by Zevan Shuster
Despite excellent competition in the Catholic League, Holy Trinity has both the talent and the experience to compete with just about anybody. They are coming off a tough season, but they were able to win a first-round playoff game at Mitchel Field against St. Dominic before dropping their next two.
Im really excited for the upcoming season. I think that, this being my third year now as the leader of the program, I think weve kind of built the culture of what it takes to win and what it takes to be successful, not just individually, but as a group, head coach Dan Luisi said.
In order for the culture to be where it needs to be, and for the teams chemistry to come along with it, experience, and veteran leadership play a huge role.
One of our strengths is going to be our senior leadership. We do have around 10 seniors this year, and many of them had impact roles last year on our roster. Were looking for them to lead us into this season and hopefully continue to carry on the culture that weve tried to instill in our players every practice and into games, said Luisi.
Beyond culture, high baseball IQ, and leadership, another thing that having a veteran teams allows for, is an increased level of trust from Luisi. While Luisi obviously wont always be looking to throw the proverbial kitchen sink at his opponents, having players whose capabilities hes well aware of, means he doesnt have to be as conservative as another coach might have to be.
Every year, you kind of have to adjust your philosophy a little but to what your roster will allow you to be successful at, said Luisi. I do think this year we have a roster where we can really create runs by being more active, whether thats bunting, or hit and run.
Because Holy Trinity has a deeper, more experienced lineup, their head coach feels comfortable adjusting his teams approach on offense.
Our offensive philosophy will change this year because we have a deeper lineup that I think can handle the bat well, said the head coach. So we will rely on a lot of that (being active), whether thats moving guys, or being active on the bases.
Queens-commit Jordan Ramlogan is regarded as one of the top hitters in the league. He brings high-energy every game and possesses terrific bat control. As he goes, so will the Titans lineup. They will also be counting on senior catcher Stephen Collica and junior OF Nick Inzerillo.
As prepared as Holy Trinity may be for the season, they will have to be. The caliber of opponent throughout the Catholic League means Luisi must have his team ready to compete, day in and day out.
I think playing in the Catholic League, which is probably the most competitive league youll find, is that every teams really good. Every team is really talented. So what I preach most is being able to take care of the baseball, and being able to play catch, said Luisi. Weve got to be really good on the mound, we have to control batters, we have to control the strike zone, we have to be able to command multiple pitches, and we have to keep hitters off balance.
And while the Catholic League certainly has high level players, and extraordinarily competitive teams, what it doesnt possess, is much of a margin for error.
We also have to take care of the ball on defense. In this league, you really cant allow any extra outs, because that is what dictates the difference between winning and losing. Being able to limit our mistakes defensively, being able to stick within our approach offensively will put us in position to win games, said Luisi.
As a coach, Luisi has a very standard, but emphatic approach toward winning.
Understanding that you need to take care of your role, and to also do your job in that role, is going to be important for our success this year, said the skipper.
As far as what Luisi expects, and from whom, isnt quite a sure thing yet, although there are a few near certainties.
Timmy Mott (Molloy-commit) will be one of our leaders on the mound. Hes been the best for two years We also have a lot of guys who do have the stuff physically, but I think mentally, they just need to develop a little bit more to prepare them for the rigors and the demands of competing in the Catholic League, and facing a good lineup every week, said Luisi.
One of the uncertainties that may lie ahead, is what will dictate Luisi and his coaching staffs approach. As with everyone in baseball, Luisi is keenly aware of the recent rise in analytics in the sport, and the debate within the game as to their weight versus the old fashioned, go with your gut approach. Hes equally aware of how both are going to play into his assistants decision making.
Im a mix of both. Analytics is something that has really started to take over the game. I think on the high school level, you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt. Depending on the guy, I like to match with my gut. But whatever puts us in the best position to win, whether its my gut or what I see, or whether its analytics, lefty-lefty matchup, or how guys have fared in the past against a certain arm; that will dictate kind of how we go about our approach or our game plan. And both my assistants are similar to me, said Luisi.
Analytics or no analytics, time will tell if Holy Trinity can win at the rate theyre capable of, and if their seniors can go out on a high note. They are looking to capture their first Catholic League title since 2012.