Every season is a new opportunity. It is a chance to put what happened a year earlier officially in the past, while focusing on what happens now, and in the months down the line.
The 2016 Curwensville Golden Tide baseball squad is looking to do just that, put last year in the past, and move ahead.
When last season first began, the biggest issue for the Tide was just getting onto the field. Early season delays because of weather and field conditions pushed the start of the season late by over a week. When the squad finally hit the diamond, it was a thrilling offensive shootout where Curwensville got the 9-8 victory over Harmony. Unfortunately, things went on a downward spiral after that.
Curwensville would lose their next 10 contests, some due to the 10-run rule. After getting their second victory of the year in late-April, the Tide would win just one of their final eight games to finish out the season at a disappointing 3-17.
That was the 2015 season, a season where head coach Tom Harzinski looked for the positives out of a difficult campaign.
Moving ahead to this year, Harzinski’s team has a lot of leadership from the upperclassmen. Half of the Tide are seniors, with a pair that come in after playing all 20 games a year ago. Offensively, shortstop Jake Terry returns to improve on his .344 average from a season ago. Terry also scored 13 runs and had four RBI’s on the season. Not only that, but of his 64 plate appearances, he was only struck out nine times.
Teammate Noah Strickland is the other senior hoping to make an impression, but also see major improvement on the previous year, coming off a .182 batting average.
Three more seniors saw a lot of game time last year as Moe Newkirk, Hunter Lancaster and Garrett Shaw each saw a substantial amount of playing time.
But offensively, no player had a better batting average than R.J. Olson, whose .394 in only 12 games gave Curwensville a spark that could easily carry over into the new season.
When the Tide are in the field, pitching will be key, and Curwensville has some strong arms in their rotation. Strickland pitched 18 and two-thirds innings a year ago, finishing with a 6.38 ERA. He started four games, but finished the season 0-2. He contributed 14 strikeouts to only 10 walks, and could deliver another strong year when needed.
However, the star pitcher for the Tide is one that is only in his second year on the team, but has already been catching the eyes of many in the AML. That is sophomore Bryce Timko. He too would start in four games, playing in nine, and finished 2015 with a 1-4 record on the mound. But, he finished the year with a team-best ERA of 4.89, tossing 20 strikeouts in the process in his 28 and two-thirds innings work.
Other players that saw time pitching last year were Olson (8.93 ERA in four games), Terry (2.33 ERA in four games), and Austin Lansberry.
The 2016 season for the Golden Tide is set to begin Monday with a road trip down Rt. 322 to face the Philipsburg-Osceola Mounties in a non-league contest.
2016 Golden Tide Roster
SENIORS
- Jake Terry – SS
- Noah Strickland – P, OF
- RJ Olson – P, 3B, OF
- Hunter Lancaster – C
- Garrett Shaw – OF
- Moe Newkirk – OF
- Cole LaRock – OF
JUNIORS
- Austin Butlin – C, IF
- Zach McClure – IF
SOPHOMORES
- Bryce Timko – P, 1B
- Austin Lansberry – P, 1B, OF
- Josh Terry – OF
FRESHMEN
- Noah VonGunden – IF
- Avery Francisco – IF
2016 SCHEDULE (All Games are 4:15 start unless otherwise noted)
MARCH: 28 @ Philipsburg-Osceola (4:30); 31 ST. MARYS
APRIL: 4 @ Johnsonburg; 6 ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC; 8 @ West Branch (4:30); 11 @ Clearfield (4:30); 14 @ Kane; 15 @ Glendale (4:30); 18 @ Harmony (4:30); 19 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC; 21 @ Brockway; 25 MOSHANNON VALLEY; 27 JOHNSONBURG; 29 BROOKVILLE
MAY: 3 CLEARFIELD; 4 @ St. Marys; 10 KANE; 12 @ Dubois Central Cathoic; 16 @ Elk County Catholic; 17 BROCKWAY