6:00: Morning News

Depth puts Class AA defending baseball champ Bridgeport back in contention

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — A season ago, Bridgeport won its first baseball state championship since 2000, edging Independence in the Class AA title game 5-2. The win completed a 32-win campaign for the Indians.

“That was a memorable season and you couldn’t ask for a better group of seniors,” coach Robert Shields said. “We were gearing up for a good year anyway and to make a run. The seniors mixed in well with the underclassmen and they all knew their roles. It was just a great mix.”

The Indians lost eight seniors from the 2014 team, including Tyler Skidmore (.426 batting average), A.C. Caldera (.441), Anthony Bonamico (.363) and Greg Smith (.343).

“Sometimes seven of the eight started, sometimes just four of the eight started,” Shields said. “They believed in themselves and confidence goes a long way.”

It’s a new group of seniors, though, who have been leading the way early for the defending Class AA champions as Zack Hineman (2B), Joe LaRocca (3B), Hunter Mann (OF) and Houston Morris (1B) have all had productive outings from the plate through mid-April.

Bridgeport first baseman Houston Morris is a returning starter and now senior-leader from Bridgeport's 2014 state championship team.
Bridgeport senior first baseman Houston Morris is a returning starter from the 2014 state championship team.

The Indians this week also received a boost as 6-foot-2, 200-pound catcher Hunter Fain is back in the lineup (.434 average last year) after sitting out with oblique injury.

“We’re getting Hunter back and we’ve been looking forward to that,” Shields said. “He was our starting catcher last year and eventually once he gets back into game-shape, he’ll be probably back as our No. 4 hitter. He had a good state tournament last year for us.

“Elijah Drummond has done a great job and is swinging the bat really well in (Fain’s) place,” Shields said. “Of course Dante (Bonamico), even though he’s a junior, gives us an added flavor of intensity that he brings to the table every game. He’s doing a very good job with the bat this year as well.”

Bridgeport has utilized 19 of 20 players during a 6-0 start, receiving stellar pitching efforts.

“Our pitching has been great,” Shields said. “Logan Smith has thrown well, Sam Aloi threw 36 pitches in a four innings against Oak Glen, while Hunter Haddix and Jared Cleghorn have both had good outings.”

Smith struck out six in five innings last week in an 11-1 win over Class AAA contender Ripley. He’s just part of the depth that has the Indians right back in championship contention.

“I can keep naming names of kids on our 20-man roster that could be starting at a lot of other schools,” Shields said. “They’re a good group and they’ve stuck together. They’ve been through the Little League systems and travel ball. These kids have played a lot of baseball.”

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