Defense is Key to Dolphins’ Success

Palisades High Baseball Preview

With the two most feared hitters gone from the lineup, Palisades High baseball coaches Tom Seyler and Kelly Loftus know that the honus to win this season will shift to the Dolphins’ defense. Fortunately, defense is one of the team’s strengths and the aspect of the game players and coaches emphasize most. “Our defense is going to be the key,” said Loftus, who, along with Seyler, inherited the program when longtime coach Russ Howard decided to step down after the 2003 season. “We’re young in a lot of ways and so there are a lot of things we’re still learning about this group. But defense is the one thing that has to be consistent. I think that goes for any team–hitting will come and go, but defense has to be a priority.” At the heart of Pali’s defense is four-year starter Matt Skolnik at second base. He was a freshman when Palisades reached the City Invitational finals at Dodger Stadium in Howard’s final season. “Matt is our leader out there,” Seyler said. “He has the most experience and he’s our most reliable glove. You can always count on him to be in the right spot, to turn the double play or to back up a base.” Adam Greene, who played two years on junior varsity, will back-up Skolnik. Juniors Mitchell Schwartz and Cole Cook, both starting pitchers, will rotate at first base depending upon who is on the mound. Sophomore Garrett Champion, who filled in for injured starting catcher Tim Sunderland last season, will play third base. Fully recovered from a stress fracture in his right shoulder that forced him to miss virtually all of last season, Sunderland will be behind the plate. Playing shortstop will be junior Andrew Megee, completing Pali’s talented but relatively inexperienced infield. “We have to take more of a team approach this year,” Sunderland said. “The make-up of our team is a lot different. Last year, David [Bromberg] and Dylan [Cohen] were the majority of our offense. They were such good hitters that we could rely on them a lot. This year, we’re going to have to get contributions from the whole lineup.” Sunderland feels added pressure hitting clean-up–where Bromberg was a year ago. “I’m batting fourth, so that’s a key spot. We definitely have big shoes to fill but we’re looking forward to the challenge.” Patrolling the outfield will be senior Bobby Hicks in left and junior Austin Jones in center, with juniors Eric Verdun and Jeff Dauber platooning in left. Other outfielders include seniors Alex Pekelis and Brenden Pollis. “We’ve only lost two games in league the last two years so the other teams know our goal is to go undefeated,” said Skolnik, one of the Dolphins’ four team captains along with Sunderland, Dauber and Megee. “It’s going to be hard to do, but that’s still our goal. We don’t have as many home run hitters, so we’re going to have to produce runs in other ways but that doesn’t mean we can’t be just as good.” Seyler said Cook is emerging as the ace of the pitching staff. At 6-6 and 195 pounds, he throws 88 to 90 miles per hour and has a blazing fastball. The key, Seyler said, is whether he has consistent command of his curve ball and changeup. “The sky is the limit with this kid,” Seyler said. “He’s a strong kid with a lot of potential and if he can hit his spots he is going to dominate. Schwartz, another junior right-hander, is another starter Palisades will rely on to log plenty of innings. Two other right-handers, Seri Kattan-Wright and Johnny Bromberg, round out the staff along with Jones, the Dolphins’ lone left-hander. Junior Rob Rosenberg could contribute on varsity and Skolnik may be called upon to close out games as he did last year. “We call Matt [Skolnik] our “Mr. Right Now” guy because if we need an out right now, he’s the one we turn to,” Seyler said. “Austin [Jones] will be a situational guy who has been throwing real well in practice.” Kattan-Wright, a senior who hardly pitched at all last year because starters David Bromberg and Turhan Folse kept winning, is expecting to contribute more this season. “Last year, we basically had those two guys,” Kattan-Wright said. “This year, we have five solid starters. I think we’re a more well-rounded staff. As for myself, I have a good curve ball. That’s probably my favorite pitch.” Junior varsity players who could make an impact on varsity during the season include sophomore catcher Lucas Berry, freshman pitcher Jonathan Moscot, sophomore outfielder Alex Meadow and first baseman Zach Dauber. Having reached the quarterfinals of the City Section playoffs and nearly upsetting powerhouse Chatsworth last year, Pali’s coaches and players are no longer satisfied with just making the playoffs. That is what they expect. No, they have set much loftier goals this season. “Getting to Dodger Stadium and playing for the City championship,” Skolnik said. “That’s what we want to do. This is my last shot at it. And if we play to our potential, I believe we have a realistic chance.” Qualifying for the finals at Dodger Stadium won’t be easy. The Dolphins have loaded their nonleague schedule with some of the best teams in the Southland, including defending City champion El Camino Real, perennial City powers Cleveland and San Fernando and Marine League contenders Carson and Narbonne. In April, Pali travels to Las Vegas for the Centennial Tournament against the likes of Huntington Beach, Liberty and Kennedy. “Our schedule is brutal but we thrive on the competition,” Seyler said. “We’ve been playing good teams all winter long so why should it be any different?” Palisades holds its annual alumni game this Saturday at 1 p.m., preceded by a friendly junior varsity versus old-timers game. The season officially begins Friday, March 3, when the Dolphins host Southern Section powerhouse Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. “All these tough games and long, hard practices will help us when we start league,” Loftus said. “The Western League is supposed to be much improved and we’re not going to waltz through by any means. I see us playing a lot of close games this year but I see us winning as long as we play fundamentally sound, smart baseball.” Seyler and Loftus credit Pali alums Das Jesson and Jon Leicester, with working out Dolphin players in the offseason, developing their skills as hitters and fielders. Pali’s co-coaches enjoy seeing former players and coaches associated with the program return to lend their support and impart their knowledge to the team. “They’ve been a tremendous help to us and we’re grateful to have them out here,” Seyler said. “The kids look up to them and listen to what they have to say. Especially guys like Das and Jon who are in the majors.” For more information about Palisades Baseball, visit the Web site: www. palibaseball.com.