Coral Springs Strong In All The Right Places
The Colts are a tight group and unified in their focus.
It’s a pretty good balance of youth and experience for Coral Springs this season. As a group, Colts Manager Frank Bumbales admits they are definitely more upbeat and positive then the group they had last year. Last year it was just guys who were real young, and then seniors. There was a big gap and it just didn’t go well. It was one of those years where guys just didn’t mesh right.
The younger kids now have developed and they seem to have fun together. There were some younger kids last year that were on the varsity, and they’ve really stepped it up and gotten bigger, stronger and more experienced. They also have a couple of transfers in from Coral Springs Christian in Jeremy Szosda and Sammy Destin. It gives them some depth, and they seem to really gel well together.
“It’s a real nice group,” Colts Manager Frank Bumbales said. “The young guys that have developed over the summer are starting to come up pretty strong. We had some kids that were sophomores that played on the varsity and they made a lot of improvements over the summer and are stepping up now. We also have some pretty good seniors that have the right attitude and are working hard, and they seem to be able to blend together well with the younger guys.”
Heading into the season the Colts are working on the fine tuning before it all starts. They made a lot of progress over the fall together, but they just didn’t get enough practice time together. They intensified things in the spring and it is paying off. Coral Springs got its final work in with two solid performances in the HSBN Preseason Challenge, going 1-1 while playing tight contests in which they were always in both ball games.
The strength of the team is already showing itself, and that is the pitching staff. Leading the way is senior, four-year starter Michael Montalvo. He has really come around to the peak of his game this season, and he is also an inspirational leader for the club. He has done a great job of leading by example, and getting the other players to trust the system.
“Michael Montalvo believes in Colt baseball because it is all he has ever known,” Bumbales said. “He’s our ace and he could also be our best hitter, because he can really stroke the bat. The ball jumps off of his bat, and he spreads the ball all over the place with a lot of power.”
The Colts have some pretty good young pitchers too. Phil Quinn is only a junior and he pitched well last year, earning a co-MVP honor with Montalvo last season. Quinn can pretty much shut down anybody when he is on. Alexsei Pogrebnov, Szosda and Henrique de Oliviera add depth and versatility to the pitching staff, as they all can either start or pitch in relief. 
The last guy who rounds out the staff is somebody who the team has really grown to love and appreciate. This is hurler Nick Lacont, an unassuming guy who throws as well as any polished artist. His focus and demeanor are exactly what one wants in a pitcher.
“Nick Lacont is the quietest guy you will ever see,” Bumbales said. “He never says a word, but he goes out on the mound with absolutely no expression on his face and he just shuts you down.”
As well as the team pitches, it could be more than enough cushion for an offense that is capable of scoring runs. The team brings a lot of strong hitters back, such as Tony Curry, Logan Turcott, Darrin Brown, Max Lazar and Sean Baran. With Montalvo wrecking havoc in the middle, the team has a nice blend of power and speed.
Another area of strength is behind the plate, where sophomore John Lombardi and newcomer Austin Smith will split time. Smith grew about five inches over the summer and also began throwing harder and mixing in a nasty curveball, therefore he will also get some time on the mound. With Lombardi settling in well as the everyday guy, it is nice that they have a solid second option with Smith too.
“You have to have two catchers. Fortunately we have that,” Bumbales said. “But Lombardi seems to be the guy that battles back there. He blocks everything and he is really intelligent and takes charge out there. He’s not that shy freshman anymore and he talks out there.”
All the Colts talk out there, and they all communicate great. Bumbales already sees a team that is all one as a unit, and that is what it takes. They have unity and chemistry, and they are buying into what the coaches are trying to do.
“It’s a good mix of players, and even if they are young they are still experienced,” Bumbales said. “They are into baseball. They are into it and they are into winning, and whatever it takes. Whatever I ask of them they do it, and that’s all there is to it. If I need a guy to do anything on the field, they just go out there and do the job.”
With such a tough district, this is a season where the team feels confident and comfortable heading into district play. The Colts know it is a tough district and anybody can beat anybody on any given day in this district. It’s one of those years that it is probably going to come down to that last game in the districts, and then in the playoffs it will come down to that last inning in the district championship game.
“It could be anybody,” Bumbales said. “We are like the dark horse, but everybody is in the mix. I think the district is going to be even stronger than it was last year, and the teams that come out of the district are going to be teams to be reckoned with.”
Contact - About - Advertising - Disclaimer - Copyright © 2018 HSBN Broward - All Rights Reserved
