Olney Charter on a mission to win Public League title
Last season, after lining out to second base for the final out, Olney Charter's Giovanni Ortega got an up-close look at Franklin Towne Charter's celebratory dogpile near the mound.
Last season, after lining out to second base for the final out, Olney Charter's Giovanni Ortega got an up-close look at Franklin Towne Charter's celebratory dogpile near the mound.
Ortega and the error-prone Trojans squandered a four-run lead in bowing to the Coyotes, 9-7, in the Public League final at Campbell's Field in Camden.
Fueled in part by last year's disappointment, Olney is 10-1 in league action and determined to be on the receiving end of Public League chairman Barry Strube's first-place trophy presentation this time.
"It's a talented group of kids, they love baseball, and they work hard," Trojans skipper Dan Karlyn said.
Ortega went 2 for 3 with an RBI double, and ace righthander Cesar Loya went the distance in Thursday's 4-2 home triumph over Division A rival Frankford.
Karlyn is in his first full season as Olney's manager. The 30-year-old was a second baseman at Council Rock South (class of 2004) and played soccer at West Chester.
The Trojans (11-2) have players from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. With that being the case, Karlyn, in his third year as a health and physical education teacher at Olney, has made it a point to brush up on his Spanish.
"I speak a little bit of the language, enough to get by," Karlyn said. "It's important the players understand what I'm teaching."
Ortega, a senior shortstop and No. 5-hole batter, was hitting .655 with 15 RBIs, six doubles, and a triple going into Thursday's contest. "He really sets the tone for us offensively," Karlyn said.
Loya was 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 22 innings. Doubling as a leftfielder, the cleanup man was batting .528 with three doubles and two triples.
Junior second baseman Bryan Maria was hitting .500 with a .711 slugging percentage, four doubles, and two triples. He went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs in the win over Frankford.
Senior rightfielder and pitcher Joseph Gomez, junior utility man Estanley Tejada, and senior first baseman Christian Santos are also key contributors.
Karlyn said senior Emmanuel Ocasio, a Puerto Rican native, is "a very good defensive catcher."
Karlyn also wants his players to believe they can win outside the Public League.
Last year, the Trojans lost to St. Joseph's Prep, 11-1, in the PIAA District 12 Class 4A final and fell to eventual titlist North Penn, 5-0, in the first round of the state tournament.
"With the dedication needed to do it, I believe these guys can be just as good as the area's other storied programs," Karlyn said.
Extra bases. MaST Charter junior shortstop and relief pitcher Matt Carter is batting .380 with 19 RBIs, five doubles, and two home runs. . . . Downingtown West's 15-2 start has been propelled on the hill by Drew Britt (5-1, 1.20 ERA), Adam Grintz (4-0, 1.68 ERA), and Joe Zettlemoyer (5-1, 1.81). . . . West Chester East's Kyle Smith is 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 48 Ks in 40 1/3 innings. . . . Friends' Cenral shortstop Gil Dreyfuss is hitting .480 with 27 RBIs, 10 doubles, and three triples. He has a .567 on-base percentage. . . . Spring-Ford outfielder Quinn McKenna is batting .386 with six doubles, three triples, and two homers. The junior, with a .702 slugging percentage and a .465 on-base percentage, is being recruited by Bucknell, Lehigh, and Lafayette, among others. . . . Episcopal Academy's Kyle Virbitsky is 7-1 with a 1.67 ERA and 57 Ks in 46 innings. . . . Pennsbury's Justin Ward and Justin Massielo are hitting .354 and .341, respectively. Falcons hurler Billy Bethel is 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 33 Ks in 28 1/3 innings. . . . Marple Newtown freshman centerfielder Alden Mathes is batting .481 with 22 runs, five doubles, and four triples. . . . Calvary Christian's Zach Lomas is hitting .487 with a .615 slugging percentage. . . . Alexander Tappen (.404 average, five doubles), Matt Shilling (.484), Jeremy Spittle (.452), and Blake Rapoport (.376, 28 stolen bases) have keyed Wissahickon's offense. . . . Plymouth Whitemarsh outfielder Noah Goldstein is batting .395 with a .511 on-base percentage. . . . Springfield (Montco) has been sparked on offense by Chris Kelly (.400 average, .462 on-base percentage), Jackson Pauwels (.324, .361), and Cory Cottone (.306, .419).
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