NTL BASEBALL: YOUTHFUL TROY LOOKING TO IMPROVE IN 2022 (2022-03-25)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Last year Troy sported one of the youngest line-ups in the league, maybe even the youngest, yet was able to compete with some of the best in the NTL. 

“We’re still young this year, we only have two seniors again, and three juniors,” said coach Kevin Allen. “The rest are sophomores and freshmen, so it’s pretty exciting for a young group of kids.”

They know they have a future full of potential, but this season they want that future to start now.

“I think we’re going to be a lot better than we were last year,” said Kory Schucker. “We were good last year, but this year we look a lot better. We’re a lot younger this year, and we’ve got a lot more depth. It’s nice to be able to play with everybody I played with last year because we were young last year, too.”

Due to the missed season Troy only had one returning player a year ago - everybody else were new to varsity baseball, even the upperclassmen. Now those returnees have the confidence of that season under their belt.

“I’m a lot more confident,” said Justice Chimics. “Taking ground balls, hitting the ball. I’m not scared anymore, just go game by game.”

He expects the experience from last year to help the returning players.

“We’ve already seen pitches,” explained Chimics. “We’ve already seen what varsity players throw, how fast they hit the ball - that will be a lot easier.”

The Trojans had some wild games a year ago. They were the first team to take Sayre, a team that went undefeated in the NTL, to a full seven games - they lost to them in eight. 

“We’ve been telling them every night that we can play with anybody,” said Allen. “We’re just as good as anybody else, and that every team’s beatable.”

They also had close losses to Athens (14-9), and Towanda (11-10 8-innings) while beating a playoff bound Wyalusing (9-5), to go with narrow wins over Towanda (8-7) and Williamson (12-10).

In fact, they were in many games a year ago that they lost, but one bad inning would rear its head, and sink them.

“We just need to focus on the basics,” said Allen. “That’s all we can do.”

“We just need to keep playing, don’t give up on your self,” reiterated Schucker. “Just keep playing the way you do.”

Schucker will be their ace, coming off a year where he threw 30 1/3-innings with 18 strikeouts, seven walks, and just three earned runs for a 0.69 ERA. His mindset this year will be to pound the zone.

“It’s very important,” he said about throwing strikes. “As long as you’re throwing strikes, and know you have a defense behind you - that’s all that matters.”

After that returning experience on the mound is low, but Allen feels he has a lot of kids that have the potential to step up, noting that Chimics, Camden Allen, Shane Austin, and Camryn Harwick all have the potential to throw.

“We have a bunch of younger kids that are freshman, we have 11 freshmen and six of them pitch,” Allen remarked.

Schucker leads all returnees at the plate as well, hitting .375 a year ago with nine doubles, while Chimics hit .341 with four doubles.

They both hope to improve upon those numbers this year.

“Just watching the ball,” said Chimics. “Don’t swing at high or low pitches, and just make contact.”

Other returnees include Harwick (.184) and Danny Hoppaugh (.147), both of home scored nine runs a piece.

“We’ll be looking for our pitches,” Allen said about his team’s batting philosophy this year. “We’ve got to hit our pitches, and not get behind in the count.”

With how last season went the team has one clear goal in mind - make districts. To do that they’ll have to be .500, a marked improvement on their 5-12 record from a season ago.

“That’s our goal this year, is to make districts,” said Allen. “And hopefully make it to the second, third round there.”

They know they have the talent, but when youth is involved it can make for some wild times.

“It’s exciting,” said Allen. “You never know what you’re going to get out of them.”

ROSTER

Camden Allen

Lincoln Chimics

Ethan Cole

Joseph Frye

Owen Monroe

Eason Teribury

Ian Trick

Evan Woolf

Camryn Harwick

Clayton Smith

Zack Woolf

Shane Austin

Justice Chimics

Mason King

Kory Schucker

Dylan Hoffman

Danny Hoppaugh

Alden Miller

Malachi Walter

SCHEDULE

March 25 vs NEB, 4:30 p.m.

March 29 at Sayre, 4:30 p.m.

March 31 vs CV, 4:30 p.m.

April 4 at Wellsboro, 4:30 p.m.

April 6 vs Athens, 4:30 p.m.

April 8 vs Wyalusing, 4:30 p.m.

April 12 at NPM, 4:30 p.m.

April 14 vs Towanda, 4:30 p.m.

April 19 at Williamson, 4:30 p.m.

April 21 at South Williamsport, 4:30 p.m.

April 25 vs Canton, 4:30 p.m.

April 27 vs Wellsboro, 4:30 p.m.

April 29 at Athens, 4:30 p.m.

May 3 at Wyalusing, 4:30 p.m.

May 5 vs NPM, 4:30 p.m.

May 7 at Canton, 10 a.m.

May 9 at Towanda, 4:30 p.m.

May 13 vs Hughesville, 4:30 p.m.