Inexperienced pitching staff a concern for Rebels
For 13 consecutive seasons prior to 2017, the Sacred Heart Rebels earned a spot in the state tournament. Unfortunately for coach Aaron Duvall and last year’s team, the streak ended, with the Rebels finishing 6-9 and losing in the district tournament. Despite the disappointment and the graduation of former ace pitcher Cade Chapman, Duvall’s eyes are set on starting a new streak for the Rebels. To help the pursuit, Duvall has six returning starters, including sophomore pitcher/infielder Qualyn James. James is the Rebels’ lone arm with experience, and despite the pitcher’s struggling last year, Duvall says he’s added velocity to his pitches and works around the strike zone. When not pitching, James is one of the team’s best fielders and also tallied a .304 batting average last year, the coach said. Behind James, the Rebels’ pitching staff is a question mark. While junior Eric Usery, sophomore Greg Hoelzeman and freshman Phillip Drilling are expected to pitch, none has ever taken to the mound in a varsity game. Duvall’s challenge will be developing this new group of pitchers. Usery, an outfielder in each of the past three seasons, is expected to move to the infield, likely third base. One of the Rebels’
best fielders, he only committed one error last season. At the plate, junior Landon Whorton drives the ball well, while Sacred Heart’s lone senior, first baseman Andrew Poole, posted a .311 batting average last year, and Duvall expects he will hit even better this season. Junior Zakk Hoelzeman provides power, having hit the Rebels’ only home run last season. On the base paths, Whorton is Sacred Heart’s most aggressive runner and supplies the team with good speed. Duvall has a couple of college prospects on the team. James is a player Duvall thinks will turn heads in a couple of years, while Zakk Hoelzeman can make an impression if he improves his defense. When looking at the schedule, Duvall recognized rivalry games versus Nemo Vista on March 12 and Wonderview on April 16 as games to watch. He called them “big games for the fans [that] will really go a long way in determining final conference standings.” Despite the challenges with an inexperienced pitching staff, Duvall is optimistic. “If the Rebels can put some runs on the board early and play quality defense behind their young and inexperienced staff …,” Duvall said, “Sacred Heart could get back to the regional tournament and perhaps start a new state-tournament streak.”