Logic would dictate that St. Raymond should be considered one of the favorites to win the CHSAA Class A intersectional baseball title this year.
The Ravens took Fordham Prep to the limit in a second round best-of-three series, losing in extra innings to the eventual champions in the decisive third game.
The Rams lost its top two arms and several other key players to graduation. St. Ray’s returns almost its entire team.
But Joe Tellez isn’t seeking out his ring size just yet.
“This year we’re just focusing on winning the division and going on from there, one step at a time,” the senior catcher said. “We’re not worried about the championship yet.”
The Ravens defeated Xavier in a pair of regular-season classics last year, with ace Ricky Eusebio winning both games, but a loss to Cardinal Hayes ended any hopes for a division title.
Eusebio, who emerged last year as one of the best big-game pitchers in the city after going 6-1 with a 1.50 earned run average, is back. The right-hander, though, didn’t pitch in the fall because of an injury. Neither did senior lefty Kevin Juarbe.
Longtime coach Ron Patnosh brought up Anthony Colon from the junior varsity for the fall scrimmages and the sophomore, who is poised on the mound and attacks the zone, proved to be the best of the bunch.
When Eusebio returns from a hand injury in a week, he is expected to be the ace of the Ravens staff. He is oined by Juarbe at No. 2, while Colon, senior righty Luis Ventura, junior lefty James Santiago, junior righty Freddy Gonzalez and Rivera, a junior lefty, round out a solid deep pitching staff.
Rivera, who has been a regular in the Ravens starting lineup since his freshman year, will also play in right and at first base. But he’s a live arm who is getting more comfortable on the mound.
“As a team we’ve grown and gotten closer to each other,” Rivera said. “As a freshman I saw the team and we were just playing for ourselves, but now as a team we’re playing together and that’s what’s going to win games.”
St. Raymond has plenty of experience in the field, as well. Tellez, who will play third and platoon behind the plate with junior Jon Crucey, is in his third year on varsity. Senior Chris Munoz, a returning starter at shortstop, will bat leadoff, senior Luis Paniagua started at third and senior second baseman Rich Feliciano returns after missing his junior season because of personal reasons.
Senior Richie Sanchez, who saw time at center and left, is the starting leftfielder, while junior Rob Robles, when he returns from an injury in a week, will battle with Lewis Rion for the starting centerfielder spot.
“We stayed strong. We have a lot of good players, the talent and chemistry is great, we have some seniors back and the juniors are stepping up pretty well,” Tellez said. “Last year we lost to the champions and it’s basically the same players who stayed here. I think everything is going to be fine this year.”