Fenwick baseball seeks to impart pitching, defense to deep junior class

Despite losing a strong senior class to graduation in 2009, Bishop Fenwick baseball coach Russ Steeves sees an intriguing potential for the Crusaders this season. Last year’s junior varsity squad went undefeated at 18-0, and that entire team is ready to move up to the varsity.”It’s going to be interesting to see that transition,” Steeves said. “There are a lot of good players. With so many seniors (in 2009) a lot of our JV team was actually varsity-caliber players.”We had tremendously talented seniors, but our sophomore group (from last year) will hopefully put us in a good position for the next two years. We have a junior-heavy team with the right senior leadership in place.”Click here for a photo gallery.The Crusaders have three captains, left fielder Chris Renzulli of Rowley, right fielder Pat Barrett of Peabody and left-handed pitcher Zach Brian, who will lead the staff this year. David Ruggiero, a junior from Peabody, started at shortstop last season and batted third. In his first two years on varsity he played second base. The team also has a transfer student from St. John’s Prep, Brian Church, who will bat fourth.”I’m positioned for a very interesting year,” Steeves said. “We’re working really, really hard ? It’s a great position right now. I like our attitude. We have great chemistry.”Those who have come up from last year’s JV juggernaut include third baseman Jake Bugler, pitcher-infielder Michael Davis, first baseman Chad Lessard, pitcher Michael Lachance and catcher Joe Bona. Lachance was the ace of that JV team; he will pitch in the No. 2 varsity spot this season.With this strength on the mound, it is no surprise that pitching is one of the facets of baseball that Steeves emphasizes (“In high school, pitching is 75 percent,” he said), along with defense.”They’re what we rely on,” he said. “Make sure we get the best defensive lineup. Work with pitchers, get them to throw strikes and get ahead of batters, and scratch runs across.”Steeves, a former college catcher at North Adams State (now MCLA), works with the Crusader staff, as does assistant John Boyle, who pitched for Division 1 UVM. Boyle is one of several Crusader assistants who played collegiate ball.”I’m proud to say we have a very experienced collegiate staff that knows a lot about pitching, defense and hitting,” Steeves said. “We’re lucky in that way.”When it comes to defense, Steeves and assistant Adam DeBaggis (a former middle infielder and current teacher at Fenwick) “kind of rotate responsibilities,” Steeves said. “We ? split drills and skills. Throwing strikes – catcher, shortstop, center field. Make sure our best players are there. Constantly work on those players. Be strong up the middle.”On April 7, the preparations will end and the regular season will begin when the Crusaders travel to Fraser Field to play St. Mary’s. Last year, the Crusaders and Spartans were Catholic Central League co-champions. Fenwick finished 16-6, beating St. Clement (Somerville) in the state tournament before falling to Newburyport.Next Wednesday’s game will feature two head coaches who knew each other when they were high school catchers for the teams they now lead from the bench – Steeves at Fenwick and Derek Dana at St. Mary’s.”We have a lot of respect for each other,” Steeves said. “Last year at the coaches’ meeting, we kind of tipped our hat at each other.”The rest of the Crusaders’ 20-game schedule includes Malden, Swampscott and St. John’s Prep (“challenging in itself,” Steeves said). As for the CCL, he added, “Our league is always competitive.”NOTES: Steeves is a Lynn native who grew up “down Eastern and Timson,” played in Lynn Shore Little League, and graduated from Fenwick in 1985 ? His North Adams classmates included Lynners Kevin Carmody (who played minor-league baseball), Kenny Hill (who starred in the majors) and third baseman John Malzone. “We had a great team,” Steeves said ? Boyle played for the 2004 Crusaders state championship team; Steeves was an assistant c