By Dylan Butler
Things are looking up at St. Francis Prep this year. After all, the Terriers played a preseason game at home last Thursday afternoon.
A year ago, the Terriers spent more time off the field than on it. A combination of inclement weather and the swine flu epidemic — the Fresh Meadows school was the epicenter last year — resulted in 20 consecutive days without baseball.
Needing to make up the games in a short period of time, St. Francis Prep played multiple doubleheaders in a week and the mental and physical strain had an effect.
It took a toll “mentally and physically, on everybody’s arms,” senior pitcher Lebro Burnette said. “We only have a certain amount of players and we were playing every day, seven or eight games a week. That was tough, but it brought everyone together.”
The Terriers are putting that all behind them, looking forward to a healthy — and hopefully relatively rain-free — season.
“It took its toll, but we should have won,” St. Francis Prep Coach Brother Robert Kent said. “That’s in the past. We just have to get better, we have to hit. The game now is defense and pitching.”
And the Terriers are strong on both fronts.
Burnette is a left-handed, three-year starter and is joined by fellow seniors Chris Fesler and Alex Fabian on an experienced pitching staff. SFP also has a solid crop of junior arms and freshman Taso Stathopoulos has looked solid in the preseason.
“We have enough arms,” Kent said. “I think the pitching is all right, we just have to hit better.”
Burnette showed flashes of brilliance as a sophomore and is now looking to refine his game and is more of a leader this season.
“Then I was learning from guys like A.J. Boardman and Lucas Romeo,” Burnette said. “Now I’m hopefully taking their spot and showing some of the younger guys the way.”
When not pitching, Fesler will play in left and is part of an experienced and strong outfield, which includes returning players Alex Middlemiss in right and Jason Perrone in center.
“I think we have an edge because we have a lot of guys coming from last year, some up-and-coming juniors who are looking good this year,” Middlemiss said. “Hopefully, we can string it together and have a nice season.”
Kent also likes his middle infield defense with second baseman John Liquori and shortstop Chris Brudie. Joe Lentino will start at first and there’s still a search for a starting third baseman.
Behind the plate, James Paskor replaces Chris Cannon, who had off-season Tommy John surgery following a pair of collisions at the plate last spring. Kent said the 6-foot-1 junior might return in time for the playoffs.
“The kid is so quiet, he never complains,” Kent said of Cannon. “He caught all summer, played with us in the fall and never said a thing. I told him that he seems tight and he said my shoulder is bothering me.”
While Cannon is a big loss, the Terriers should still be in contention this year. Optimism is high, but the true test begins in a week with the regular-season opener at Stanner Field.
“We’ll get there, I hope,” Kent said. “We’ll find out Thursday.”
