Team Preview: Parkhurst Post 1448

Manager Don Rothdiener, Coach Larry Deck, Coach Larry Sreca, Coach Tom Sreca.

Losses: Jason Mazurowski, Brian Weigel, Mike Zick.
Returning Players: Dan Barns (P/1B/OF), Kevin Burr (OF), Dan Lonsbury (Util.), Eric Morrissette (SS/OF), Andy Munn (C), David Parker (P/OF), Cody Passalacqua (P/Util.), Jeff Sergott (P/SS/OF), Mike Sreca (2B/3B/SS), Kevin VanSlyke (P/3B/SS), Jeff Weaver (P/1B/Util.).
Newcomers: Tryouts tomorrow night - check back for an update.

I just talked to Parkhurst manager Don Rothdiener. Check out he had to say as he offered his thoughts on what he thinks can be a successful year for his squad:

AD: What are you looking for out of an all-star player like Dan Barns who is returning to your team this year?
DR: We’re looking for him to be a team leader as an older kid who’s been there for a few years. He’s got a very good bat. We’re looking for him to possibly come back to way he pitched last year for Westmoreland. Jeff Sergott is back too. He was an all-star last year too. Jeff’s an all-around ball player. He’ll play anywhere you want him to play and do what he has to do.

AD: Who else will you look to as leaders?
DR: We look to all of them because if you look at it, most of these kids are leaders on the teams that they’re already on now (in high school)…We’re hoping that these kids put it together again. We’d like to make the playoffs again and we know they can… It’s like everybody contributes. You can’t just single out one kid. This is a whole team and they really do play together like that.

AD: Even though you haven’t held tryouts yet, what do you expect from the new guys as a group?
DR: There’s a bunch of young kids out there who will be real good ballplayers. The future for a program like ours is very bright. For us making the playoffs the last two out of three years has really improved our program. It’s brought some good ballplayers back to our program and now that’s showing.

AD: What do you like most about your team?
DR: I think it’s the chemistry because these kids really do get along. Sometimes you may have a couple bad apples, a couple kids that just don’t fit in. But these kids all get along together well…Even at a Westmoreland v. Oriskany game during the school year, these kids are out there talking to each other after the game and shaking each others hand. It’s really good camaraderie between the groups of kids.

AD: How do you manage to get the kids to get along so well when you have players who come from three different schools?
DR: We have some get-togethers during the year with the returning players. We don’t just lose the kids’ interest all year. At Christmas time we had a team party.

AD: Tell me about your coaching staff and how much they help you out.
DR: Our coaching staff really wants to improve this program…Larry Deck and Tom Sreca, they do all the positioning and line-ups and everything. My job now is mainly just to do paperwork and be there as a guide. Larry Sreca is the same way. He and I just guide. Tom Sreca and Larry Deck really have made these kids play better and taken them to the next level. They relate well with the kids.

AD: What does your team need to improve upon in order to have a successful season?
DR: I’m pretty sure anybody is going to say the pitching. We’re just hoping we’re going to have enough kids to throw…Pitching is always big. That’s the key.

AD: What is your goal for this team?
DR: We’d love to win the county. We want to get back in the playoffs and go from there. It’d be nice to win the county and go to district.

AD: Who do you think, at this point, will be the major contender?
DR: You’ve got to figure Smith Post will be one and you know that New Hartford and Whitestown and Adrean and Utica, all those teams will be tough. I just hope we can compete.