Cubs Postseason Belies Strength of Team

CARMEL—The Carmel Cubs 16U baseball team recently concluded a solid summer season that saw the team to 15-4 and reach the WPBA playoffs.

CW f rom top lef t : Dan Lerner, Ryan Anderes, Charlie Mills, Nick Palmiero. Photos by Skip Pearlman. The Cubs, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, got upset by No. 7 Lewisboro in the first round, 7-4, but such is the game of baseball in a single-game elimination: anything can happen.

“I think we had a great season, and the ids had a lot of fun,” Cubs manager Jim Hanna said. “We played some real good teams and did well. The kids got to play different positions, got a lot of at-bats… I think it was a good opportunity to hone their skills for their upcoming season at high school.”

Most of the Cubs will attend Carmel High, though some will be at Brewster.

Carmel’s roster included: Rob O’Malley ©, Chase Dulitz and Ron Stolle (1B), Scott Sheppard (2B), Nick Palmiero (SS), Ben Torres (3B), Kyle Tanner and Kevin Earl (LF), Ryan Anderes and Jim Hanna (CF), Charlie Mills and Dan Lerner (RF), and Ridge Dulitz, who pitched part-time for the team.

Anderes and Lerner were Carmel’s top two pitchers, with Stolle, Mills and Palmiero pitching in relief – or wherever they were needed.

“Our pitchers did an excellent job,” Hanna said. “We couldn’t get (other) people much work because Ryan and Dan went deep into games. All five of them were solid for us.”

Sheppard is already a member of the Brewster varsity team, and Hanna sees Palmiero, Anderes and O’Malley as strong candidates for the Carmel varsity next spring.

“I think all four of them should do well on their varsity teams,” Hanna said. “Lerner was also a tremendous pitcher for us, and I think he could do well at Brewster. Mills plays varsity soccer, and I could also see him playing varsity baseball. He’s fundamentally sound. And Chase Dulitz goes to Pawling HS, and I think he could be a great baseball player – he’s got all the tools.”

Hanna also thanked assistant coaches Jon Lerner and Fernie Torres for their efforts.

“This was really a good group,” Hanna said. “It was a lot of fun coaching them. They all carried themselves well.”