SPRING READY FOR MID-ATLANTICS
Tourney winner will earn berth in 12U World Series
TROY, N.Y. » It’s hard enough to win a baseball tournament with just one top-notch pitcher and to win a district and Eastern New York State title it takes both arms and talent.
Beginning today the Spring Youth Baseball 12-year-old Eastern New York Cal Ripken division champions will bring a trio of arms to the Middle Atlantic Regional hosted by Clifton Park on the Clifton Common this week.
“We have what I think are three of the best arms around and it’s hard to put up runs against us,” Spring Youth Baseball coach Scott Dongelewic said referring to his pair of right-handers, Andrew Dongelewic and Austin Francis to bookend lefty Mike Kennedy.
Pitching and defense, two of the keys that could land Spring a Mid-Atlantic Regional championship and a berth in the Cal Ripken 12-year-old World Series in Branson, Missouri.
The trio has already made a name for themselves, combining for a perfect game against Niskayuna in the Eastern NY championship, a 160, four-inning mercy rule
contest. Kennedy and Francis also teamed-up for a perfect game during the team’s earlier trip to Delaware.
“I’ve been told by coaches that I throw the hardest, but Mike has the best off-speed pitches,” Francis said. “I think I throw the hardest and Andrew (Dongelewic) throws the most consistent and Mike (Kennedy) throws the best off-speed.”
With all three pitchers having success, they all do it in different ways.
“I personally like to live low, I don’t know about Austin or Mike,” Dongelewic said. “I feel that I’m more consistent and I hit corners, I’m not right down the middle. I usually take my time on the mound to stay relaxed.”
Dongelewic said he relies mainly on his fastball while using his curveball to get batters out when ahead in the count.
“My curveball starts at their shoulder and then ends up in the batter’s box,” Dongelewic said. “My fastball breaks in on a righthanded batter.”
Hard throwing righty Francis has added a wrinkle to his pitching repertoire.
“I throw a fastball and a slider which is pretty effective along with a curveball,” Francis said. “I added a knuckleball sometimes, but that’s only when I’m way ahead and they are fouling stuff off, fouling over the fence, pop flies that are going foul I’ll throw my knuckleball.”
His slider was his goto pitch during the Eastern New York State tournament.
“I throw pretty hard so when I throw my fastball and kids are used to that because we played all these teams and kids are used to my fastball, that’s why I added my slider,” Francis said. “Kids are way out in front of it because they’re not expecting it. When it comes in it looks the same and then it drops.”
Teams will also have to adjust for cagy left-hander Mike Kennedy this week. “This is our third state championship in three straight years and the same three (Kennedy, Francis, and Dongelewic) have been pitching all the time so we’ve become a solid rotation,” Kennedy said.
In baseball the saying “A double play is a pitcher’s best friend,” for the Spring team their ability to manufacture runs is staggering.
Kennedy himself hit two home runs in the Eastern New York State final with Francis himself going 3-for-3 with a two-run home run and three runs scored and Dongelewic joining the hit parade with his own three-run home run late in the dominating win over Niskayuna.
The pitching staff has also prepared its own offense for the top-level pitching expected this week at the Mid-Atlantic Regional.
“We’ve been throwing to each other (batting practice) instead of having coach pitch, like lob it, so we’ve just been working on seeing the fast pitch,” Kennedy said. “We throw different pitches too, like curve
balls because we throw a lot of different pitches on this team.”
Spring opens up play 3:30 p.m. Tuesday against the Maryland champion, Calvert before taking on the Western New York champion, Lou Gehrig 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. It will be a doubleheader for the Renegades on Thursday, facing the Northwest Pennsylvania champion Kimberton at 10 a.m. before closing out pool play against the Southern New Jersey champion Medford at 4:15 p.m.
Quarterfinal and semifinal contests are set for Friday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. with the championship game set for 11 a.m. Saturday.
The winner will advance to the Cal Ripken Baseball World Series in Branson, MO and the Renegades are showing no fear.
“I think we might be alright, this year we might be all right,” Francis said. “There are a lot of teams from other states, but I think with our three key pitchers, me, Andrew and Mike, we’ll be alright.”