Young players will be crucial for Flames

PLYMOUTH – The Plymouth Flames hope a blend of veterans and young ballplayers will add up to a positive 2010 baseball season.

Player-manager Rick Meyer is counting on more-experienced players to lead the way but also hopes for key contributions from others. The Flames will be striving for improvement on last year’s disappointing 8- 19 season, including just a seventh-place finish in the Northern Division of the Land O’ Lakes Baseball League at 5-13.

“As part of building this season’s roster, I wanted to add a number of players who could grow with the club into the future,” Meyer said.

“Unfortunately, at times that will lead to some youthful growing pains. However, we still have a solid base of veteran leadership. With this blend of talent, we can compete with anyone – maybe not over the long haul, but certainly in stretches.”

Meyer noted the team’s strengths and weak areas.

“Right now, our veteran leaders will be the strength of the team. Team speed and aggressiveness will also help us manufacture runs and put pressure on the defense,” he said.

“Pitching depth might be a problem. Also, it may take awhile for our young bench to adjust to hitting at this level.”

Key veterans who figure to lead the Flames’ attack are Butch Cain, Paul Gloede, Chris Bennin and Dusty Medved. Gloede was named to the all-division team at second base in 2009.

Bennin led the Flames in RBIs last year with 19. Justin Gephart paced the team in batting last season with a .329 average.

Pitching will be crucial to the Flames’ hopes.

“At this time, our success might be linked to how our thin pitching staff performs. That burden will fall on Evan Walsh and Ryan Wachter for the most part,” Meyer said.

“We need to find out if young arms, Travis Christenson and Dave Stecker can take some of the burden off of them against the good teams.”

Meyer has been impressed with Stecker, who played high school baseball at Oostburg, at shortstop. Other newcomers who have caught Meyer’s eye are Christenson (from Sheboygan Falls), Mike DuCharme and Brock Walsh.

“Travis has shown some good things on the mound and Mike DuCharme has displayed some pop with the bat. Brock Walsh will also provide some needed young depth in the infield,” the manager said.

Meyer pointed out his top season goals.

“I want to be competitive in every game we play this season,” he said.

“We may not battle for the league title but I think teams will respect us and know that they will have to show up to beat us.

“I think pitching will be the key to how we do this year. I think that our defense and hitting will keep us in games but pitching will make the difference this year.

“It’s not that we have a great pitching staff, but how our staff performs is what will determine our level of success,” Meyer said.

He looks at Cedarburg as the division title favorite. Meyer hopes to finish in the upper half. Cedarburg is the division champion.
PLYMOUTH FLAMES
BASEBALL SCHEDULE
April 26 – @ Forest, ppd.
May 1 – Johnsburg, here W
May 2 – Two Rivers, here, L
May 8 – @ Cedarburg, L
May 15 – @ Branch, L
May 16 – Thiensville-Mequon, W
May 21 – @ Two Rivers
May 23 – @ West Bend
May 26 – Branch, here
May 28 – Saukville, here
June 2 – West Bend, here
June 4 – @ Port Washington
June 7 – @ Sheboygan A’s
June 9 – Pokel Tourney, here (1st rd.)
June 11 – Pokel Tourney, here (1st rd.)

June 13 – Howards Grove, here
June 16 – Pokel Tourney, here (semis)
June 18 – Pokel Tourney, here (finals)
June 19 – @ Saukville
June 20 – @ Grafton
June 25 – Cedarburg, here
June 27 – Port Washington, here
June 30 – Grafton, here
July 7 – @ Howards Grove
July 11 – All-Star Game, @ H. Grove
July 14 – Saukville, here
July 18 – @ Thiensville-Mequon
July 25 – @ West Bend
Aug. 1 – Grafton, here
Aug. 7 – @ Howards Grove

PLYMOUTH FLAMES ROSTER

David Albrecht (utility), Chris Bennin (IF), Butch Cain (3B-C), Travis Christenson (P-OF), Michael DuCharme (1B), Joel Fabian (OF), Justin Gephart (OF-1B), Paul Gloede (2B) and Eric Heidenreiter (OF).

Dusty Medved (C), Rick Meyer (manager-1B), Chad Nickolai (P), Dave Stecker (SS-2B-P), Zack Suchon (utility), Ryan Wachter (P-OF), Brock Walsh (IF), Evan Walsh (OF-P) and _________________ _N_ic_k_ W__il_so_n_ _(P-utility).