Roy-Hart returns six diamond starters

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Leading Roy-Hart into the upcoming baseball season is this group of returning starters. In front are Sean Mettler, Jake Gould and Dawson Draper. In back are Ethan Kuzma, Brayden Hy and Rem Albee.

Six returning starters, including the entire infield, are set to lead defending Section VI Class B2 champion Roy-Hart into the upcoming baseball season.

That veteran group includes catcher Ethan Kuzma, first baseman Rem Albee, second baseman Sean Mettler, shortstop Jake Gould, third baseman Dawson Draper and centerfielder Brayden Hy. All are seniors except Mettler who is a sophomore.

Gould, Draper and Hy all earned first team Niagara-Orleans All-League honors last year while Kuzma and Albee were second team selections and Mettler an Honorable Mention pick.

Sophomores Evan Poeller and Gavin Heideman look to man the corner outfield spots and Isaac Smith will add depth to the infield.

“We’re very fortunate to have the veteran group back that we do,” said Coach Jim Heideman. “They’ve played together on the varsity for a long time, many of them for four years, so they know what to expect and what it takes. They work hard. They just want to play and to work.”

Gould, Draper and Hy, who all some action on the mound last year, look to share the pitching duties with Mettler, Smith and Heideman.

That pitching committee looks to offset the Rams main loss to graduation, pitching ace Thomas Russo, who earned N-O Player of the Year honors and is now pitching for Canisius University.

“We have a pretty deep pitching staff so as long as they throw strikes we should be pretty good,” said Heideman.

The Rams finished second in the N-O last spring at 9-3 and went on to claim the Section VI Class B2 title compiling a 19-5 overall record.

Roy-Hart is scheduled to begin tuning up for the N-O season by visiting Gowanda on Saturday for a non league contest. The Rams are slated to open the N-O season at Wilson on April 15.