Highland's Chaz Simony

Alle-Kiski region High school baseball coaches are tweaking their teams for new sections and a completely new division. We asked local coaches to tell us about the young men on their teams and how some of the changes are affecting them. Here is a sampling of their comments:

Over at Highlands, fifth-year Highlands Coach Chaz Simony is fielding another capable, high-quality club of players, and notes, "It’s a pretty good group of kids. They know what we want and what we expect." Simony, previously an assistant Golden Rams coach for 16 years, says, "Highlands has a good tradition [of baseball]. Last year, we missed out on the playoffs by one game. It was a pleasure to coach them."

For Chaz and his staff, the players are more than players. " Most of all, I try to teach them to respect themselves," he points out. "My job is to get them ready for college. If they have respect for themselves and others when they get to college they will do well." Coach Simony talks about section changes and his staff in the video interview at http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1378

Kiski Area's Jack Jewart

Meanwhile, at Kiski Area, Kiski Area High School Coach Jack Jewart and his staff are busy digging up some new jewels. His Kiski Area Cavalier squad last year had a slow 1-4 start. But as the season went on, they hit the mother lode. The Cavs made it to the WPIAL semifinals, and then polished up their game to go further than any Kiski baseball team ever has: to the PIAA semifinals.

How do you take a team who was in the top four in the state, graduate a bunch of seniors, and still have a gem of a season? Especially in a brand new division they made for schools like yours? Jewart is still working on that question. The Cavs and many of the playoff-team juggernauts they played last year are now in a new Quad-A division, and particularly, these giants of swing are in the same conference as the Cavs.

"Now, they're our section games; [its] probably one of toughest sections in the WPIAL," says the Kiski coach. "Out of seven teams, six are pretty much vying for the playoffs every year. It's going to become a dogfight, every game. Probably what's going to happen is every team is going to beat up on everybody else." Jack Jewart discusses the division change, and the young men who working to make their season shine, in the online video at http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1372

Plum's Carl Vollmer

Out in Plum, the new Mustangs' High School Coach Carl Vollmer is well into the swing of things and seems to have a real hit on his hands. Vollmer, who was Plum's JV and pitching coach the past three years, is building on what he already has.

"I have a good relationship with the kids. It's good to have that foundation," he tells us. "It's really beneficial in the role I have this year—they know what I expect from them. It's been a really good relationship the past 3 years and I see no reason for that to change." Carl, driving home his point, says, "When you see them grow over the course of four years, it makes it worthwhile. You see them get better; you see them mature as a person—that's the reward you get, as well as coaching a successful season. Sure, it's a lot of hours, but it's well worth it." The Plum Mustang coach states they want to be, at the end of the season, "in the thick of things and at top of the section. We're all excited at this point. I think we'll compete in our section."

It looks like Vollmer and his Sultans of Swat have hit one out of the park; at press time they are undefeated at 10-0. He explains what it is that makes the Mustang program and the young men in it so special in the video interview at http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1379

Riverview's Rich Greiser

Down by the river, fifth-year Riverview Raiders Baseball Coach Rich Griser is pitching the team tee-shirt his team captains designed this year. On the front, it reads: "New team, New season, New section," and has several section titles on it. On the back, it reads: "…Same Story." The Raiders won three section titles over the last four years, and took Section Runner-up in 2003. Last year's squad ran up an undefeated 10-0 season in the section. This year's edition of the company is trying to keep the winning attitude going, and the tee-shirt catches the mind-set.

"It's been a nice run so far," Rich says. "We haven’t lost more than two section games since I've been there." But it's not going to be easy. The Raiders have been thrown a curve, tossed up to Double A, to wind-up in a brand new section now, all-new faces on all-new teams in a slightly-higher class of play. "It's [definitely] a very competitive section," he notes. But thrown out is the section match-up with cross-river rival Springdale.

However, the Raiders have managed to steal time for an exhibition game with the Dynamos, so what Griser calls "a healthy rivalry" is not sliding away. He'll explain what he means by that as he talks about the young men on the team and the teams they face, in the video at http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1377

Springdale's Ray Davis

Across the waters Springdale High School Athletic Director Ray Davis, is pulling a double-shift this spring, moonlighting as the Dynamo's baseball coach as well. The man who coordinates all the athletic teams at Springdale is in his sixth year as A.D. and baseball coach.

What does he like best? "The kids. We've had a pretty good influx of kids that started with our program in 9th grade and going all the way through," Ray says. "It's nice seeing them as sometimes-awkward freshmen turn into seniors who turn into a vital part of your program."

Being a Class Single-A school means many of the kids do double-duty, and more. "We have a lot of two-sport players and there are some that go three sports. It's very difficult playing three sports and keeping your grades up. In spite of that we have about five kids now that are in the national honor society, and we are certainly proud of that," said Ray.

His pride shows as he tells of the players' attitudes this year. "At some workouts over the winter, a lot of our older kids, without even being told, have been helping bring up the younger kids." Ray Davis discusses his company of players and coaches, the section and what ever happened to the Springdale-Riverview rivalry in the video at http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1375