Ready to Roll
Spring City recharged and set to go at Mid-Atlantic Regional
They’re well-versed on their organization’s recent record of success.
And they’re driven to make their own historic contribution.
The players on Spring City’s American Legion baseball team are aware of how their predecessors did, at the beginning of the decade, in national-regional competition. They have the chance to do better in the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Regional this week in Purcellville, Va., and they’re determined to give the program a best-ever finish.
“We don’t get the opportunity very often, so absolutely,” Spring City manager Mike Gancasz prior to Monday’s final pre-regional workout at Ram Stadium. “We want to take advantage of every opportunity. The team has a great opportunity to make Spring City proud.”
The Red Sox’ previous MidAtlantic experience in 2012 — they were coming off a runnerup finish in the Pa. State Tournament — saw them miss a trip to the American Legion World Series with a championship-game loss to Brooklawn, N.J. Two years previously, when they last won states, the Sox were eliminated in the later rounds by Stahl Post, Del.
“We’re aware of it,” Kasey Caras, the team’s first-baseman, said. “Our goal is to be the first Spring City team to get to the World Series. We’re looking to go one step further.”
Spring City headed to Purcellville, Va. energized by a title finish in this year’s state tournament. The Red Sox (39-4) went 5-1 at Boyertown’s Bear Stadium, capping the run with a 6-1 victory over a Souderton unit that edged them three days earlier, 2-1.
They will have a one-week break between that outing and their first Mid-Atlantic game, a 4 p.m. matchup with Vienna, Va. Wednesday at Fireman’s Field.
“I feel the off time relaxed us a lot,” Kevin Hynes, one of the numerous arms on SC’s deep pitching staff, noted. “I didn’t touch a baseball the whole time. It was the longest time off for us since high school tryouts.”
The Red Sox finished states with a flourish. Off the one-run loss to Souderton, they blanked host Boyertown 4-0, then reached the championship-qualifier round with an 8-3 victory over Swoyersville Tuesday.
“I think they took it pretty well,” Gancasz said of the loss to Souderton. “It was a small bump in the road. They set goals, and I think they still had it in their heads they were one of the best in the state.”
When a schedule change left it playing the first championship-round game with Ephrata later that day, Spring City answered with a 4-2 win even while the Region 4 champions closed the gap in a two-run ninth. That left it with the title game against Souderton, both teams having already punched their Mid-Atlantic Regional tickets.
“For the guys, it didn’t bother them very much,” Gancasz said of the schedule change. “They knew their backs were against the wall. The trust they have in each other ... the camaraderie is big.”
“Obviously, hindsight is 20-20. It wasn’t a detriment to us. It worked in our favor not having to play back-toback.”
Hynes played a pivotal role in getting the Red Sox in a national regional. When Spring City found itself squeezed by Ephrata — full bases and onr out in the bottom of the ninth — he got Tyler Keppley on a grounder to shortstop before getting a strikeout for the game-closer.
“I stuck with my fastball most of the time,” he recalled. “The defense behind me did the job, and we have kids who prove they can hit.”
The Sox also feel they’ve already played opponents the caliber of what they’ll face in the Mid-Atlantic field.
“In the (Chester County) league playoffs, we played teams like Downingtown and Lionville,” Caras said. “Playing those teams helped prepare us for states.”
A rematch between Spring City and Souderton could also happen in the second round, if both teams have similar results Wednesday. Souderton will open the tournament by taking on Hamilton, N.J. in the 9:30 a.m. lid-lifter.
“We can beat them if we play our game,” Caras said.
NOTES
The Red Sox had one valuable source of input for dealing with the magnitude of national-regional play: James Hoff, Most Valuable Player for Spring City in the 2010 state tournament. “He was on the coaching staff at school,” Hynes said. “We had the opportunity to talk to him.” ... Leesburg, Va., will again serve sa the host team for Mid-Atlantics. It was the regional champion in 2016. ... With 2017’s Mid-Atlantic champ, Hopewell, N.J., not qualifying, the regional will crown a new champion Sunday.