Ducks on the pond...
Dave DellaFave - Staff Reports
May 23, 2001 - Utica, NY -As the high school playoffs begin in Section III, Oneida County American Legion teams are preparing for their upcoming season which is rapidly approaching. It seems as though we wait forever and a day for the Legion season to begin and then the next thing you know we are in full swing. The season is upon us and is shaping up to be a very competitive one. The odds on favorite to win the whole thing this year has to be Adrean Post, and not just because they let me write this article.

Adrean has some good veteran leadership back in the form of Andy Wengert and Frank Arcuri. Wengert is regarded as one of the premier pitchers in all of upstate NY, but is sure to be tested this year as he will be called upon to carry a pitching staff that may be inexperienced by others standards. What Wengert also brings to AP is a bat that basically carried them to the NY State Tournament just a year ago. Arcuri may be the most valuable to AP however. It seems as though his arm is as close to full strength as it is going to be and he will be given the opportunity to be a valuable member of what seems to be Coach Macchione's 34 man pitching rotation.

Regarded to be the top SS in Central NY, Matt Devins will be asked to carry the bulk of AP's defensive load. With the loss of 2B Kevin Roberts (the new single season record holder in hits at Siena College), Devins' range up the middle will be tested and his ability to hold together a young double play combo has never been scrutinized to the extent it will this year. What Devins does not have to worry about is a leadership role. AP will get this from other senior players. In the past glory years of AP this task fell to the shoulders of such great AP players as Greg Raab, Brian Fontaine, Steve Mauro and Josh Haggas to name a few. But the coaching staff at AP has informed me that they must get their leadership from some returning senior players. Is that a lot to ask of a player? Not at all if you are a member of Adrean Post.

Coach Steve Strife returns once again for AP after leading them to the NY State tournament last year. His on field presence in practice and games may be unmatched in Oneida County. Gene Leuthauser is back for his 7th year with AP. The leadership and shoulder to turn to are qualities that are truly appreciated at AP. Current Westmoreland HS Head, Coach Jaime Green, will also be back for the 625'ers this year.

Congrats to Coach Green and his wife Stacey on the birth of their son. Coach Mike Macchione has informed me that Kevin Strife may also be making a return to the AP coaching staff pending the results of his background check. Kev, did you think you would be off limits to a little jab here and there? Some strong first year players will learn what it is like to play a tough schedule that provides little or no rest. The physical battle will be rivaled by the mental battle that they will face every practice, game, and 96 minute post game meeting that Skip hosts. But, one or all of these new players will play a key role in how long AP plays into the Summer of 2001.

So stay tuned to Adreanbaseball.com for all the game updates and player profiles and stats as AP tries to upend all challengers. In my next article, I will break down the AP roster by position and give some predictions for the upcoming season. And don't forget about Legionbaseball.com, the new website devoted soley to Oneida County American Legion Baseball. Check out rosters, schedules, and information on all events taking place in Oneida County Legion Baseball. For information on advertising on Legionbaseball.com log on and surf the site.