Experience will be key for Post 10
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WEIRTON -- Experience is generally considered as one of the main criteria when putting together athletic teams, and if that is the case, the Weirton Post 10 American Legion baseball team should be very competitive this summer.
Veteran manager Jason Swartzmiller has 19 players out for the 2019 team and ten of them are returning from the 2018 team that improved through the season and were in the finals of the Beast or the East and Area 1 tournaments.
"Nearly all of this group played important roles on the area high school teams this spring and a couple played some college ball," Swartzmiller said. "We also have a good group of young players that are playing for Post 10 for the first time and they have shown a great deal of talent and athleticism and they bring with them a lot of enthusiasm.
"This is the largest and most experienced group we've had in Post 10 uniforms and I've already seen in practices that the older boys are providing leadership. That is a valuable commodity to have."
Swartzmiller will have a veteran at nearly every position when Post 10 opens the season today with a doubleheader at perennial power Jefferson County Post 33. Returnees include Justin Pennybacker, Nick Paul, Christian Ridgeway, Johnathan Creese, Garrett Brewer, Joey Dawson, Bryson Walls, Elijah Gillette, Brodie McUmar and Cody Tate.
Those suiting up for the first time this year are Nick Leonard, Riley Dolan, Nick D'Amico, Nate Elias, Zac Taylor, Caleb Dailey, Luke Gillette, Drew Curtis and Andrew Goettel.
Swartzmiller feels he has a much improved pitching staff that includes Pennybacker, who pitched last year and also got in a few innings on the mound with West Liberty. Swartzmiller also mentioned that Pennybacker will be counted upon as a Post 10 closing pitcher. Another Brooke and West Liberty player that will be counted upon as a starter is Joey Dawson. Garrett Brewer, who played at Oak Glen, also will be in the rotation. Other pitchers that probably will get some starts as well as working relief duty are Dailey, Paul, Wells, Tate and Curtis.
"With the schedule that we have, I'm sure some of these other kids will be called upon to take the mound," said Swartzmiller. "Pitching always has been the name of the game and you never can get enough of them."
Swartzmiller's club is made up of young men that played high school ball at one of the four schools in Hancock and Brooke counties. Pennybacker, Dawson, Leonard, and Goettel wore the green and gold of Brooke. Paul, McUmar, Tate, Dolan, D'Amico, Elijah Gillette, Luke Gillette and Curtis played at Weir High; Ridgeway and Elias saw action with Madonna; and Creese, Brewer, Walls, Taylor and Dailey played at Oak Glen.
For the first time in several years, Post 10 will not be playing in the Hill Billy Invitational in Elkins.
"We just couldn't work out that trip this year, but I feel we have a very competitive schedule," said Swartzmiller, who is in his fourth season at the helm of Post 10. "We'll be hosting the Beast of the East again this year and, of course, we have the Area 1 American Legion Tournament.
"I don't know if pitching will be our strength, but I believe it definitely will be improved from last year and that we'll be able to hold our own. We've been practicing now for more than a week and I'm confident we'll have the hitters to get on base and strong enough middle-of-the-lineup hitters to drive them home. I think those two areas will complement each other.
"We have pretty good speed, too. We'll be aggressive on the base paths and we'll not be afraid to run when the opportunity presents itself."
Veteran baseball coach Gordon Colson returns to the staff this year along with Swartzmiller's brother, Jeremy.