Copper Division Preview

The Copper Division should be a pretty competitive one this year. We have Holy Cross, Sacred Heart, Naugatuck, and Woodland all to look out for near the top of the division.

Holy Cross figures to be the division favorite. They lost nearly nobody from the Class M runners up a year ago. They boast one of the best one-two pitching punches in the league, with seniors Kyle Murphy and Tim Bessette, and Ryan Plourde will be ready to fill in at any time. The Crusaders also return All-NVL catcher Christian Cuevas and have experience all the way around the diamond with Kyle Tehan and Rob Pagliaro, to name a few.

Sacred Heart could be a surprise to the league. They come off a semifinal appearance in the Class S tournament and look to build on that success this year. The Hearts return a solid pitching staff, including seniors Matt Finkenzeller, Darryl Wilson, and Jim Caporale, along with catcher Luis Serrano and position players Chris Chieffo and Brandon Spadolino. They are not to be taken lightly.

Naugatuck has a strong group this season as well, coming off an appearance in the NVL tournament. The Hounds will look to senior Greg Rice as their number one pitcher, while Chris Cretella and Matt Zahornasky will see time on the mound as well. Shortstop Xavier Ortiz is a solid leadoff hitter.

Woodland will have to overcome the loss of six seniors, including pitchers Steve Corbett and Mark McKay and second baseman Cody Kingsley. The Hawks will be relying on a bunch of new faces to fill in some of the gaps left. Key returners include pitcher/shortstop Nick Boucher, pitcher/catcher Jason Skibek, centerfielder Ryan Genua, and infielders Kyle Georgia and Mike Diurno.

Torrington has had a few down years in a row after consistently being one of the top teams in the league. It may be difficult to rise to the top again with the strong top of the division this year, but the Red Raiders will try with pitcher Conor Bierfeldt. They also return a few position players, including Matt Fabiaschi, Mike Tedesco, and Jimmy Fuchsman.

Kennedy will probably be at the bottom of the division again, although they showcase some decent players, including James McMahon, James Joy, Ryan Coleman, and Roberto Quinones. Coach Gregg Pugliese said this about his team: "Kennedy's goal this year is the same as it has been, making the state tournament. This can be accomplished with strong senior leadership, consistent pitching, and minimizing defensive mistakes. I am confident that we will score
runs, but we must remain fundamentally sound to be competitive."

And since it's just about time to kick off the season, here are my Opening Day predictions. Feel free to comment about my Copper outlook or add your own predictions for the day.

Seymour over Naugatuck
Holy Cross over Watertown
Wilby over Torrington
Ansonia over Kennedy
Sacred Heart over Crosby
Wolcott over Woodland