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YSU baseball coach looks forward to rookie season

BEAVER TOWNSHIP — The Youngstown State baseball team is 18 days away from opening their 71st campaign and new head coach, Trevor Charpie, the 10th head coach in program history, is excited to finally get the season underway.

“We will have a great team when it comes to the details,” Charpie told the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s meeting at Avion Banquet Center. “We won’t let anything out on the field surprise us, and I feel like we have assembled a pitching staff that throws hard. We have guys that can throw in the mid-90’s so we are going to rely on our pitching, defense and timely hitting. The goal is to play the game the right way and that is fast, energetic and knowing what to do with the ball when we get it.”

Last season the Penguins went 16-44 overall and 9-21 in Horizon League play, suffering through a 15-game losing streak to start the season as well as a nine-game and two six-game losing streaks over the course of the campaign.

After being elevated to pitching coach midway through the year, Charpie’s pitchers came together and led the team on an unlikely postseason run that included four straight wins in the conference tournament, only to fall short in the championship game to eventual league champion Northern Kentucky.

While Penguin twirlers combined to post a 10.30 earned run average, Charpie, a former minor league pitcher who went 9-2 in three seasons as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays farm system, relishes the opportunity to find a way to keep his team in games, especially league contests where an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament goes to the league champ.

“When I got the job, a lot of players had already left and we needed to fill some holes within the roster, so it gave me a chance to get some players who had experience at the Division I level — players I think maybe I can connect with as a coach better than at their previous stop,” Charpie said. “They all had talent, all went to those places for a reason and they learned from good coaches, but we honestly believe that we can help them be the best player they can be.

“It’s the kind of system we run. Obviously, being young coaches we have to take advantage of the fact that we can align with the player a little better, so we lean on that. I lean on the fact that I try to be a player’s coach, but at the same time, they know my expectations. They managed themselves really well in the classroom last fall, where they posted a 3.40 cumulative grade point average, so we take care of business there but at the same time, we like to have fun out on the ballfield.”

After being named head coach, Charpie was busy trying to assemble his first roster, which includes nine freshmen, seven sophomores, 15 juniors and nine seniors that will comprise this year’s 40-man unit.

There are 19 players with experience from their previous collegiate destinations, while 10 players with local ties are seeking playing time.

The locals include Gavin Williams (Salem), Brady Shannon (Ursuline), Brandon Mikos (South Range), Caleb Hadley (Warren JFK), Lane Rhodes (Salem), Mitchell Seymour (Springfield), Olindo Pezzone (Struthers), Aidan English (South Range), and Jake Gehring (South Range).

If the season were to start tomorrow, Charpie would go with Nathan Beckley, Nick Miscavage or Brayden Foster at first base, Tommy Rover would man the Keystone sack, Garrett Cutting is the shortstop while Cole Smith is at the hot corner.

Team captain Eli Brown is slated for left field duty, Brayden Kuriger is the center fielder with Kyle Fossum holding down right field.

Jack Johnson is set behind the dish with Gehring, J.J. Tylicki, and Phil Brennaman the starters, and Braden Gebhart and Sloan Ulrich counted on for relief.

“These are players have come to love Youngstown, a group that has embraced the city, its grit and blue collar work ethic,” Charpie said. “Also, we are blessed with the WATTS Center despite not being able to get outside. We can focus on the little things like holding runners on and playing the game in a small way, not giving anything away, throwing the ball to the right spot at the right time, and if we can take out those outliers, the game really just comes down to who hits better and if we can do that, then we will put our odds up against anyone.

“The schedule is once again challenging with Wright State one of the dominant teams in the Horizon League. They are good year after year, won the regular season last year and are a team that we would like to be like. Also, Northern Kentucky won it all last year, so those are the two teams to keep an eye on again this year.”

The Penguins open their season on Feb. 14 when they travel to Waco, Texas, for a three-game set with the Baylor Bears.

Their home opener is set for March 14 when they play host to conference foe Milwaukee in a three-game set at Eastwood Field in Niles.

Next Monday, Greg Brown, Pittsburgh Pirates radio broadcaster, will serve as guest speaker.

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