Wildcats’ new player-coach looks ahead to opener

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Jeff Lockhart will make his debut as head coach of the Kentville senior Wildcats Wednesday evening against Dartmouth, and he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“We’ve been on the field for the past couple of weeks and working out in the gym since early March,” Lockhart said. “We’re ready to go.”

The Wildcats are coming off a 2007 season in which they overcame a 3-12 start to not only make the playoffs, but advance to the league final for a second straight year.

“The key will be to get off to a better start than last year,” Lockhart said. “We’re looking to compete with the better teams and finish in the top two, and first if at all possible.”

There’s an added incentive this year to finishing as high as possible in the standings. “With Dartmouth hosting nationals in 2009,” Lockhart said, “the NSSBL will get two teams in the tournament. That means that if you’re able to make the playoffs and win its first-round series, it earns you a spot at next year’s nationals.

“We want to be in a position where we don’t have to face Dartmouth in the first round, which will give us a better chance of securing one of those two berths.”

Plenty of returning veterans

With the exception of Mike King, who has retired, the rest of the 2007 Wildcats are all returning. In addition, there are a couple of new faces, as well as one or two somewhat familiar faces who will be asked to take on new roles.

Lockhart has Rob Shepherd penciled in to take King’s spot in centrefield. “We’ll miss Mike’s bat at the top of the line-up and his leadership, but Rob will give us good range defensively” and should also mature as a hitter with the chance to play more regularly.

Ryan Pearl has returned to the ’Cats after a year off and Brad Steadman, who played the past several seasons in Hantsport, will also play senior ball in Kentville this summer.

“Ryan will give us depth, and should see action both in the infield and outfield,” Lockhart said. As for Steadman, the outfielder “batted over .400 in limited action for us last year,” and appears poised to become a solid senior-level player.

The opening night line-up is likely to include Kevin Benjamin at catcher, Luke Smith at first base, Pearl or Jeff Bishop at second, Ian Lockhart at shortstop, Nick Hill at third, Mike Lockhart, Shepherd and Steadman in the outfield and Curtis Falls at DH.

Vereran lefthander Kevin Nichols will start opening night. The rest of the pitching staff will consist of Falls, Corey Kent, Bishop (who will likely again split time between Kentville and Hantsport), Mike Sponagle, Lee Spares, Kevin Daurie and possibly Jason Shepherd and Alex Tufts (when he is in the area and available).

As well, Lockhart expects to be able to access extra pitchers - like Bishop and Matt Lloy, as two examples - from the affiliated Hantsport Shamrocks, as was the case last season.

Experienced bench, too

The Wildcats also have some experienced bench players, including Les Berry, Jason Pleasant-Sampson and Ian Mosher, who Lockhart said, “will see some playing time, but I’d also like to see him take on more of an assistant coaching role.” The team’s depth will further improve with the expected return of Ryan Brothers in July.

Smith, Lockhart said, “has expressed confidence he will be able to catch more” than in the past two seasons when he was hampered by injuries, which will take some pressure off Benjamin and allow Mosher to hopefully help the team in other ways.

Lockhart also anticipates playing some himself, likely at first base when Smith is catching, as a late-inning defensive replacement or a pinch-hitter.

He also hopes, depending on how the pitchers look, to be able to use Falls as more of a relief pitcher. “With Steadman available, I see us looking pretty good offensively even without Curt’s bat in the line-up, which means we could use him more in a closer’s role” as well as serving as the DH and as a spot starter.

If Lockhart has a concern, it’s that Kentville starts the season with six games in nine days – Dartmouth on Wednesday; Sydney for three weekend games (8 p.m. Friday and noon and approximately 3 p.m. Saturday); in Halifax Tuesday, May 27; and in Dartmouth Thursday, May 29 – which is likely to put a lot of early pressure on the pitching staff.

Overall, he says, “I feel optimistic. We have a lot of experience and a lot of depth. Pitching is always a concern in this league, but hopefully we’ll be okay there, too.”