Youthful Mustangs continue building

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 22 March 2018 at 9:10 am

Photo by Mike Wertman – Veteran members of the Medina baseball squad include, in front, Trevor Luthart, Nate Sherman and Zach Fike. In back are Matt Saj, Brett Riemer, Alex Allis and Brian Fry. Missing from the photo is Chris Goyette.

Last year was truly a learning and a rebuilding one for the Medina varsity baseball squad which grade wise more resembled a JV team as it included one seventh grader, one eighth grader, three freshman and a sophomore.

Now, with that still very youthful lineup returning virtually intact, the Mustangs look to continue that building process and the climb back up the ladder of the Niagara-Orleans League standings.

The Mustangs veteran contingent includes eighth grader Zach Fike (outfield/pitcher), freshman Brian Fry (shortstop/pitcher), sophomores Trevor Luthart (first base/pitcher), Chris Goyette (pitcher/infield) and Nate Sherman (infield/outfield) along with junior Matt Saj (outfield) and seniors Alex Allis (catcher) and Brett Riemer (pitcher/third base).

Riemer earned first team N-O All-League honors last year while Allis and Luthart were both second team honorees and Fry and Goyette Honorable Mention selections.

Medina’s roster also includes senior Ethan Kujawa (outfield), juniors Taviah Rhim (utility) and Brandon Heschke (utility) and sophomore AJ Seefeldt (utility).

“We’re still awfully young on paper but we have a lot of field experience,” said Coach Don Baker. “We definitely have a lot of pitching and that will keep us in games. The big key is we will have to play good defense.”

Medina, which went 4-8 in N-O action last season, is slated to open the league campaign at Akron on April 12. The Mustangs have five non league games slated before that beginning with a home contest against Pembroke on March 27.

Schedule
March: 27 – Pembroke, 4:45 p.m.; 29 – Batavia, 4:30 p.m.
April: 2 – Holley, 4 p.m.; 4 – JFK, 12 p.m.; 6 – Maryvale, 4 p.m.; 12 – at Akron, 4:45 p.m.; 13 – Barker, 4:45 p.m.; 16 – at Newfane, 4:45 p.m.; 18 – Roy-Hart, 4:45 p.m.; 20 – at Albion, 4:45 p.m.; 27 – Akron, 4:45 p.m.; 28 – Wilson, 7 p.m.; 30 – at Barker, 4:45 p.m.
May: 2 – Newfane, 4:45 p.m.; 4 – at Roy-Hart, 4:45 p.m.; 5 – at Attica, 11 a.m.; 7 – Albion, 4:45 p.m.; 9 – at Wilson, 4:45 p.m.; 11 – at Batavia, 4:30 p.m.