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06/29/2015 12:00 AMThrough the first few weeks of play, it seems like half the Madison Junior American Legion baseball squad has shifted right into game form and Post 79 believes it holds the talent to bring the remaining 50 percent up to speed and make them a true State Tournament contender.
Jeff Talbot steps into the dugout as the new skipper for Madison after the town had a year without a Legion program. Through its first 18 contests, Post 79 has gotten out to a 7-11 start. Coach Talbot explained that bulk of his team’s positive production has come from the mound, but feels that once the kinks are worked out and the boys stretch their roles on the field, then it could be smooth sailing this summer.
“Our pitchers have been pounding the zone so far. They aren’t getting into three-ball counts and are using their whole arsenal. The story with us is that we are leaving four to 10 men on base per game. They have to realize that you are playing competitive baseball and you have to hit it in the air for a sacrifice. We are starting to roll a little bit, but they just aren’t used to the wooden bats yet, which is a big adjustment, along with the competition of play with a better skill set than AAU,” said Talbot, who is assisted by pitching coach Brian Levy. “We want to give them a more college perspective of the game and getting used to playing every day. They are starting to love the game more and we are here to engage them in the game of baseball and spark them to compete. They also have to realize that it’s never too late to switch positions. As far as expectations this year, I don’t care so much about wins or losses, but rather them playing good baseball. Still, I think we will start winning once we hit better with the bats.”
Talbot has sought out team members in infielder/outfielder James Degrasse, middle infielder Mike Elias, catcher Will Reiner, pitcher Aaron Rubin, outfielder CJ Licari, second baseman Mike Scoopo, and shortstop Colin Reed as those he views as leaders for his squad.
“James has done a great job in the field. He’s the type of kid that will go after any ball and eat a wall if he has to and is also a great switch hitter. Mike has been making good putouts at short and second and has the smoothest hands I’ve seen in a middle infielder,” said Talbot. “Will is doing an excellent job as catcher and is a wall back there. He is catching guys napping with big leads and is throwing people out at second. Aaron pitched strong in a 2-0 loss against Cheshire, plus CJ has done a great job in the outfield.”
Talbot added that further standouts in pitcher Spencer Oliver and center fielder Chris Iannuzzi are up-and-coming athletes who have already carved a niche for themselves with some early-season flare.
“Spencer has a solid frame and is a 14-year-old throwing against guys that are 16 or 17, plus he has a knuckleball, which is atypical,” Talbot said. “Chris is a fantastic center fielder that covers some real estate out there like no other. He is always setting the table for our guys. He also works his at-bats and has some great putouts.”
Post 79’s first victory came against Shoreline Junior Legion on June 7 by a 7-4 final before it lost in walk-off fashion to that same team that day, 6-5. Following a 5-3 East Haddam victory the next day, Madison was swept in three-straight games by Cheshire, all in shutout fashion. Two more blankings in a doubleheader with Meriden on June 13 followed prior to Post 79 breaking out of the five-game scoreless slump via 6-1 triumph over Meriden on June 14. For the 6-1 final, Elias hit a bases-clearing double to put Madison ahead for good. Pitcher Graeme McGivern allowed one earned run.
“We have been getting doubled up and grounding out hard into inning-ending double plays, but that game was when it eventually broke and we deserved it. Brian and I always factor that these guys are still becoming accustomed to the wooden bats after playing high school,” said Talbot. “I think the Cheshire sweep sparked something in these guys and that they didn’t want to lose anymore. We played Shoreline again on June 18 after they beat us on a walk-off last time, so that one was huge for us. Middletown Red [on Saturday, July 11] and Wallingford [Tuesday, July 14] will also be interesting, but I really feel that the talent gap between us and these teams is dead even.”
On June 20, Post 79 split a double dip with Middletown Red, losing 6-3 before prevailing 6-2. In a three-game set with Wallingford, Madison again went 1-for-2 in a doubleheader on June 24 via a 4-3 defeat and 8-4 win and then Wallingford came out on top 10-4 the next day. Post 79 concluded the week with a 6-5 edging of Middletown Red and then lost to East Haddam 8-5.
Completing Post 79’s roster are utility player Christian Bray, pitcher/outfielder Chris Hartmann, shortstop/pitcher Will Levis, second baseman/outfielder/pitcher Logan Manttzaris, pitcher/shortstop/right fielder Ian Tolis, and outfielder/pitcher Luke Weber.