Friday, July 31, 2015
Event includes 7 teams from 3 states, including a Youngstown All-Star team
By Greg Gulas
STRUTHERS
The Colt-15 Zone Tournament gets underway today at Bob Cene Park with seven teams, including a local Class B all-star team, set for action.
The tournament will run alongside its big brother, the PONY Palomino East Zone, which began Thursday, also at Cene.
“I’ve been disappointed in the quality of sandlot play at all levels in recent years, yet the COLT-15 Zone Tournament has always been highly competitive. All indications are that will be the case once again this year,” tournament director Jim Keenan said. “Expect to see highly competitive games while some players at this level will also display skills that are well beyond their years.”
The Youngstown all-star aggregation will be managed by Angelo Bianco and assistant coach Dave Staffer, who guided Baird Brothers to the league’s 16-U regular season crown and NABF Junior Division regional title, and a berth in its recently completed junior World Series.
Youngstown drew a first-round bye and will open play Saturday at 10 a.m., taking on the winner of the Erie Warhawks-Young Bucks game.
“We assembled a select team of the some of the very best 15 year-old players in the league. We kept the roster small because it’s only a three-day tournament and the players are versatile enough to play multiple positions, as well as pitch,” Bianco said. “We’re anxiously looking forward to finding out how some of our league’s best in that age group stack up against other 15-year-old teams from the East Zone.”
Bianco knows a little bit about streaks and momentum as his Baird Brothers team won their first 13 games, and 21 of the first 22 that they played this season.
“Taking advantage of your chances offensively while limiting opponent chances will be key,” he added. “We have an excellent all-around group that can definitely be there in the end.”
If Youngstown expects to make a run, then the group will have to mesh rather quickly as Bianco’s 12 players represent five of the league’s best franchises.
Bianco’s squad is represented by six players, including outfielder Blake Benyo; infielder-pitcher Nick Bianco, son of the coach; outfielder-pitcher Jack Rafoth; infielder-pitcher Kyle Ricketts; all-around player Hayden Sherwood, who in addition to playing both the infield and outfield will be called upon for mound duty and catcher-infielder Coleman Stauffer, son of the assistant coach.
Astro Falcons is represented by catcher Justin Stewart and infielder-pitcher Brandon Myers. Dura Edge is sending two players in outfielder Kevin Pollock and infielder Garrison Wieland. Infielder Anthony Cinicola is from Rudzik Excavating with outfielder-pitcher Anthony Laird a product of Creekside Fitness.
In addition to Youngstown, Erie Warhawks and Warren Young Bucks, other teams comprising the tourney field include Albany (N.Y.), Mars (Pa.), Cleveland Diamond Boys and Hurricane Select.
Action gets underway at 12:30 p.m. when Albany meets Mars #1 and Diamond Boys take on Hurricane Select.
Including Youngstown’s bye, the other first-round game will pit the Erie Warhawks against Young Bucks at 3 p.m.