ADAMS — Zach Blevins and his South Jefferson baseball teammates hope that last year’s success is a prelude the 2023 season. After all, the Spartans’ roster is brimming with experience as they open their season this week.
The team returns nearly their entire starting lineup from last year’s squad, which generated 17 wins and was one of the top teams in the Frontier League.
“We’re all pumped up to get back at it,” said Blevins, a senior who pitches and plays the infield. “We had a tough loss last year, but I think we can go farther this year and we’re really excited.”
By returning nine seniors and bolstered by four juniors, the Spartans figure to be the team to beat in the league.
“We’re looking pretty good, a lot of guys like put in a lot of time in the weight room in the offseason, so we’re a little bigger this year, maybe a little stronger, so I think that will help,” said senior Nolan Widrick, who plays shortstop and pitches.
The Spartans possess a blend of a solid hitting lineup with a deep pitching staff, which should lead to further success.
“We have eight of our nine starters back from last year’s group,” South Jefferson coach Kyle Peters said. “We lost our catcher in Aaron Briones, but every single one of our pitchers with innings on the mound are back. We don’t have to retool a lot, we get to bring a few younger kids up and get them some experience, but we’re going to be heavily senior dominated this year with the core group that we have.”
Last year, the team went 17-3, including a 15-1 record in the league play, with its only loss to league-leading Beaver River. South Jefferson claimed its fifth straight league “B” Division title. The Spartans hope to forge even more success in the postseason.
“I’m excited, I’ve played with these guys for basically my whole career and my whole life,” senior outfielder and pitcher Jack Buckingham said. “So it’s nice to play with them kind of the whole way, we have kind of that chemistry and we know all the guys, and even the younger guys, they fit in a lot. So I’m excited for this year.”
They’ll take on this campaign with a wealth of experience as eight of their nine starters from last year return.
“I like this group, I think we’re a better team this year,” said senior Kaleb Peters, who pitches and plays first base. “The seniors this year, we’ve gotten better this year, we’ve definitely gotten stronger, we’ve been hitting the gym in the offseason.”
This year’s team should field a very similar lineup to last season’s, as Widrick led off, with Blevins hitting second, followed by Evan Widrick, and with senior center fielder Corey Roberts batting clean up.
This should translate into another productive season at the plate from a well seasoned group of hitters.
“We’re definitely skilled offensively,” Blevins said. “We put in a lot of work in the offseason batting and that’s what we want to improve on. We had a tough time in sectionals last year hitting a little bit, so this year we’re hoping to make that better.”
Last year, current senior outfielder Teague Quinn led the Spartans in batting average at .472, with Blevins (.432) and Nolan Widrick (.418) also hitting over .400, followed by Evan Widrick (.386) and Roberts (.347) among the regular starters.
“I think we’re really strong hitters,” Buckingham said. “I think last year we hit the ball really well most of the time and this year, again, we’ve been working really hard and we’re kind of focused on offspeed pitches this year. Last year I think we thought offspeed (pitches) was our weakness, so this year we’re really focusing on that.”
Roberts also drove in a team-high 21 runs and Evan Widrick knocked in 20, with Blevins and Kaleb Peters (14 RBI each) and Nolan Widrick providing plenty of support.
“We hit ball very well last year,” Kyle Peters said. “Nolan Widrick and Zach Blevins, they were both All-North last year, so we’re returning hitters that hit well last year. And collectively this group, they attack the baseball, but we’re still trying to get to be patient and hit the ball where it’s pitched. We’ll attack fastballs early, as much as they can.”
“I say the same things we’ve done in the past, attack the first pitch and just be super aggressive at the plate, on the base paths,” Roberts said. “When we’re trying to field the ball, just be aggressive and pitching wise throw strikes and make them hit the ball because we have a really good defense.”
On the mound, Blevins posted a 0.00 earned-run average, striking out 29 in 21 innings and Kaleb Peters was sharp as well (0.64, 17 strikeouts in 14-plus innings). The staff has plenty of experience as Nolan Widrick (1.13 ERA, 28 strikeouts in 16 innings), with Buckingham (2.05, 31 in 22), Quinn (2.57, 26 in 14) and Roberts (2.98, 24 in 12), also contributing.
“We have a good group of arms coming back that are all experienced,” Kyle Peters said.
With all of these hurlers back in the fold, the Spartans should once again field another balanced pitching staff.
“It’s tough to say if we have a clear No. 1, but we have a lot of No. 1s that I can go out there and give the ball to and say ‘give me six innings right now and either keep us in it or just give us a chance,’ ” Kyle Peters said. “So that’s good to have.”
“It’s really deep and we have trust in everyone,” Blevins said of the pitching staff. “We’ve all been pitching since we were young and we all just kind of rotated through, so we all pitch a couple times a week and we feel good at practice.”
Last year as the top seed in the Class B sectional field, South Jefferson defeated Central Valley Academy, 7-3, in a first-round home game before being ousted by eighth-seeded Cazenovia in a home quarterfinal game.
“We lost in the sectionals to Caz in a game that we just as easily could have won,” Kyle Peters said. “But the expectations are definitely high for this group locally as well as within the section, so their hopes are high.”
“We expected to win going in, but we were facing a good pitcher and we weren’t really prepared for it,” Roberts said. “We can learn from that.”
This year’s team is a close-knit group, which shouldn’t be a surprise, since most team members have played together since they first began to play organized baseball.
“We’re experienced and we’ve been playing together since we were like eight, so we’re very good,” Roberts said. “We know where everyone is going to be at any given time ... and the camaraderie that we built over the years has really brought us together as a team.”
“It’s really fun, because we’re a bunch of close guys,” Nolan Widrick said. “We have a lot of seniors, so we’ve all hung out a lot like outside of baseball and we know each other really well, so it helps the team chemistry.”
With a primarily rainy and wet March, the Spartans have been confined to practicing in the school’s parking lot or in the gym at times.
South Jefferson did get the opportunity to travel to Cortland last week for a scrimmage.
Cortland, which won last year’s Section 3 title in Class A, has moved to Class B for this season, adding to an already super-competitive class.
“Beyond the league, looking at the area and the depth of pitching that some of these programs have, it’s definitely going to be a well-received challenge for these kids this year,” Kyle Peters said.
But first, the Spartans will contend with the Frontier League as they open their season by playing at Carthage at 4:30 p.m. today, weather permitting.
“This group, they’ve traveled together during the summer months probably since they were 10 years old, this core group of kids, like since they were in the (under) 10 league and Little League All-Stars,” Kyle Peters added. “And then traveling with South Jefferson Blizzard travel program,
“There’s been summers where they’ve added an additional 40 to 45 games under their belts to just play some good competition and play teams from out of the area. ... This is a special group.”
Here’s a look at the Frontier League this season:
“A” Division
Outlook: Carthage is coming off a successful season during which it won 13 games, including a 9-3 FL mark and pulled away to win the “A” Division title. The Comets, who swept a three-game series against rival Watertown in the regular season, went on to top the Cyclones in an 8-2 home triumph in sectional play before being edged by Christian Brothers Academy, 6-5, in a Class A quarterfinal in Syracuse. Carthage will be led by seniors Mason Moser, a catcher who hit .400 last season, including seven doubles, and drove in 10 runs and totaled 12 stolen bases and Alex Mono (.364, four doubles, two triples, 26 RBI), according to longtime head coach Joe Sech. ... Watertown will look to build on a five-win campaign in 2022, with each victory coming in league play, good for a second-place finish in the division. The Cyclones will field good numbers, entering the season with 16 players, with 10 of these players underclassmen, including four juniors and sophomores and two eighth-graders. Juniors Daniel Maurer (.310 batting average, five RBI) and Preston Soluri (.276, seven RBI) are each entering their third varsity seasons. Other players to watch include senior outfielder Kyle Moore (.283) and sophomore third baseman/pitcher John Flowers IV (.282), who are also returning starters. ... Indian River won three games last season, including a road victory against Carthage. The Warriors, who are a senior-laden team, will look for leadership from the senior duo of catcher/pitcher/shortstop Talfourd Wynne III (.405 batting average) and fellow pitcher Logan Fults.
Carthage Comets
Coach: Joe Sech
2022 record: (13-7, 9-3 Frontier League)
Players to watch: Alex Fargo (Sr.), Alex Mono (Sr.,), Mason Moser (Sr.), Shay Sinitiere (Jr.), Ethan Moser (So.).
Indian River Warriors
Coach: Austin Kenyon
2022 record: (3-10, 3-9)
Players to watch: Talfourd Wynne (Sr., C/SS/P), Logan Fults (Sr., P/OF).
Watertown Cyclones
Coach: Riley Moonan
2022 record: (5-11, 5-7)
Players to watch: Kyle Moore (Sr., OF), Daniel Maurer (Jr., UTL), and Preston Soluri (Jr., UTL), John Flowers IV (So., 3B/P).
“B” Division
Outlook: Last year, Lowville forged an 11-win campaign, including a 10-6 FL record behind division winner South Jefferson, which went on to compete in the first round of Class B sectionals. The Red Raiders will be led by senior shortstop and pitcher Brody Brown, who hit .339 and drove in 14 runs last year and carries a .406 career batting average into this season. Other players to keep an eye on include senior catcher/infielder Dawson Cole, as well as junior pitcher/infielder Logan Watson and sophomore pitcher Dominic Swiernik. ... General Brown has a new head coach in Shawn McManaman, who takes over for Jared Knowlton. This Lions’ team will field only one senior in first baseman Gabe Matteson, and is primarily young as the roster sports seven juniors, including shortstop and pitcher Aiden McManaman, left fielder and pitcher Tanner Nelson, center fielder Ben Eichorn and utility player and pitcher Adam Stevenson. General Brown hopes to build on a three-win season in 2022, all coming in league play.
General Brown Lions
Coach: Shawn McManaman
2022 record: (3-13)
Players to watch: Ben Eichorn (Jr., OF), Aiden McManaman (Jr., SS/P), Tanner Nelson (Jr., OF/P), Adam Stevenson (Jr., UTL/P).
Lowville Red Raiders
Coach: Andrew Capone
2022 record: (11-9, 10-6)
Players to watch: Brody Brown (Sr., SS/P), Dawson Cole (Sr., C/INF), Logan Watson (Jr., R/IF), Dominic Swiernik (So., P).
South Jefferson Spartans
Coach: Kyle Peters
2022 record: (17-3, 15-1)
Players to watch: Zach Blevins (Sr., P/INF), Jack Buckingham (Sr., P/OF), Kaleb Peters (Sr., P/1B), Teague Quinn (Jr., P/OF), Corey Roberts (Sr., P/OF/1B), Evan Widrick (Sr., INF), Nolan Widrick (Sr., P/INF).
“C” Division
Outlook: Beaver River has a new head coach in Brandon DeLong after previous skipper Mike Kogut stepped down. A year after winning a Section 3 title, the Beavers won 19 games last season, including recording the top record in the FL overall at 16-1, but were ousted in the Section 3 playoffs in a 12-6 home quarterfinal loss to Bishop Ludden in Class C. The Beavers lost their 1-2 starting pitching duo of All-North MVP Jonah Shearer and Brayden Campeau to graduation last year. Seniors Jacob Boliver, Lucas Roes, Kadin Martin, who all pitch, will look to lead the team. Nine players returning and four of those nine were on the team’s sectional title team two seasons ago, according to DeLong. ... South Lewis is coming off an eight-win campaign, including seven wins in league play as it finished in a tie for second place in the “C” Division. The Falcons will rely on the bats of returning FL All-Stars Matt Farese (.309, six doubles, 17 RBI) and Drew Maurer (.266, three doubles, 18 RBI), along with fellow seniors Clayton Kraeger and Aidan McGuire. The team will look to return to the Section 3 playoffs after it won a sectional game the previous season in 2021. ... Thousand Islands will field a team of its own this season after it teamed up to play with Alexandria last year. The Vikings are a young team that includes only three seniors and a junior, according to new head coach Adam Swenson. Junior Jackson Ludlow enters the season as the team’s ace, while seniors Ryan Pavlot and Chase Vandermark will also be counted on for leadership. ... Sandy Creek, which also has a new coach in Ben Archibee, will aim to improve on last year’s two-win season.
Beaver River Beavers
Coach: Brandon DeLong
2022 record: (19-2, 16-1)
Players to watch: Jacob Boliver (Sr. P/C), Lucas Roes (Sr., P/OF), Brit Dicob (So., OF), Cooper Joslin (So., P/UTL), Kade Schneider (So., P/INF).
Sandy Creek Comets
Coach: Ben Archibee
2022 record: (2-15)
Players to watch: Hayden Haines (Sr.), Dustin Mackey (Sr.), David Stern (Sr.).
South Lewis Falcons
Coach: Brian Greene
2022 record: (8-12, 7-10)
Players to watch: Matt Farese (Sr., INF/P), Drew Maurer (Sr., INF/OF), Aidan McGuire (Sr., 1B), Clayton Kraeger (Sr., OF/P).
Thousand Islands Vikings
Coach: Adam Swenson
2022 record: Did not play.
Players to watch: Ryan Pavlot (Sr.), Chase Vandermark (Sr.), Jackson Ludlow (Jr.) Ray Peters (8th grade).
‘D’ Division
Outlook: Reigning division champion Lyme has a new head coach in Kyle Bronson, who replaces Rob Goutremout. Last season, behind the 1-2 pitching duo of Derrike Goutremout and Mike Flyzik, the team only lost one league game and won a home sectional quarterfinal, 3-2, over Hamilton, before being beaten in a Class D semifinal, 7-2, by Morrisville-Eaton at Utica. Lyme got the furthest of any FL teams in the playoffs. This year’s team includes only two seniors with the rest underclassmen. The Lakers will look for leadership both on mound and at the plate from junior Evan Froelich, while freshman Alex Radley will be the team’s leadoff hitter as a lefty who is a good contact hitter with speed, according to Bronson. ... Last year, Belleville Henderson won 14 games, including 13 in the league. One of these wins was against Lyme as the Panthers finished second in the division and advanced to Section 3 play and were edged by Brookfield, 2-1, in a home quarterfinal game. The team returns four seniors, as well as junior Brittan Cross, who hit .333 last season and drove in 17 runs. ... Alexandria won eight games last season, including seven in the league while competing in the “C” Division as its roster also included players from Thousand Islands. ... Sackets Harbor made strides last season as it won nine games after winning only two during the previous campaign. The Patriots, who will be led by senior pitcher/infielder Gannon Brunet, will start six sophomores this year, including four starters. ... Copenhagen will look to build on a three-win season. The Golden Knights will return 11 players from a 2022 team that was predominantly made up of freshmen and sophomores, according to assistant coach Logan Spaulding. ... LaFargeville will look to bounce back after a winless 2022 season when it fielded a team on its own after combining with Thousand Islands for a varsity team in 2021.
Alexandria Purple Ghosts
Coach: Scott Chase
2022 record: (8-11, 7-10)
Players to watch: N/A.
Belleville Henderson
Panthers
Coach: Paul Gibbs
2022 record: (14-4, 13-3)
Players to watch: Chris Vaughn (Sr.), Caleb Williams (Sr.), and Kenny Zehr (Sr.), Brittan Cross (Jr.).
Copenhagen Golden Knights
Coach: James Spaulding
2022 record: (3-15)
Players to watch: N/A.
LaFargeville Red Knights
Coach: Zack Steiner
2022 record: (0-16)
Players to watch: N/A.
Lyme Lakers
Coach: Kyle Bronson
2022 record: (17-3, 14-2)
Players to watch: Evan Froelich (Jr.), Derek Radley (Jr.), Alex Radley (Fr.).
Sackets Harbor Patriots
Coach: Jarred Brown
2022 record: (9-9, 9-7)
Players to watch: Gannon Brunet (Sr., P/INF), Connor Brown (So., C/OF), Jake Peters (So., P/INF), Ethan Shi (So., P/INF), Ethan Tracy (So., OF/P), Damon Serow (So., C/P/INF).
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