Monsignor Pace Spartans Starting From Scratch

Introductions are in order for this year’s edition of the Monsignor Pace Spartans. The team is coming off of a storybook season in which they lost in eight innings to undefeated Ocala Trinity Catholic in the Class 4A state title game.

This season the Spartans will begin a new chapter under Manager Tom Duffin, who has helped established one of the most respected baseball programs in Miami-Dade County. Pace has the difficult challenge of replacing 17 seniors and Duffin notes that with so many new faces on the roster, his team will endure its share of bumps and bruises.

“We did lose 17 players and that’s always going to be very tough to replace,” Duffin admitted. “I think its going to be a lot of growing pains this year with the schedule that we have and the teams we play.”

The Spartans will go to battle in one of the toughest districts in South Florida. The squad has moved up to District 4A-15 to play in a group where five out of the six teams won district titles in 2013 and two competed in the state playoffs at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers. The district consists of Florida Christian, LaSalle, Mater Lakes, St. Brendan, and Booker T. Washington. With six teams competing for four playoff spots, Duffin knows there will be no love lost when the teams meet on the field.

“When you lose 17 guys they’re licking their chops to come get us right now,” Duffin joked.

Even with the youth movement, Pace did not shy away from setting up games against the best teams in South Florida. The Spartans have scheduled games against state title hopefuls like American, Columbus, Miami Brito, and four-time defending state champion Archbishop McCarthy in Broward.

“My main focus is for our guys to at least compete, not be starry eyed,” said Duffin. “Just to go out and battle as hard as they can and win or loss just to let the opposing team know that we’re in for a battle. If our team can do that being as young and inexperienced as we are, if we can gain that this year, for the next three years after it will really help the program and help these players out.”

Look for some new faces to make a name for themselves at Pace this season. The team is replacing HSBN All-District Co-pitchers of the year, Jonathan Hernandez (4-2-1, 2.70 ERA 41 K, 41.1 IP) and Luis Deville (6-1, 1.28 ERA, 58 K, 43.2 IP). On the mound the Spartans will look to 6-foot-4-inch junior pitcher Lorenzo Hampton, Jr. to work plenty of innings. His father Lorenzo, Sr. was a star running back at the University of Florida and a first round pick for the Miami Dolphins in 1985. With a few pitchers injured this offseason, Hampton will be counted on to pick up the slack for his teammates.

“The main thing is just to get outs, we’re not going to have one 90 mph arm after another, we’re just going to have guys go out there to compete and be bulldogs on the mound,” Hampton said. “Just because we’re young and less experienced doesn’t mean we can’t get back and achieve our goal.”

The staff lost sophomore pitcher John Merrill for the season with an arm injury and senior pitcher Chris Basilio is working his way back off of a torn ACL this offseason.

“We have a lot of questions marks with a young staff and with the exception of Hampton we’ll have an untested pitching staff,” Duffin said.

In the lineup, senior third baseman/pitcher Benji Urra and junior second baseman Leroy Garcia will lead from the infield. Duffin is also excited about the newcomers that will lead Pace over the next few years. Freshman Andre Sanchez, Anthony Boix, Manny Rodriguez, and Nick Fusco are potential impact players on the diamond this season.

“This is probably one of the biggest freshman classes I’ve had as far as physique and athletic ability,” he said. Those are all guys that are looking to contribute early on.”

The squad also picked up junior transfers Eddie and Eliott Cutillas from Westminster Christian, who will compete for playing time at catcher and first base in the spring.

Pace will look to replace the production of HSBN All-County first team selections Brandon Gomez (.372 B.A. 27 RBI, 7 HR), David Palenzuela (.360 B.A., 18 RBI 4 HR) and All-District selection Andrew McCoy (.362 B.A., 14 RBI, 3 HR). With many of their power hitters gone, the Spartans will try to string runs together without expecting to hit the long ball.

“When you lose a guy like Gomez or Palenzuela its tough to replace that. I just hope our guys can make some solid contact and manufacture runs,” said Duffin.

Even with odds stacked against them, no one at Pace is using youth as an excuse to why they can’t compete with the best teams around. The team is taking a “nothing to lose” approach to the 2014 season.

“We’ll be new, we’ll be young, but young doesn’t mean anything if you have talent and play as a team you’ll be fine,” Urra said.

With over two decades of coaching experience, Duffin looks to develop this next group of players into state title contenders over the next two to three years.

“I have a lot of freshman and sophomores on the team this year and they’re hungry, and that’s what I like,” said Duffin. “Its going to be enjoyable coaching those kids and trying to mold them to play our standard of baseball.”

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