Seniors Led to Rams' 15-7 Season

CARMEL - The Carmel High baseball team enjoyed a solid spring season, posting a final record of 15-7, after beating Greeley in the first round of the Class AA playoffs, then falling to a tough Arlington squad in the quarterfinals.

The Carmel Rams celebrate a win over Mahopac this spring. The biggest factor in Carmel's success this spring was strong senior leadership and team chemistry, according to veteran manager Bob Shilling.

"We were strong in the league this year (7-5, third place)," Shilling said. "We were very competitive, in every game, so that was good. And I think the cut back to 20 games helped because we had a nice spring training in Florida, and we got to see what every kid had. That helped the team. We also have 13 seniors who graduate, and I'll miss every one of them. This was a very team-oriented group, and the senior group liked each other, pushed each other… all of that helped the team."

Seven Carmel players took home post-season honors.

Senior captain and three-year varsity player Mike Volpe, and senior captain and three-year player Zack Graczyk were both named to the All- Section and All-League teams.

Above: Zack Graczyk; Above Right: Mike Volpe, Below Left: Nick Denapoli; Ryan Shilling. Photos by Skip Pearlman. Graczyk, a center fielder and pitcher, led the Rams in batting average (.613), RBI (26), extra base hits, and had 11 intentional walks. He was named Section 1 Player of the Year, and Class AA Player of the Year, as well as earning All-Section and All-League accolades. Graczyk is the first Carmel player ever to earn the section's two top awards. He's headed to CW Post on a scholarship.

"He's probably in the top three hitters I've ever had," said Shilling, who just completed his 22nd season with Carmel. "He plays baseball all year, always works hard, and is one of the top three players I've ever coached at Carmel. A great hitter and a top-notch center fielder."

Volpe, a right-handed pitcher and a two-time All-League pick headed for Towson, started the season slowed by a bout of mono, but regained his form midway through the spring. He went on to throw one no-hitter and two onehitters, and went 6-3 with a 2.10 ERA. He struck out 56 in 41 innings.

"Mike is a very hard worker," Shilling said. "A pitcher with good command who can still come with the hard stuff. He was our cornerstone for three years, and he'll be missed. He had a great senior year."

Senior catcher Nick Denapoli and junior team captain Ryan Shilling were both named All-League. Denapoli batted .335, and Shilling finished at .405, and was second on the team in RBI (24), average and doubles.

"Nick came out as a junior and didn't know what to expect," Shilling said. "He's a super defensive catcher with a D-1 arm. He works hard, and he's scrappy… a clutch hitter. And Ryan had the pressure of batting behind Zack all year. He had some clutch hits to win games, and he moved from second to third without a glitch and played a great third base. He had a really tremendous year."

Seniors Colin Burns (C/1B) and Jeremy Lovera (SS) and junior Ian Anderson (OF/P) were all named All- League Honorable Mention.

"Ian will be our No. 1 pitcher next year," Shilling said. "He threw really well, and is a power hitter. Jeremy has all the tools, and he's probably the best base runner I've ever had. He was very strong at the end. Colin struggled early, then really came on and had a great end of the year. They'll all be missed."

Shilling also pointed to solid contributions from seniors Jim Ferriera, Jake Bell, Evan Hoffman, Mike Weltman, Justin Christensen and Jared Shoemaker, juniors Mike Rooney, Chris Pompa, Gaston Rojas, Estlin Link and Chris Harlin, and freshman Bret Viola. "The seniors really came to play," Shilling said. "And they all had the best interests of the team on their minds. They all had a terrific season."

The Rams lose 13 to graduation, including six starters.

"We lose quite a bit, but we have three or four core guys back," Shilling said. "We'll be looking to fill some positions, and we'll need to work hard to play as well as we did this year. Some guys are tough to replace, but we have some pieces we can build around."