Chaminade-Madonna Swinging For Recognition In 2014

Chaminade-Madonna was a much better ballclub than its 8-15-2 record reflected last year.

With the 2014 season rapidly approaching, the Lions eagerly await their chances to prove this fact. A good majority of the contributors from last year return for another go at it, and the team has some quality additions that provide much better depth. Expectations are high, as they often tend to be for any team under manager Mike Moss.

Moss is a well-established presence in the area coaching ranks, and he always seems to get the very most out of every one of his players. The system is aggressive, honest and demanding in the Lions program. Players know they must work incredibly hard and always be accountable for their actions. Coaches do not waste words when instructing them, and there is a strong level of respect among them. The players believe in what they are doing, and they are given the confidence to know they can succeed.

“We know that a lot of teams will underestimate us, but I just want them to see what we are really capable of this year,” said senior centerfielder Danny Vitello. “We are hard-working, we’re scrappy and we are here to play.”

Vitello is one of only six seniors on the club, one that also graduated just five seniors as they continue to allow the younger players their chances at the varsity level. This year’s team brings a fair amount of varsity playing experience, but also will feature many guys who will be learning their way for the first time. The program does not hesitate to give young guys their opportunity to prove themselves, and most times they are rewarded for this faith.

The process coming up through the varsity system allows a unique perspective for the oldest veteran players on any club, seniors such as Vitello. Having seen what it is like to be the new young guy trying to fit in to then growing into the main guys in the end; it creates a lot of valuable insight to pass on.

“It’s a cool process; you’ve developed from that and you learn a lot about the game during the process,” said Vitello. “When you first come in you look up to all the older guys, and then you are one. It’s amazing how fast it really goes by. Over the years, I had a guy like Kevin Nader who taught me that we are out here because we love the game. It’s for the love of the game. With the new guys you just have to work to get them on that same page. I try to get the guys to feel as confident as possible; because when you first come up there will be some nerves.”

Coach Moss admits that he has always liked to bring young players up into the system. He has had a lot of success with guys who were dedicated and came through the process and contributed. In his third season since coming back to the school they are still working all their players into the mix, putting the pieces in place so it will roll over smoothly each season. The freshman class this year is very talented and promising, and the future looks right on track.

As is the case with any club, it is the veterans who must set the tone. Every fall Coach Moss takes his senior class out for a dinner together to help establish the clubhouse mantra. This tradition gives them a chance to go over things for college, leadership roles on the team and also just where they are in their lives.

“We talk about where I see them and what I want from them as seniors,” said Moss. “This is their club; their senior year is what defines their entire playing career in high school. We’re stressing communication, how to take direction and follow it. Take the things that they are taught and put them into action. So far I am seeing flashes of it on the field. It’s a process.”

The area where Moss is most pleased is with the leadership. The guys in the key spots are taking charge and setting the proper example, and their calming presence is helping the newer guys learn how to be confident. Vitello is a prime example, as the centerfielder has shown a knack for chasing down everything hit all over the outfield grass. Guys have started referring to the outfield as the ocean, because when guys hit the ball out there it is as if they plunked it into the ocean the way Vitello tracks it down. Any young and unproven team always leans on its strengths to help build their confidence, and this group is no different.

The quickest way for any team to bounce back is through quality pitching, and the feeling is that the Lions have the right core of guys to do it. Even though the squad lost more than half of the production from last season, they return a real workhorse that they didn’t have last year in senior Mike Ramunno. Ramunno was unable to pitch in 2013 due to injury, but he has returned in full force in 2014 to claim the lead role on the staff. Right-hander Shomarii Thomas also returns looking sharp as the number two guy, where he features a nice off-speed pitch and the ability to consistently throw strikes.

Depth is not a problem for this pitching staff. Righties Richard Medina and Damien Fornash and lefties Josh Lane and Brandon Tuttle have all shown solid stuff to compete for mound time. Meanwhile, the team is moving their primary reliever Mike Nader into a starter’s role.

“The mindset is completely different as a starter, and you have more time to warm up,” said Nader. “You are not pitching in the windup as much as a reliever, because usually you are getting guys on base and have to throw from the stretch.”

Nader has come along well in his new role, and it takes less pressure off of him since he has several reliable guys around him. Like the rest of the staff, everyone is excited about the return of Ramunno, knowing what talent he brings to the rotation.

“Mike Ramunno is great for us,” said Nader. “He comes in, he’s always throwing strikes and he gets out of innings quick. He’s very quiet, and he just has a low pitch count, a low ERA, a low everything.”

Nader made 13 appearances a season ago, recording a pair of saves while earning valuable experience in huge pressure situations. Those opportunities will be up for grabs as Nader now gets set to lead off games. With so many capable options from both sides of the rubber, the players know they will have to prove themselves to set themselves apart from the bunch.

“We have a lot of talent on our pitching staff, a lot of juniors and seniors,” said Ian Lane. “My role is to come on in relief and throw strikes. You have to keep your mind off of things when you come in to those big moments. Just focus on getting the ball into the glove.”

The majority of the time that glove will belong to starting catcher Juan Martinez, the team’s strong-armed senior backstop. Martinez is a very solid defensive captain, and he is also a Class President who is considering Stanford and Duke. Needless to say he is an intelligent leader, and the perfect person to lead a defense that will have many moving parts.

The offense may dictate the way the lineups are set up on defense each day. The team has a few proven hitters in Ramunno, Thomas and Jose Colina. Rammuno led the way with a .352 average, 13 runs, 12 RBIs and 4 homeruns, and Colina was right behind him in hitting .338 with 14 RBIs and 11 runs. Thomas batted .290 with 10 RBIs and 5 doubles. Around these solid numbers the team can expect big things from Vitello in the leadoff spot, and mixing his speed with switch-hitter Shane Stokelman at the front or back of the lineup. Junior Nick Izquierdo and St. Thomas Aquinas transfer Nick Cummings will also supply valuable presence, and the team will work several other promising guys into the mix such as Mike Drag, Ryan Harrington and Joe Baez.

“Somebody has got to step up and want to be the guy who gets the big hit,” said Moss. “Step up and define yourself. We are waiting for somebody who does more than just tickle the ball in the air with guys on base. We try to give them the opportunity to see if they can come through. We’re not the prettiest or most talented, but we’ll be competitive all year.”

The margin of error in the Lions’ tough district is very small, and Moss admits that any team can have a great season and still go home after one game. their district that was relatively unchanged from realignment, losing only Cardinal Gibbons and gaining Calvary Christian. The Lions already faced the Eagles regularly, and the team has always played a tough schedule to prepare for such tough competition in their district.

“I’d rather schedule tough teams and if we do well and have a great season then we’ve really accomplished something,” Moss explained. “That’s how I look at it. That’s how we learn, and hopefully we can turn things into a 15-8 season now.”

Players accept that they flattened out towards the end of last season. Guys struggled to stay consistent and play hard through a full seven innings. As sometimes can be the case for a young team, the grind of a full season was a tough adjustment for guy who had not handled that large a workload before. But this year’s seniors have taken it upon themselves to set the example and keep guys motivated and focused to finish strong and be workhorses who earn wins that way.

“We have a few district games early in the season, and we want to get ahead and establish it so we don’t have to fight back like in previous years,” said Nader. “Our district is tough. But our thing is that we want to get our wins quietly, by being a whole team. Not just hitting or pitching one night, but always putting it together every game that we play.”

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