By Scott Huff
Cheltenham senior Matt Brown will be off to Penn State University next fall. The big question is whether the talented pitcher/shortstop/outfielder will make the trek to State College or Altoona.Brown was accepted to the PSU Main Campus as a student and was offered a chance to play baseball at the PSU Altoona Campus.
“Right now, I am leaning toward going to State College as a student and playing club baseball,” said Brown who plans to major in Golf Management. “The club team is very competitive and the schedule in no joke.
“It is a very tough decision, and I have my family involved in it,” added Brown. “I have been to the main campus a few times, and it is a great experience. The school is in a beautiful setting, and it was the best of all the state schools that I looked at.
“I don’t think I could go to a school and give up baseball altogether,” continued Brown. “I enjoy the competition.”
Brown has helped Cheltenham compete for a Suburban One League American Conference title. In his last outing, Brown threw a complete game as the Panthers defeated Norristown – 6-2.
“Matt has great command of his pitches,” said Cheltenham head coach Frank Decembrino. “And he can really help himself with the bat.
“Matt has always been our shortstop when he wasn’t pitching,” added Decembrino. “He has soft hands, great range, and a nice arm.
“But we felt we could save him some if we could find someone to play shortstop every game, and let Matt play a corner outfield position,” continued Decembrino. “(Sophomore) Rafael Fernandez has shown he could lock down that shortstop position, and Matt can move to the outfield.”
“I do miss playing shortstop, but I might be more help to the team this year if I play in the outfield,” said Brown. “It is a little tough on your arm if you pitch one day, and then have to play shortstop the next day.
“Last year, I think my arm was a little tired by the end of the year,” added Brown. “I will do whatever the coach needs me to do.”
After all, the goal is to win games. And Matt Brown is a proven winner.
Council Rock South Issues A Call to Arms
Council Rock South senior Billy Fleming is no stranger to a leadership role. The Golden Hawk shortstop was the quarterback on the CR South football team in the fall, and his leadership qualities are very much a part of the Hawk baseball team.
“Billy is the best overall player that I have coached,” said Council Rock South head coach Greg Young. His athletic ability speaks volumes. Plus he has a great understanding of the game.
“Billy is our leadoff hitter and has a great understanding of the strike zone, but he also has some power,” added Young. “And defensively, he has good feet and great range.
“There is no question that the leadership he showed on the football field carried over to baseball,” continued Young. “And we are a better team for it.”
The key to the success of the CR South baseball team will come from its pitching staff.
“I don’t know that we have a # 1 pitcher on this team,” said Young. “We have five guys that I feel real comfortable giving the ball to. We could have four games in a week, and having pitching depth is a good thing to have.”
That pitching depth includes senior Jeff Miller, junior Brian Donnelly, senior Brian Downs, junior Brett DeStefano, and sophomore Ryan Fleming (brother of Billy Fleming). DeStefano and Fleming are lefties.
“The league is going to be very tight, and the team with the most depth is going to have an advantage,” added Young. “Right now, we have 14 or 15 players on our roster. And we will play them all.”
Central Bucks South Issues A Call to Arms
Central Bucks South head coach Mike Schaefer also feels very good about the number of quality pitchers that the Titans run out to the mound.
“We are very deep on the mound, and to compete in this league you are going to need at least five pitchers,” said Schaefer. “There are no walk-overs in this league, and you better have a good pitcher on the mound every single game.”
Central Bucks South boasts a pitching staff of junior Pat Dundon, senior Larry Kelley, senior Ben Arnold, senior Luke Fantuzzo, and senior Colin Malone.
“There are some games we will go into the game with the idea of having multiple pitchers,” said Schaefer. “And there will be other games that we don’t.
The Titans graduated 10 seniors from last year’s team, but Schaefer feels the talent pool is still deep.
“This is going to be a real interesting year,” said Schaefer. “We don’t have a lot of varsity experience, but we have some very good baseball players.”
Counted in that list are senior Brian Happ, sophomore Ben Moller, junior Dylan Glassmire, junior Chris Coia, and junior Will Sasser.
“The players are very excited about the season, and so is the coaching staff,” added Schaefer. “With the balance in the league, there will be no days off.”
Suburban One Sports.com Top Ten
(1) Truman Tigers
(2) Council Rock North Indians
(3) Pennridge Rams
(4) North Penn Knights
(5) Central Bucks South Titans
(6) Council Rock South Golden Hawks
(7) Wissahickon Trojans
(8) Neshaminy Redskins
(9) Central Bucks West Bucks
(10) Upper Moreland Golden Bears
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