By Kim J. Harmon

O

ne step at a time. One pitch at a time. With the specter of a 1-19 season still lurking in the background, the Nighthawks opened the 2000 season this week excited about an improved team but also conscious of the fact that they have to take it slow.

Recovery does not happen overnight.

“I’m taking it pitch by pitch,” said new coach John Larkins, who takes over the program from Dan Winsett. “But I’m comfortable. We have 11 juniors and four seniors who all saw a lot of playing time last year. I was holding my breath in our first scrimmage, but these kids have come together more quickly than I thought they would. I think we can be a strong team in the SWC.”

Around the horn . . .

CATCHER – At 6-3 and 200 pounds, junior Matt McCarthy looks to be a legitimate prospect, according to coach Larkins, “a kid all the colleges will look at.” McCarthy saw considerable time behind the plate as a sophomore and not only brings a big bat (he’ll be in the cleanup spot) but also a strong arm to throw out runners. Collin Anderson will back up.

FIRST BASE – It looks like junior John Fiscella will be manning the sack and sharing time with Anderson. Fiscella is a very athletic player just getting back into the position. He has been hitting the ball extremely well this spring.

SECOND BASE – Senior captain Steve Moulton will provide a solid defensive force up the middle, but he also will bring a bit of a pop to the plate.

SHORTSTOP – Senior captain Les Russell has worked hard in the off-season and has gotten stronger. Junior Kevin Carolan will see some time at the position.

THIRD BASE – Senior Ray Reynolds could be the “gutsiest kid we have,” said coach Larkins. “He will throw his body in front of everything and I will always be able to count on him.” Reynolds is also hitting the ball well. Dave Roodhuyzen, who has looked good in the pre-season, will play some third as well.

LEFTFIELD – A toss up early on, the job could fall to junior Rob Weiss (“He has incredible speed,” said coach Larkins, “and covers a lot of turf”) or junior Pete Engel (“He is doing well in the field,” said coach Larkins, “and could give us some solid innings”).

CENTERFIELD – Hands down, this is a job for junior Nick Savino. “He is one of our top kids, potential-wise,” said coach Larkins. “He can change the pace of a game whenever he wants.”

RIGHTFIELD – Senior captain Steve Bertè is “a true leader,” said coach Larkins, “and one of our most consistent batters.”

DESIGNATED HITTER – John Pantan will be sort of a specialized DH for coach Larkins, helping the coach load up the lineup with lefty hitters. Pantan, a switch-hitter, has slugged the ball hard from both sides of the plate this spring.

PITCHING – While the rotation is still somewhat up in the air, the pitching staff looks to be Ray Reynolds, Les Russell, John Fiscella and Kevin Carolan. “These four, they fit in to what I’m looking for,” said coach Larkins. “They will give us good, quality innings.”

Coach Larkins will also look to Gregg Burkhart as a solid, go-to guy who can spot start or throw some innings of long relief. He enhanced his stature by adding some motion on his fastball and continuing to improve his deadly off-speed repertoire.

Chris Arnold and Tim Gordon will not only throw some relief, but also play a little bit in the field.

Coach Larkins hopes for a lot of improvement in 2000 but he also knows that the South-West Conference is a strong baseball conference. Still, in order to recover from a dismal 1-19 record, the ‘Hawks will take it one step at a time and one pitch at a time.

DATE     OPPONENT    H/A

April 6       Pomperaug              H

April 8       St. Joseph’s            A

April 10     Brookfield               H

April 12     Bunnell                    A

April 14     Masuk                      A

April 17     Stratford                  A

April 18     Pomperaug               A

April 22     St. Joseph’s            A

April 24     New Fairfield           H

April 26     New Milford             A

April 28     Jonathan Law          H

May 1         Jonathan Law           A

May 3         Notre Dame             H

May 5         Immaculate              A

May 8         Bethel                     H

May 10       Joel Barlow              A

May 12       Masuk                     H

May 15       Foran                      A

May 17       Weston                   H

May 18       Kolbe                      H

May 22       SWC quarter-finals

May 23       SWC semi-finals

May 25       SWC finals