Hudson High School Explorers Baseball

Season Preview

Posted 3/30/2009 09:56:00 AM.

The Hudson High School Explorers will be looking to build on the their 19-11 record from 2008 and a season which saw them finish 7-3 and behind Stow in the first year of the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference. Perhaps more importantly, the team will be looking to avenge the disappointing 7-5 loss to Medina in the Hudson District Final. The initial roster will feature youth as the Explorers return just one senior, but 15 juniors. Only two letter winners return and just one starter remains from the 2008 campaign.

An untested group of juniors will need to grow up quickly and well be supported by a talented class of sophomores. Junior Forrest Johnson, is the lone returning starter and will reprise is spot behind the plate, providing the only significant varsity experience. A starter from opening day last year, Forrest was an honorable mention all conference performer, hitting .298 with six doubles, a home run, and 18 RBIs. Universities in conferences such as the Mid-American (MAC), the Big East, and the Atlantic 10 have shown early interest in the talented receiver.

A group of hard working juniors will anchor the inexperienced pitching staff which returns zero wins and zero innings from 2008. LHP Andrew Mercer, LHP Tyler Merrill, LHP Eric Lukingbeal, RHP Ryan Reinsel, RHP Clayton Finkes, RHP Jack Martin and sophomore RHP Zac Edwards (transfer from Walsh Jesuit) will compete for the four or five starting pitcher spots. Juniors RHP Jack Lentz and RHP Zach Barley as well as sophomore LHP Nick Toth (transfer from Walsh Jesuit) will provide depth and live arms at the back of the bullpen. This group will provide the coaching staff with the most options (righty, lefty) and diversity (hard/soft throwing, power/finesse) of any staff in Coach Schilling's 22-year career as head coach.

The catching position, historically one of the strongest positions on the team, will be solid again this season. Johnson, who started all but two games last season for the Explorers has looked strong in the preseason workouts and has shown the ability to help manage the inexperienced pitching staff. Sophomore Matt Ramsay is athletic behind the plate and his consistent bat will force its way into the lineup at designated hitter.

Battling for playing time in the middle infield will be switch-hitting junior Anthony Calabrese, junior Yow Feng, and sophomore Nate Shaw. All three have looked good defensively, therefore playing time will be based on production at bat. Juniors Zach Barley and Danny Custer are true utility players that will not only provide depth in the middle infield, but have also shown the ability to contribute at third base and in the outfield, as well.

The starting nod at the hot corner will go to junior Anthony Wallis. "A-Wall" has developed into a solid defensive player at third base and can get on base and provide situational hitting from the back of the lineup. Barley, Custer and Ramsay and Shaw will provide depth at third base.

Junior Andrew Mercer anchors the first base position with his fancy footwork around the bag and excellent glovework. He has also shown the ability to drive the baseball from the left side of the plate and should provide power in the middle of the lineup. Sophomore Nick Toth will play first base when Andrew pitches and Tyler Merrill, Forrest Johnson, and Ryan Reinsel provide depth at the position.

This is the deepest and most talented group defensively to ever roam the green grass at the Ballpark, as seven players will battle for playing time in the outfield early on this season. All seven possess the quickness and speed to play center, as well as the arm strength and baseball abilities to survive in the sun and the wind of right field. Like the infield, early playing time will be based production at the plate. This group provides the coaching staff options not only offensively and defensively, but situationally, which should make the Explorers an exciting and balanced ball club. Junior Ryan Woods is the leading candidate to start in center but is being battled by the lone senior, James Stribrny, who has had a hot bat in the preseason. Sophomores Wyatt Andrasik and Nick Toth have looked good early on, but are being pushed by Juniors Jack Lentz and Ryan Reinsel for the staring nod in right and left field. Zach Barley will add his athleticism to the mix once he gets up to baseball speed after coming over late from the basketball squad.

The 2009 season promises to be one of the most challenging ever. Our six-team NOC River Division (Stow, Cuyahoga Falls, Solon, Mayfield, and Garfield Heights) is one of the toughest around. Our traditional Monday/Tuesday division schedule has been changed to a Tuesday/Wednesday format which will allow us to continue to play a competitive schedule on Friday and Saturdays throughout the season. Our non-league schedule features a NOC crossover game with state-ranked Strongsville as well as games with perennial powers Tallmadge, Canton Central Catholic, and Sandusky Perkins.

The highlight of the season will be the inaugural Cancer Awareness Classic which Hudson will co-host with Tallmadge. Games will be played at Hudson and Kent State University on Friday, April 24th; Saturday, April 25th; and Sunday, April 26th and will include Olmsted Falls, St. Henry (Kentucky), Cincinnati Elder, and Cincinnati LaSalle.

"We have reemphasized our goal to win 20 ballgames," said Head Coach Chuck Schilling. "If our pitching comes together early, we hope to position ourselves for a run at the Hudson District Championship, a Regional Championship, a shot at the State final four, and capture our first NOC Championship."

The coaching staff at Hudson has been realigned with long time assistant coach Jeff Brown shifting over to become the head coach of the softball team. Buddy Dice has moved from his position as head Junior Varsity coach up to the Varsity bench and will be joined by former Hudson and Purdue star, Chris Kessick. Long time Varsity assistant, Jim Nold, will return to the head coaching position for the Junior Varsity, a spot he once held for many years, and will be joined by Paul Dudley. Mark Cuva returns as the Freshmen coach and will be joined by former Hudson player, Brad Aurand.

The program hopes you will drop by this spring and join us at the Ballpark At Hudson and across Northeast Ohio for what promises to be a very exciting season!

2009 Hudson Baseball Roster Announced

Posted 3/11/2009 07:02:00 PM.

Congratulations to the 53 boys selected to participate as members of the 2009 Hudson High School Baseball program. Specific rosters for the Varsity, JV, and Freshmen teams have not yet been determined.

Freshmen

Andrasik, Nate
Cartwright, Keith
Castrigano, Michael
Custer, Michael
Dohner, Mark
Goodman, Jed
Goodman, J T
Hagy, Kyle
Hanson, Allen
Hookway, Billy
Lewandowski, Mike
Margida, Matt
Meyer, Chris
Moran, Duncan
Nelson, David
Perella, Jake
Smith, Andrew
Smith, Trevor
Stribrny, Will
Taylor, John
Tosino, C J

Sophomores

Andrasik, Wyatt
Benchek, James
Campbell, Michael
Edwards, Zac
Erli, Joey
Evans, Gabe
Kroeze, Andrew
Kuczek, Eric
Meyer, Andrew
Ramsay, Matt
Saran, Manick
Shaw, Nate
Studer, Joey
Tetmeyer, Alex
Toth, Nick

Juniors

Barley, Zack
Calabreze, Anthony
Custer, Danny
Feng, Yowkung
Finkes, Clayton
Johnson, Forrest
Lentz, Jack
Lukingbeal, Eric
Martin, Jack
McKenzie, Matt
Mercer, Andrew
Merrill, Tyler
Reinsel, Ryan
Wallis, Anthony
Woods, Ryan

Seniors

Furlong, Phillip
Stribrny, James

Hudson Explorers Baseball is now on Twitter!

Posted 3/10/2009 03:05:00 PM.

News and updates can now be received in real-time through a service called Twitter.

For those unfamiliar with Twitter, it is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Typically, tweeting is a two-way street. However, I plan on using this as a one-way method of getting updates out to those who want them instantly. Types of tweets that would be sent are score updates (when I am at games), final scores when I get them, urgent news (such as game cancellations or field changes), etc.

Twitter can be set up to send updates to those you are following directly to your phone via text messages.

To follow these updates on Twitter, click the "follow me on Twitter" link in the Twitter Updates box on the left.

Monday Schedule (03.09)

Posted 3/09/2009 10:49:00 AM.

3:00-3:30 PM Parking Lot Groups A, B, C, D
STRETCH AND WARM UP

3:30-4:10 PM Session 1 Groups A, B, C, D
IN THE PARKING LOT Group A1 - Bunt (Dice)
GAGAT OUTDISE CAGE Group A2 - Tees with the gun (Dudley)
ON THE TRACK Group B - 60 Yard Dash (Cuva/Nold)
ON THE TRACK Group C - Home to 1st (Schilling/ Aurand)
IN THE PARKING LOT Group D - Throwing (Kessick)

4:10-4:50 PM Session 2 Groups A, B, C, D
IN THE PARKING LOT Group A1 - FUNGO Fly Balls (Dice/Aurand)
IN THE PARKING LOT Group A2 - MACHINE Fly Balls (Schilling/Kessick)
IN THE PARKING LOT Group B - Three Ground Balls (Cuva)
IN THE PARKING LOT Group C - Three Ground Balls (Nold)
IN THE PARKING LOT Group D - Three Ground Balls (Dudley)

4:50-5:30 PM Session 2 Groups A, B, C, D
IN THE PARKING LOT Rocket Relay - (Five teams)
IN THE PARKING LOT Ground Ball Relay - (Five Teams)
IN THE PARKING LOT Three Corner Drill - 3 stations

Cole Johnson, Irish Baseball Outduel Oral Roberts, 2-1

Posted 3/07/2009 10:54:00 AM.

Click here for the full story.

Upcoming Games

Varsity

Tue 3/30
4:30 PM
Away

Wed 3/31
4:30 PM
Home

Tue 4/6
4:30 PM
Away

Varsity at Parma Senior
Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 4:30 PM
tentative

Junior Varsity

Tue 3/30
4:30 PM
Home

Wed 3/31
4:30 PM
Away

Tue 4/6
4:30 PM
Home

Parma Senior at JV
Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 4:30 PM
tentative

Freshmen

Tue 3/30
4:30 PM
Away

Wed 3/31
4:30 PM
Home

Tue 4/6
4:30 PM
Away

Freshmen at Parma Senior
Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 4:30 PM
tentative

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