Justin Lewis takes over as coach; lauds strong young lineup
The smell of freshly cut grass and sound of bat meeting ball are in the air this week, as the El Molino Lions embark on what figures to be a competitive and exciting 2017 baseball campaign.
New head coach and El Mo alum Justin Lewis has taken over for former skipper Tony Franceschi and has the team off to a great start, logging two wins in three preseason outings.
The Lions opened the schedule on Feb. 25 with a split in a doubleheader at Kelseyville, bouncing back from an 8-1 loss with a 4-3 win in the nightcap. El Mo starter Bradley Swinney (7 IP, 10 hits, 2 ERs, 5 Ks) went the distance to notch the victory. Jake Peter paced the offense with two hits in three trips and a pair of runs batted in.
El Mo was back in the win column on Feb. 28 at St. Helena, riding the strong arm of ace pitcher Sam Wilson-Mietz (3 hits, 11 strikeouts) in posting a 1-0 shutout victory. Wesley Hamner collected an RBI single in the sixth to seal the win.
“We’ve only used four pitchers and have had two complete games in our first three games so far,” Lewis reported. “We’re a young team (4 seniors) and everyone gets along well. I think our guys have a lot of heart and feel like they have something to prove.”
The Lions return a strong nucleus of talent from last year’s 9-15 playoff team, a group that features sophomore pitcher/shortstop Sam Wilson-Mietz, senior catcher Jake Peter, junior infielder TJ Schooley, junior infielder Wesley Hamner, junior outfielder Andy Junge and sophomore infielder Jordan Hamner (currently injured).
The list of first-year varsity players includes senior utility infielder/pitcher Garret Crane, senior outfielders Eric Nils-Carlson and Klayton Kaasch, junior outfielder Justin Schaap, sophomore outfielder Wyatt Stringfellow, junior outfielder Ryan Smith, junior second baseman Shane Spelman, junior outfielder/pitcher Jack Belli, junior infielder/pitcher Curtis Lewis, sophomore utiltyman/pitcher Andrew Tait, and junior infielder/pitcher Bradley Swinney.
Although El Mo begins the year with a relatively inexperienced pitching staff (no pitchers saw extensive varsity action last season), the stable of arms will feature nine hurlers with a high ceiling.
Projected as starters are Wilson-Mietz, Lewis, Peter and Crane. The bullpen will consist of a combination of Crane, Wes Hamner, Tait, Belli, Stringfellow and Wilson-Mietz.
The Lions’ greatest asset in 2017 may be its versatility, with most players able to contribute anywhere on the field. The team’s cohesiveness could also be a strength this year.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that can play different positions and we’ll move them around depending on the situation and who’s pitching,” coach Justin Lewis said. “We’re an above average hitting team and everyone gets along really well.”
Scheduling notes
At press time the Lions were preparing to resume preseason action at Willits on March 4 (12 p.m.) and will host Fort Bragg in the home opener on Tuesday, Mar. 7 (4 p.m.). El Mo will visit Middletown on Saturday, March 11 in a 10:30 a.m. start.
Next week: a look at the Analy Tigers.
