Bradford High baseball head coach Andy Carlson’s first season at the helm was an interesting one.
Bradford didn’t have a ton of expectations in 2017 with a lineup that had some talent but also relied heavily on underclassmen. The Owls suffered a number of tough losses during the regular season, but ended up just one game shy of the first district title in program history, falling to Clearfield 12-2 in the D-9 Class AAAA title game.
The Owls played better than their 8-13 record indicated, and with a number of key contributors back from last year’s team, expectations are noticeably higher in 2018.
“(Winning) District 9 is our goal, but we’re trying to take it one game at a time,” Carlson said. “Just take it one game at a time and those long-term goals will take care of themselves if you do the little things along the way.”
Bradford has eight returning letterwinners this year, headlined by senior pitcher and infielder Dan Manion. Already committed to play at St. Bonaventure next year, Manion once again figures to be the team’s leader on the mound and at the plate.
“Dan’s a great player,” Carlson said. “He’s going to be a middle-of-the-lineup hitter, he’s going to pitch a lot of innings for us.”
But the 2018 season is going to be much more than a one-man show according to Carlson, which is a big reason why this year’s squad is so promising.
“We have a lot of guys who are probably right there with Dan on the mound,” Carlson said. “We have a few guys who are going to hit just as well as Dan and challenge him for the (highest) team batting average. I’m really excited with not just what Dan can do but what the whole team can do.”
One of the benefits Carlson has is having players who are experienced but also have yet to hit their ceilings.
Tyler Gigliotti, Peyton Manion, and Caleb Nuzzo all played almost every game as freshmen a season ago, and Carlson expects even more in 2018.
“You think about ninth-graders: they’re still kids,” he said. “For the most part, ninth-graders are physically overmatched. I really believe they’ve grown up and they are going to be premium players in this league hopefully challenging for District All-Stars. Last year they held their own, but this year we expect them to excel.”
Pitching looks like the biggest strength for Bradford this year, as the Owls possess both talent and depth on the mound.
“We’ve got five really good arms,” Carlson said.
Dan Manion will be the undisputed number one, but there will be no shortage of competition for the remaining spots: younger brother Peyton pitched 11 games as a freshman last year, while Gigliotti is one of the team’s harder throwers.
Drew Piganelli is another sophomore who figures to see plenty of innings, a lefty whom Carlson says has some good stuff including a nice slider.
Senior Adam Boyer “has the potential to be very good,” according to Carlson, though he needs to be wary of keeping the ball down in the zone.
Senior Brody Nay and juniors Hunter Gray and Patrick Caskey will also see varsity innings.
It’s the offense, though, that will determine how far the Owls go in 2018. Hitting, especially at key moments, was a problem for the team last year.
“Whoever hits, plays,” Carlson said. “I have lineups in my head but those lineups can change at any point in time because there are guys who are pushing, guys who are working.”
Nuzzo will be the primary backstop after catching every game last year as a freshman.
“Caleb caught every inning last year,” Carlson said. “I expect very much the same. He’s a solid thrower, and he’s gonna hit near the top or middle of our order.”
Manning first base will be senior Isaac Gralak, who missed last season due to illness.
“He was a .300-plus hitter with a lot of power, a lot of doubles, two years ago,” Carlson said. “I think he’s someone who’s going to be key to our lineup. Last year we struggled with hitting. Having him in that lineup would’ve helped a lot.”
Second base figures to consist of a platoon including Caskey, Peyton Manion, and junior Jason French, who Carlson believes has a chance to be a good contact hitter.
Gigliotti returns as the starting shortstop and leadoff hitter.
“He’s our best athlete when it comes to pure athleticism,” Carlson said. “He’s our fastest kid. He’s got one of the best arms on the team, and he’s probably going to be our leadoff hitter.”
Third base will be determined by who pitches on a given day, with both Manions as well as Caskey likely to see time at the hot corner.
Carlson added that Piganelli will likely DH and play first base when not pitching, noting the sophomore’s power potential.
“Our outfield is probably going to be anchored by Adam Boyer in centerfield,” Carlson went on to say. “He’s our best defensive outfielder. He’s gotta come around offensively, but if he does so, he can be a really good player for us out there.”
Carlson looks for Gray to man left field, while Nay and French will likely split time in right.
Other players to keep an eye on at the plate include juniors Noah Meyer, Isaac Smith, and Mitch Baker, and sophomores Greg Frederick and Vinny Burgess.
“A lot of these guys are probably going to get some key at-bats for us from time to time,” Carlson said.
Rounding out the lineup are juniors Austin Schaumleffel, Brady Brown, and Jake Wilson, sophomores James Yohe and Matt Franz, and freshman Austen Davis.
“Our guys are just a good group,” Carlson said. “We don’t have captains or anything like that because we don’t have on a daily basis people not doing what they’re supposed to. They show up, they work hard. These kids take care of themselves. When someone screws up or someone slacks off, somebody else steps up.
“I expect good things for this year. The guys have just got to push themselves to get there.”
The team’s schedule is listed below (subject to change):
APRIL
5 – DUBOIS CC
7 – at Cameron County
9 – at Otto-Eldred
11 – DUBOIS
13 – JOHNSONBURG
14 – at Iroquois
16 – at Johnsonburg
17 – at Oswayo Valley
20 – at Clearfield
23 – at Punxsutawney
25 – BROOKVILLE
28 – WARREN
30 – at Brookville
MAY
1 – ST. MARYS
7 – at DuBois
9 – PORT ALLEGANY
11 – at St. Marys
12 – vs. Otto-Eldred (at Cooperstown, N.Y.)
14 – ELK CATHOLIC
16 – PUNXSUTAWNEY
