New look Tigers retool for SCL title defense

The Analy Tigers will have new leadership and a revamped lineup as the team looks to defend its Sonoma County League title this spring in the final season before realignment changes the configuration of schools they will play next year.

Analy head coach Casey Cunningham has taken the reins from longtime coach Jeff Ogston, who guided the Tigers to a perfect 12-0 SCL mark last year (24-5 overall), including a deep run in the North Coast Section playoffs.
Cunningham will lead a revamped roster in 2018 after graduating 12 players last June, but a nucleus of six talented seniors return, bent on continuing a winning tradition.   
The list of returning veterans includes pitcher/outfielder Luke Bertling, catcher Jeff Pearson, pitcher/DH Evan Alvarez, second baseman Austin Alvarez, infielder/outfielder Luke Tollini and outfielder Tony Siri.    
First-year varsity players are seniors; second baseman/outfielder Julian Marcel, outfielder Christian Abbott and pitcher/third baseman Brenden Medina, juniors; first baseman/pitcher Brett Overshiner, third baseman Dalton Goodrum, outfielder Christian Garcia, first baseman William St. Martin, pitcher/outfielder Thomas O’Brien, pitcher/third baseman Tyler Stasiowski, shortstop Noah Rabin, catcher/infielder Colton Lomonto and second baseman Ethan Silverstritch.
The Tigers (1-3) have already logged four games on the pre-league circuit, opening up with a 4-3 win over San Lorenzo but dropping successive outings to Novato (2-1), Northgate (5-0) and Eureka (10-9, 8 innings).
Medina (6 IP, 4 hits, ER, K) and Evan Alvarez (1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs) joined forces and pitched well in a close 2-1 loss to visiting Novato on March 6. The top hitters were Stasiowski (2 for 3), Tollini (2 for 3, run), Pearson (2 for 3, RBI) and Medina (1 for 3).   
Stasiowski (5 IP, 6 hits, 3 ERs, 2 Ks) and Bertling (1 IP, hit, 2 ERs, K) shared mound duties on March 9 at Northgate. Tollini (1 for 3) collected the long hit of the game for the Tigers.
Analy squared off with Eureka on March 10 in a game played at Piner, clawing back from a 7-1 first-inning deficit to send it into extra innings knotted at 9-all. The Loggers pushed across the winning run in the eighth frame to eke out a 10-9 win.
Sharing mound duty for the Tigers were Evan Alvarez and O’Brien. Pacing the hitting attack were Marcel (2 for 4, 2 runs), Tollini (2 for 4, run, 4 RBIs), Austin Alvarez (1 for 3, RBI), Pearson (1 for 5, run, RBI) and Medina (1 for 3).
Weather permitting, the Tigers had four games scheduled this week, including home and away dates with Cloverdale (March 14, 4 p.m.) and at Ukiah (March 16, Anton Stadium, 7 p.m.).  
The Tigers will most likely be in the hunt for league supremacy again this season, with Petaluma, Piner, El Molino and Sonoma Valley also leading contenders. Analy will open the SCL campaign on March 23 at Piner (4 p.m.).