Little League
By: Jim Green
With a core of players who have been teammates the last five years, the Lawrence Little League baseball team seems primed for a strong run in the upcoming District 12 tournament.
"I think we can make it to the Final Four (in District 12)," Lawrence manager Dan Bannister said. "I think we have a good shot to make it at least to the Final Eight."
The 2003 Lawrence squad is comprised of 12 experienced 12-year olds, with most players returning from an 11-year old team that was eliminated via tiebreakers last year with a 4-4 record. Two years ago, as 10-year olds, they reached the district semifinals.
The roster includes Corey Bannister, David Gisley, Ian Hick, David Kenney, Jon Mann, J.P. McGahran, Jack O’Connor, David Patrylow, Anthony Russ, Ryan Shields, David Shillader and Eric Waseleski. The Lawrence coaches are Dave Shillader, Sr. and Mike O’Connor.
"They (the Lawrence players) all play in the Majors (in Lawrence Little League), mixed up between four and five different teams," Dan Bannister said. "They spend a lot of time together. It’s a good group of kids. It’s a pretty tight-knit core."
Bannister will be relying on what he expects to be a heavy-hitting lineup to carry his club through to the final eight. In order to reach the final eight, Lawrence must finish in the top two places of District 12’s Pool C, which includes Cranbury-Plainsboro, Allentown and Washington Township.
"The strength of our team is we can hit and we have pretty good defense," Bannister said. "Pitching, we’re OK."
Bannister will employ a steady lineup of nine players. Waseleski will lead off and play center field, Shillader will bat second and rotate between shortstop and pitcher, Corey Bannister the manager’s son will hit third and catch, and O’Connor will bat cleanup and will either play first base or pitch. Kenney will hit fifth and play a corner outfield position, Russ the third baseman will hit sixth, and Shields will play second and bat seventh. Mann will play outfield and hit eighth, while Gisley will pitch and bat ninth.
Patrylow will see some time in the outfield and possibly at first base, Hick will play some outfield, and McGahran currently out with a broken pinky finger will play some shortstop and first base when healthy.
"Hopefully he (McGahran) will be ready to go when we make it out of this pool," Bannister said.
Bannister expects the lineup which will be led by Corey Bannister, Waseleski, O’Connor, Shillader and Russ to feature a great deal of power.
"The biggest improvement is that we’re hitting the ball a lot better," Bannister said. "We always were a good hitting team. Now we have seven or eight kids that at the right time can take the ball out. Four of them have done it during the season, and three more have done it in practice.
"We have a lot of power, and we have some speed. We’re balanced."
One player who is key to balancing the lineup is Waseleski, the younger brother of Lawrence High School star Dave Waseleski.
"I think Eric (Waseleski) is one of the better outfielders in this district," Bannister said. "He’s a leadoff man who always makes contact. He’s a good little ballplayer."
Kenney one of the few players on the club who did not play for Lawrence last year also brings an added dimension to the club.
"He (Kenney) is the fastest runner on the team," Bannister said. "He’s very quick, which could change the lineup a little. He missed a year and he’s back, so he’ll help us."
The only question mark for Lawrence will be the ability of its pitchers to get opposing hitters out.
"I think it’s key that our pitchers pitch well," Bannister said. "If our pitchers throw strikes, we can beat anybody. But some of them (the Lawrence pitchers) aren’t as consistent as the others. If our pitchers throw strikes, we’ll be in every game."
The Lawrence pitchers will benefit from a defensive squad that has become cohesive through its years of playing together.
"They know where to go defensively," Bannister said of his players. "They know each other’s moves and what the next guy is going to do. They know what to expect."
Lawrence will look to get off to a good start when it faces Washington Township at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow at Cranbury-Plainsboro’s home field. Lawrence will then take on Cranbury-Plainsboro at 6 p.m. Saturday in Allentown.
Lawrence plays its home game against Allentown at 6 p.m. Monday at Eggerts Crossing’s Hughes Field. Lawrence will finish its Pool C schedule by visiting Washington Township at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Bannister believes he has the talent and experience to emerge from the first set of games with a place in District 12’s Final Eight, which begins play July 5.
"Anything else is icing on the cake," Bannister said. "I’d be very disappointed for them (the Lawrence players) if they don’t make it to the final eight, because I think they have a very good team."