Somerset Academy Relying On The Bats To Set The Tone

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Onel Garcia is not afraid to play young guys. The Somerset Academy Manager had a senior-laden group last year, guys who were all coming off of great summers and ready to play. Yet several younger guys on the roster earned their chances, and when they made the most of those opportunities they were rewarded with more playing time. They earned what they got and pushed the seniors ahead of them.

Garcia believes that when a guy is showing he is ready to play, coaches need to find ways to work them into ball games. Those guys get experience and that pays dividends in the future. With all the experience his guys have this year, Garcia admits it feels like they are all seniors, even though very few of them are.

“We had a senior-laden team with a lot of sophomores last year, and this year we now have 11 juniors that are very good players,” Garcia said. “That bides well for next year too. We only have a few seniors this year, but they’ve got a lot of experience from playing last season.”

When it comes to experience, the club looks no further than senior leader Michael Van Degna. The right-hander who also splits time in the infield is in his fifth varsity season, and in many ways is the last link to a group of players who formerly helped put the program on the baseball map. Van Degna is a confident, mature and imposing player who also recently committed to Campbell University.

“I’ve been here since my eighth-grade year and I’ve played varsity since then” Van Degan said. “So I’ve learned over the years from some great people who have passed through on how to lead a team. That is by example, to go out and do it. Now that I’ve committed to Campbell I want to emblaze that path for future success in the program for other guys to do the same, guys like Derek Cartaya and hopefully others to commit as well.”

Cartaya is the team’s junior shortstop, who has supplanted himself as a leader and a spark plug for the players. He is a team player who does whatever it takes to get the job done, and Garcia admits it is like having another coach on the field with him. Cartaya has committed to Alabama State.

Those two and catcher Luis Chavez represent the vocal leaders in the dugout. Chavez is the team’s catcher, a 1-8-3 backstop that is perhaps the hardest worker on the squad and another guy who exhibits great leadership. As with many teams, there are also guys who lead in other ways, such as junior Juan Teixera and Kenny Moreno-Costa. It is a roster full of personalities, and there is a great balance between everyone that helps make it succeed.

Part of this harmony comes from the confidence they all have in the offense. The Panthers have a rare and lethal compliment of speed, power and consistency. Added to that equation is a maturity and understanding how to get the job done. The hitters work well with one another playing to each situation as necessary, moving runners and bringing guys home.

It is a lineup no one would want to face. Moreno-Costa has worked his way from a great leadoff guy to a disciplined hitter who also hits lefties, and he will likely hit third for the team. Cartaya figures to hit in the two-hole, with Teixera, Van Degna and Jack Khawly in the middle slots. Chavez will factor from there, along with Franco Perdomo and newcomers Anthony and Sebastian Munoz. The club also welcomes back senior David Guadalupe, a strong guy with a lot of potential who missed last year due to injury.

“I think we can hit,” Garcia said. “We have nine guys who can hit and three or four others that can potentially swing the bat. If they hit like they can we are going to have a very strong offense.”

Setting things off for this potent lineup is right-fielder Mark Bejar. The speedster was used primarily on the mound last season in his first year with the team, and now he is getting his chances to show what he can do at the plate. He is a very fast guy who can swing for power, hitting three home runs in the fall while also wrecking havoc on the bases. He is a fearless defender who has helped to tighten up the outfield defense. The left-hander will be key on the mound, but is just as excited to show what he can do with the bat.

“I just try to keep my swing level and not do too much,” Bejar said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can hit and I am happy to be one of the guys that are trying to lead them. The coaches trust me and I just want to come through for them.”

The Panthers have several guys competing for time on the mound. Along with Van Degna and Bejar, veteran P.J. Ximinies and newcomer Jose Hidalgo will also work to lead the staff.

Early on this season Garcia plans to have a short hook and take advantage of their depth, and give them a chance to show who can get outs. As long as guys are pitching well, giving good innings and getting outs they will not be expected to go the entire game. The team could use many arms in each game until guys step up to show which of them is ready to fill all the innings the team must replace this season.

With twelve highly competitive games guaranteed in the Panthers’ tough district, they know they will face a lot of good arms and they will need to respond with their own. Garcia appreciates the respect each team has for each other in the district, and the team really loves playing those games. Last season the Panthers went 15 innings with Chaminade-Madonna and 11 innings against Calvary Christian, and they also had many one-run decisions within district play.

“Obviously this is the hardest district in South Florida,” Van Degna said. “It helps that we have a lot of respect for everybody in there. We’re going to prepare as best we can and put our best on the field to compete.”

To better prepare for this challenging district playoff, the Panthers have put together another brutal schedule this season. The team will play Archbishop McCarthy at Marlins Park, will travel to Key West and American Heritage, and will compete in the Perfect Game Tournament in East Cobb, Georgia.

“We try to schedule the toughest teams that we can because we don’t care about our overall record,” Garcia said. “Our district is tough so you’ve got to continue to play tough teams. You can’t take your foot off the pedal and ease up when you go out of your district. If anything I like to increase the pedal. We are in a tough area and they all know that. They stick together and they know that we play baseball here. They all get along great and they love it here at Somerset.”

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