Windsor opens baseball campaign with win over Montgomery
This could be the year for the Windsor High School baseball program in the first season following North Bay League realignment, as the Jaguars assume the role of favorite in the newly formed Redwood Division.
Head coach Dave Avila is back to lead a strong nucleus of nine returnees mixed with a group of nine first year varsity players that could well be the class of the league.
“Our varsity team is loaded with pitching so we’re armed and dangerous,” Avila reported. “Our goals this season are to be competitive every day and not beat ourselves. Last year we lost seven games by two runs or less and a lot of those were late in the ballgame. Doing the little things will be the focus point for us this season.”
Leading the list of varsity veterans is a core of seniors that includes first-team all league pitcher Tyler Hellums, pitcher/infielder Cyrus Soltanizadeh, hard-hitting outfielder/pitcher Cameron Hayman, infielder Will Matthews, outfielder Chris Torres and infielders Ian McGee and Aiden Boettger. Returning juniors are catcher Nick Pariani and sophomore shortstop and second-team all leaguer Carson Ramocinski.
Bolstering the varsity squad are seniors; outfielders Nick Landeros and Hunter Danenbring, juniors; outfielder Brett Boudrow, infielder/pitcher Devon Reynolds and infielder Brock Souza, sophomores; pitchers Gary Hall, Francis Freenor and Matt Kemper and freshman infielder/pitcher Joseph Soltanizadeh (brother of Cyrus).
In the NBL Redwood Division, the Jags will compete with the likes of El Molino, Elsie Allen, Healdsburg, Piner and Santa Rosa, stamping the team as the early season favorite to hang a league pennant.
“We should be very competitive in the division this year, and our goal is to make playoffs,” Avila said. “We can’t wait for the sun to come out, so we can get on the field, and out of the gym.”
Jags open with win
Windsor didn’t waste any time in notching their first victory, riding the strong arm of Hellums to log a 3-2 win over visiting Montgomery in the season opener on Feb. 23.
Hayman got the party started in the first inning with a two-out run scoring double. The Jags padded the lead in the third stanza when Hellums laced an RBI single to score Torres, followed by an RBI double off the bat of Cyrus Soltanizadeh.
Hellums (5 IP, 1 hit, 33 BBs, 5 Ks, WP) was on cruise control before handing the ball to relievers Soltanizadeh and Hayman in the final two frames as Windsor hung on for a 3-2 win.
“We swung the bats really good, especially after being in the gym most of the early season,” Avila noted. “Our pitching should keep us in every game this season. We have a really good group of arms and our depth on the mound is deep.”
Scheduling notes
Weather permitting, the Jaguars will resume pre-league action at Analy on Feb. 26, followed by a home clash with Maria Carrillo this Saturday, March 2 (12 p.m.).
