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07/01/2018 12:00 AMThe Guilford Senior American Legion baseball team has a record of 9-7 in Zone 3 play at the midway point of the 2018 season. Post 48 is in third place in the zone, five games behind first-place Southington for the top spot.
Guilford got out to a hot start this summer by winning nine of its first 10 games on the strength of pitchers working deep into ballgames and a lineup that was producing timely hits from top to bottom. Post 83 has since gone through a bit of a rough patch by losing both ends of a doubleheader against Cheshire on June 23, followed by a 9-3 defeat versus Southington the following day and an 8-0 loss against Southington on June 26. The day after that, Guilford took a pair of one-run defeats to Middletown in a doubleheader, losing by final scores of 4-3 and 7-6.
Post 48 now turns its attention toward the second half of its regular-season schedule as Head Coach Michael Yates’s club pursues another berth in the State Tournament.
Guilford’s offense has been bolstered by some great depth throughout its lineup thus far this summer. Utility man Gray Stephens leads off, while center fielder Ben Panagoulias is batting second and has a .408 batting average on the season. Catcher Matt Donlan (.368 batting average, 11 RBI) hits third, and middle infielders Ethan Vashel and John Petonito (.375 batting average, 6 stolen bases) are batting out of the cleanup and No. 5 spots, respectively. Infielder Mike Stebbins hits out of the No. 6 hole, and pitcher Noah Rubino bats seventh for Post 48. First baseman Kevin Ciardiello and corner outfielder Kevin Cargos round out Guilford’s batting order.
“Gray plays every position, including pitching and catching, and fills any spot we need. Ben is a very athletic center fielder, who lays out and grabs every ball hit to him. In my opinion, Matt Donlan is the best catcher in the state,” Coach Yates said. “Ethan and John have been swinging the bat well, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with their approach in the batter’s box. Mike hits great from the left side. Noah has had the chance to swing the bat and has done it well. Kevin Ciardiello is a strong first baseman, and Kevin Cargos is a huge senior contributor and has held down the corner outfield spots.”
In terms of Guilford’s pitching staff, right-hander Rubino leads the way as Post 48’s ace. Fellow right-handers Matt McGrath and Stephens, along with lefty Casey Johnson, have also been starting games on the mound for Coach Yates’s club. Right-handers Ciardiello, James Walker are providing innings out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, southpaw Jack Strand is out for the season with an injury.
“Noah is undoubtedly our ace and a phenomenal young man. When you see opposing hitters face him with a wood bat, it’s good to be on the other side of that,” Yates said. “Gray is a great and competitive athlete, and Casey just throws out after out. Kevin, Kevin, and James have been great for our bullpen. Matt has given us quality innings, and he just understands mentally what it’s like to pitch.”
As the calendar turns to July, Guilford is setting it sights on securing enough victories to earn a return trip to the State Tournament. Coach Yates said that Post 48 is focused on achieving that goal, while continuing to form a foundation that will yield further success on the ballfield in Guilford.
“We feel we can play with anyone, but baseball is a funny game, because any game can change with one hop of the ball,” said Yates. “Cheshire is coming in hot off of a Class LL state title for the high school and looks like the team to beat in our Zone, but we have to take it one game at a time. We’d love to be back in states. For us, it’s a balancing act of winning games and helping our younger guys develop.”
From the Sidelines
This is Michael Yates’s fourth campaign as Guilford’s skipper.
Michael Gell is the assistant coach for Post 48 this summer, while Jeff Hahn serves as Guilford’s general manager.
Last season, Guilford finished 18-10 for the regular season and came in fourth place for the Zone 3 standings. Guilford took a 3-2 loss to East Haven in the opening round of the State Tournament to finish at 18-11 overall.