Baseball: Mount Carmel, St Rita ready to reload

Updated: June 5, 2012 8:32PM

Mount Carmel is losing some key pieces — most notable, pitcher/infielder T.J. Laurish, first baseman Sam Kint and catcher Dan Pappas — from a team that finished 32-6 and advanced to the Class 4A sectional finals.

Coach Brian Hurry said the trio brought more than just talent to the table.

“Those guys have had outstanding careers,” Hurry said. “They won 64 games the past two years. They’re tremendous players. But their leadership is going to missed as well.”

The Caravan is expected to return a slew of talent next spring, led by shortstop Jerry Houston, who will be embarking on his fourth year on the varsity.

Tom Hayes, Justin Gonzalez, Jason Gasser and Beau Filkins will add additional pop to the lineup.

On the mound, Mount Carmel will be in excellent shape with lefties Jeremy Kravetz, Marko Boricich and Austin Dodson, and Gasser, a righty.

“We feel we will do our best to win a state championship,” Hurry said. “We feel we have the pieces in place to make a run at it.”

St. Rita ready to restock

It was a wild season for St. Rita, which had to deal with the fallout from its brawl with St. Laurence, along with the Scott Thomas (he was kicked off the team, reinstated, then quit) soap opera.

Coach Mike Zunica was proud of how his team handled the adversity.

“This team has been through so much,” Zunica said of his 24-13 squad. “They went from a team with questionable character to a team flush with character. That’s why it’s so tough to say goodbye to them.”

Seniors Zach Soria and Stefano Belmonte spent the majority of their high school careers on the varsity. Soria will attend Louisville, Belmonte Purdue. Senior Rick Faron capped his prep career with two mammoth homers against Mount Carmel in the sectional semifinal. Senior Billy Henry filled a huge void on the pitching staff, finishing with seven wins.

The Mustangs should return a bunch of talent, led by juniors-to-be Jake Shepski and Mike Costanzo, who will anchor the pitching staff, and seniors-to-be Chad Prieto, Andrew Massey, Anthony Ray and Connor McLain.

St. Rita should boast plenty of pop on offense.

“I like the guys we have coming back, but they have to work hard in the offseason,” Zunica said. “They have to continue to develop. I’m looking forward to next season.”

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