Look no further than where it all starts – at pitcher and catcher – to determine why manager Steve Homza feels good about the Greater Pittston Senior American Legion team that started its season this week.
Those two positions, known as the battery in baseball, have been re-energized.
David Fath provided the work at catcher last season even though it is not his normal or natural position.
Fath returns, but Greater Pittston has added the multi-year starting catchers from the two successful high school teams that fortify the bulk of the roster – Jake Aftewicz from Pittston Area and Jeremy Layland from Wyoming Area.
“We’re feeling pretty good there,” Homza said.
The pitching is also much deeper than the staff that was strong enough to carry Greater Pittston all the way to the Region 5 championship game a year ago.
“Last year, we had 2½ pitchers,” Homza said. “This year, we have 11-12 guys who pitched varsity innings in their career. It will be crazy how we’ll be able to juggle everyone.”
The 17-player roster matches the pitching outlook.
“We have plenty of pitching and depth in both the infield and outfield,” Homza said. “Some guys who have been three-year varsity starters may not be in the starting lineup.
“It’s the most talented team I’ve had in depth in my four years.”
Much of that depth comes from players who were prominent in Pittston Area taking an unbeaten record all the way into the state high school tournament before being beaten Monday.
Rich Tonte is back at third base and can also play pitcher and shortstop. Beau Widdick returns at second base.
Aftewicz, lead-off hitting center fielder Dominic Innamorati, shortstop/pitcher Silvio Giardina, first baseman/designated hitter Chase Montigney and pitcher T.J. Johnson and Logan Laskowski all join in. Giardina is headed to Lehigh.
Widdick and Wyoming Area’s Jacob Snyder, an outfielder/pitcher both have some travel baseball commitments that may make them unavailable at times.
They join Fath, Layland and Michael Wassell as the players from Wyoming Area’s team this season. Tommy Carlin, a post-graduate who also played at Scranton Prep, also returns as a pitcher.
Zander Condeelis, the team’s other post-grad, is also back.
Paul Rusincovich, one of the Lackawanna League’s top players, also returns. Rusincovich received the honor of being Greater Pittston’s Opening Day starting pitcher after batting .460 and posting a 1.79 earned run average at Scranton Prep.
Drew Cisney, a Fairleigh Dickinson commit who played at Holy Redeemer, will help the team at pitcher, infield and outfield.
Prestyn Reeves, a Dallas player who resides in the Wyoming Area School District, is also part of the team.
