BY BRIAN RZEPPA
Tasked with replacing nearly his entire rotation — to the extent that their top pitcher in 2018 had thrown just one inning the year before — the Trenton High School Baseball team faced an uphill battle last year.
Despite their inexperience on the mound, the team came together through a focus on “building from the ground up,” according to Coach Todd Szalka, and wound up seeing a decent amount of success.
The 22-15 record is good on paper, but Szalka believes that the story of last season is one of development and perseverance through a number of different obstacles. Despite this, the team went to the District Finals and, though they lost, it was a close affair.
“We finished 22-15 and lost a typical, hard-fought game in the District Finals. Last year we didn’t have a whole lot of pitching coming back and our ace only pitched one inning the year before. To go 22-15, if you look record wise it may not compare to some other seasons, but in terms of what the kids learned I think that we were one of the best teams in that respect,” Szalka said.
With the experience gained last year, the team seems to be in a much different position as the 2019 season nears. Now stocked with depth on the mound and on the field, this Trojans team should be one of the toughest competitors in the Downriver League.
“Last year we went into the season not knowing what we were going to have available on the mound top to bottom and this year we have a plethora of pitching. We have some guys that we’re looking forward to seeing compete this year and hopefully for the next couple of years.”
Leading the group on the mound will be junior Kyle Ritchey, who was called up to the varsity team at the end of last season and impressed in limited work. Over four appearances Ritchey had a 3-1 record with a 2.74 ERA and that brief stint has Szalka excited for this year’s potential.
“Right now our top guy is a junior, Kyle Ritchey. We brought him up last year at the end of the season and he is an absolute bulldog on the mound that wants the ball every day. He’s not afraid of any situation and he just goes after batters and after teams. He’s the prototypical guy you want on the mound in a big game or a big situation.”
Beyond Ritchey, Szalka believes the team has top talent scattered throughout the roster.
“We’re still working through how we’re going to put the lineup together. We have Jay Solano, our three-hitter from last year, coming back and Ritchey swings a big bat, too. A varsity sophomore last year, Adam Wilding, is a very, very good ballplayer and we’re excited about seeing him at the plate and in the field and on the mound.”
As Szalka puts together his lineup, he takes into account the data that is now influencing baseball at the highest levels. While analytics can be very helpful in certain situations, Szalka feels that baseball sense can often outweigh them.
“Based on the situations and the player, there are different reasons for putting players in specific spots in the lineup. Our lineup can be pretty fluid and you’re working all season to see what works best for your team. I’m sure there are teams that use a lot of analytics and I would say we use some, but I wouldn’t let it override baseball sense.”
Amongst that baseball knowledge on the staff will be Szalka and his two returning assistant coaches, his father, Gary, and Bob Jones. Between the two assistants, there is a combined 90 years of baseball coaching experience.
With this combination of solid coaching and a more experienced team, Szalka believes that the team has the makings of a strong one.
“I think we’re going to be, right from the onset, a great defensive team. We have kids in their third year in the program and that will help us be one of the best defensive teams in the area. Our depth on the mound will win us some games, too, and we have three guys that are some high-end arms.”
As he tries to set the bar on this season, Szalka is focused more on the development aspect of the players than the overall win/loss record.
“We’re really trying to teach from the ground up as far as fundamentals on where to be and why they need to do things a certain way. The good job that TBA (Trenton Baseball Association) does in providing us with a good foundation I think is the biggest reason for our success.
“Overall, I think we will improve regardless of the record. I think sometimes the record can be factored in too much, because every team is a little different and the competition in the league varies from year-to-year.”
Given strong competition throughout the Downriver League there will be no easy path to post-season success, but Szalka is looking forward to the challenge and feels this year’s team will be as competitive as ever.
“We want to compete for the Downriver League title and we want to win Districts and beyond. I know that once we get through Districts they’ve changed the setup so there’s a pre-regional game in the middle of the week.
“With the way it’s looking we would be running into Airport that is absolutely loaded – seven guys have signed college scholarships already – but that is what makes the game fun. We want to see if we can get our kids ready to face good teams that are in front of them. We still have to get past teams in our district, but our goal is to get our kids to where they think they can compete with anybody.”