BASEBALL: Gaels the road warriors

Bishop Gorman has already been dealt a couple of setbacks to start its baseball season, but it hasn't stopped the Gaels from excelling on the diamond.

Despite not having a ballpark to call its own this year and losing returning senior starter Joe Cosentino to a season-ending knee injury on the first day of practice, Gorman opened the year with a 6-2 record and was ranked the second-best team in Southern Nevada by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

While the Gaels wait for Hadland Park to be rebuilt for next season, they'll play all of their games on the road this year, with several 'home' dates at Burkholder and Peccole Fields.

Gorman doesn't even have a complete ballpark to practice on, using an infield and right field behind the school for fielding practice. Batting practice takes place solely in the batting cages.

Coach Ken White looks at the situation as a positive, though.

"I thought it would be more difficult than it actually is. It makes the kids a little bit tougher. It's a very good challenge for them," he said. "We know we're a road team and we just have to be prepared."

The road warrior mentality has helped the team grow close quickly.

"This team has more continuity already than the team had all of last year, and they finished one game from state," White said.

Four starters return from last year's squad, which went 20-15 and placed second in the Southwest Division with a 5-3 record. Three of them, as well as Cosentino, have signed to play for the Community College of Southern Nevada next year: Cooper Fouts, J.C. Sibley and Derek Rodriguez.

Fouts, a senior catcher, hit .430 last season en route to first team all-Sunset Region honors. Fouts started this year strong, cracking two home runs and driving in 10 runs through the first six games.

"He's one of the top catchers in town," White said. "He's a great player."

Sibley, a senior third baseman, hit .400 with three homers last year on his way to honorable mention all-Sunset Region honors.

Rodriguez, a senior right-handed pitcher who won his first start of the season, was dominant in American Legion play last summer, striking out 42 while walking just six in 33 innings.

Other players expected to contribute to the Gaels include senior first baseman/pitcher Matt Peters, junior pitcher Daniel Mangiapani, senior center fielder Greg Marshall, junior second baseman Chris Ortiz and senior utility player Andrew Patterson.

Peters, who is the Gaels' closer, had a sensational season at the plate in American Legion, hitting .560 with a team-high 40 RBI.

Mangiapani, a left-hander who went 1-7 last year but had close to a 3.00 ERA, started this season 1-1. Patterson, who had been slated to play third base, has filled in admirably in right field for Cosentino.

Gorman will also rely on six talented sophomores: pitcher Russ Warthen, shortstop Chris Siewert, outfielder Anthony Garcia, outfielder/pitcher Chris Brown, first baseman Blake Wilson and pitcher Paul Schmidt.

"I think we have one of the most talented sophomore groups in town," White said.

Warthen won his first two starts, including one over defending state champion Silverado, and Schmidt, a left-hander, earned a win over Foothill.

"I think pitching is one of our strengths, and another one is we have good kids who work hard in school and on the baseball field," White said. "That's what Gorman is all about, challenging yourselves academically and (athletically).

"Our biggest weakness is probably power. We don't have a lot of power. We don't have a power pitcher and we don't have power hitters."

Despite their lack of power at the plate and on the mound, Gorman is still a perennial power overall and has to be considered one of the favorites in the Sunset Region.

"Our number one goal is to get to the state tournament. I think we have as good a chance as anyone," White said. "There are five or six teams who have a shot to win it all. We'll need to have strong pitching."