Washington boys among favorites in District 12

By: Kyle Moylan
   Despite going through a tough tournament season in which injuries and kids playing up a year conspired to keep it from advancing out of pool play as 11-year-olds, very few people have forgotten about the Washington Township Little League.
   For Manager Steve Krebs, this is both good and bad.
   "I’m feeling a little pressure," noted Krebs, who guided Washington to the District 12 championship two years ago as 10-year-olds. "You hear the talk around town. ‘You guys are in the mix.’ ‘You guys are the favorites.’ There is pressure to do well."
   On the plus side, look at the talent on the team Krebs will guide into pool play, starting on June 27.
   There are still eight kids from the team that won as 10-year-olds. There are also four kids back from the Washington team that placed third as 12-year-olds last season.
   "There is so much talent in District 12 that all it takes is one bad break to knock you out," Krebs noted. "But we are confident. We know how much talent we have. We should do well."
   The ace of the Washington pitching staff this season is Matt Samel, who also plays third base.
   "Matt’s a big kid that also hit four home runs during the regular season," Krebs added.
   Steve Krebs is the number two pitcher and shortstop on the team.
   "He’s a good hitter and a vital part of our group," Krebs noted.
   Drew Clark is a pitcher, who also plays third and the outfield. He hit three home runs during the regular season, so he is the total package.
   Chris Karousatos is a pitcher and outfielder.
   "He’s a hard throwing right handed pitcher and outfielder. He’s also a very fast kid and a good hitter," Krebs noted.
   Tim Nemazie is a pitcher and infielder, who Krebs calls a "solid hitter and base runner."
   The other pitcher on the staff is Michael Anthony Ciaramella, a lefty that throws four different pitches. He’s someone Krebs plans to use to throw off opposing teams.
   Samel is one of the four players that was on the 12-year-olds last year. The others are C.J. Gearhart, Andrew Dimaggio and Drew DeAngelis.
   Gearhart and Dimaggio are both catchers/first basemen. They are two of the best hitters on the team. Gearhart had five homers during the regular season.
   DeAngelis is a center fielder and leadoff hitter, who Krebs says "roams the outfield grass and catches everything."
   Sean Buecker plays first base and carries a bat that connected for five homers this season. He’s a threat every time he comes to the plate.
   Shawn Flynn is a power hitting left fielder. He’s a long-time and vital member of the team.
   J.J. McGuigan plays second base. Krebs calls him the "most solid fielder on the team. He makes very few errors and makes a lot of spectacular plays."
   Craig Hunter brings a nice combination of speed and power. Krebs calls him "the fastest kid in the league." He also had a couple of home runs.
   Tom Flynn and Frank Nemazie will serve as coaches.
   Washington will open pool play with a 6 p.m. start against Cranbury at 6-11 on June 27. The following day it will play Florence at 6 p.m. at Cranbury. On Saturday, June 30, Washington will play Sunnybrae at 3 p.m. at Princeton. Pool play concludes on July 1 when Washington hosts Chambersburg at 5 p.m.
   The top three teams out of each of the three pools advance to the final 9 at Lawrence.