There were only two baseball teams that defeated Shenendehowa last year: Victor (Section 5) in the state final and Shaker.
The Blue Bison couldn’t capitalize on the momentum they gained by beating Shen midway through last season. They slid down the stretch to finish with a 10-6 record in the Suburban Council and fell to Christian Brothers Academy 4-1 in the Section 2 Class AA quarterfinals.
This season promises to be more challenging for Shaker than last year. The Blue Bison graduated five players who garnered either first or second team all-star nods from the Suburban Council coaches, leaving them with a mix of veterans and newcomers all looking to prove themselves.
“We’re excited about those (veterans) and the younger guys who are going to step up into starters’ roles this year,” said Shaker coach Steve Frank.
Leading the way are four players who received honorable mentions in last year’s league awards – second baseman Joey Kirker, center fielder Garrett Klahr, third baseman Dom DeMarco and pitcher Nick DeMarco. They’ll be joined by six players who were on varsity last year, but did not play a lot of innings – catcher Brogan Barker, infielders Will Halpin and Alex Aragona, outfielders Mike Murphy and Kyle Donnelly, and pitcher York Bush.
Nick DeMarco is the only pitcher on staff who has experience as a varsity starter, so it will be important for others such as Bush and newcomer Ryan Lozano to provide quality innings.
“We have an untested group behind Nick,” said Frank. “So behind him, we need to develop two or three other guys.”
“I think we have some great juniors coming up. I think they’ll have a great year,” added Nick DeMarco.
Offensively, Shaker has some holes to fill in its lineup following the graduation of shortstop Sean Egan, catcher Ben Cassillo and first baseman Tyler Hoffman. However, Frank said he likes the versatility and speed his lineup will have this season.
“We’ve lost everybody before,” said Frank. “Obviously, (our success) depends on how we gel as a team and how other teams gel. That’s always the case.”
Shaker’s first game is scheduled for Monday, April 6, against Troy. The Blue Bison are then scheduled to begin Suburban Council play Tuesday, April 7, against Saratoga Springs, but it all depends on when the baseball field is ready.
“It’s definitely tough,” DeMarco said about having to wait to practice or play outdoors. “Everybody’s trying to geg through it as best we can … but we’re all looking forward to getting out.”
