the coaches reason to consider using him sooner rather than later in his high school career.

“It’s fun working with the younger guys. They also tend to behave more in school, so you don’t have to worry as much in that regard,” joked Barnes. “In high school you have a revolving door every year, so the more you can develop the younger guys the better. Then you are not putting all of your eggs in one basket to just count on the older guys every year. You give them a shot and if they can do the job you might as well work with the kids who are going to be there for the next few years.”

The current pitching staff is an example of this strategy, where several hurlers bring previous varsity experience to the hill with them. Senior right-hander Alex Artaza tossed some big district contests to go 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA and an impressive 0.88 WHIP, while Difabio made six appearances and recorded eight strikeouts in 11 innings of work. Senior left-hander Amiel Abreu logged the most time of the bunch in 2013, going 3-2 with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings over six starts.

The depth on the mound gives the Wildcats the most confidence. Ellison Garcia, Anthony Urso, Trent Massaro and Joseph Spano all bring quality arms to the staff. The players have committed to a vigorous fall conditioning program that is making them stronger, improving stamina and increasing velocity. Meanwhile it is also bringing them together as a unit, building chemistry even though they are competing for mound time.

“They don’t make those decisions until the season starts. But they have let us know that the seniors will be pitching the most,” said Garcia. “We had a huge pitching staff last year and we really didn’t get to pitch that much, so now it’s our turn. We did our time sitting on the bench last year.”

No matter who is on the dish, the pitchers know they must be able to rely on their offense more. They are grateful for the large amount of time the players have spent hitting in the batting cages and working to improve their swings. Abreu remarks that they are always in the cages, and that the improvement is showing.

“It’s the most important thing we need this year,” said Abreu. “It’s really relieving when you are in a close game and they bring in runs. It’s a lot less stressful for the pitchers.”

The offense is beginning to excel at using the Wildcats’ home field to their advantage, just as the pitchers have mastered the way to approach hitters when throwing from their own mound. The team has one of the newer fields in Broward County, and the players consider it to be the best around.

“We know the range on this field and how far the ball can go, what the wind is like and where the sun is,” said Abreu. “It’s just as hard when we go somewhere else because they know all the aspects of their field. We have this ‘W’ hung up in the back of the clubhouse and when we play at home we always give it a smack. It gets us pumped so we know we have an advantage on the other team. We know we’re a little more hyped up than when we are away.”

The team was 6-4 at home in 2013, and all four home losses came at the hands of district opponents. Coach Barnes admits he will take any advantages he can get to help this team get back to the playoffs in the new district they now find themselves in. Following realignment the Wildcats now compete in a district with Cypress Bay, Piper, South Plantation and Cooper City. The return of the Cowboys is a welcome one, as the two rivals have a long history that dates back to when Barnes and many of the other coaches were players on the team.

But in 2014 the Wildcats are focused primarily on what they do and not on who they are facing across the diamond.

“The last couple of years we beat ourselves,” said Barnes. “We’re more than capable of losing to anyone and just as capable of beating anyone. It’s not always who wins, but often who doesn’t beat themselves.”

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