The Lehighton, Northwestern and Palmerton baseball teams will have new coaches this season as J.C. Dietz takes over the Indians’ program, Chad Cooperman will guide the Tigers, and Tyler Svetik will be in charge at Palmerton.

Below are previews of the upcoming season for the two rookie coaches, as well as the other local baseball teams.

JIM THORPE

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH

… Fourth-year head coach Joe Marykwas will field a roster with little varsity experience, but with the potential to become a special group he hopes will improve upon last year’s 13-8 record.

ONE-TWO PUNCH

… Marykwas likes the abilities of his top two pitchers. His ace in the rotation is senior southpaw James Lordi, a Penn State commit. “Velocity” is the word Marykwas used to describe what Lordi brings to the mound. “James also has very good secondary pitches with a slider, change and a curve.” Slotted as the No. 2 starter will be Richie Strack, who threw some solid varsity innings last season. “Richie pounds the strike zone with his fastball, and is developing a very good curve to go along with his change-up,” said Marykwas. Third in the rotation is likely to be Adam Romanchik, who will come at hitters with different arm angles and a variety of off speed pitches. Sophomore Jack Edwards - whose offseason workouts have made him bigger and stronger - will also see time on the bump. Garrett Leinhard, who throws as hard as anyone on the staff, will be called on to close out games.

‘TRACK’ TEAM

… The Olympians have several outfielders who can track the ball in the gaps and inside the foul lines. Chip Baldassano can read the ball well off the bat and has an above average arm. Ian Henkels, Lordi, and Romanchik can patrol all outfield spots with reliable abilities. On the left side of the infield, three-year starter Leinhard will track ground balls at shortstop with good range. Marykwas calls Strack at third base a “phenomenal” fielder. Casey McCardle and Tanner Yurchak will compete for time at second, as will Edwards and Evan Murphy at first. Senior Drew Wimmer will catch, and freshmen Nick Schwartz and Tanner Modavis may crack the lineup later in the season. Matt Craigie and Travis Benson will provide pitching depth.

BAT ON THE BALL

… Marykwas believes he has hitters who will make good contact. Leinhard will lead off with Lordi, Strack, Hinkles, and Wimmer filling the middle of the lineup in any order. “We might not be a home run hitting team, but we should make solid contact and be able to drive the ball into the gaps.”

THE GAME PLAN

… Marykwas likes the energy and the chemistry he sees in this year’s edition of Olympian baseball. “We have the flexibility to move a lot of people around defensively depending upon who’s pitching, and that’s a big plus,” said Marykwas. “I think we can be a really good team and make the playoffs if our inexperienced players can perform in varsity game big moments. It might take some time to attain that maturity, and hopefully we’ll be playing our best baseball at the end of the season.”

LEHIGHTON

FIRST YEAR

… This will be the first year at the helm of the Indians for new head coach J.C. Dietz, who was happy with the team’s offseason approach and dedication. “We had almost our entire team committed and dedicated to offseason workouts,” said Dietz. “We’ve been working since the fall in all the different areas of the game, and as a first-year head coach, that was great to see the guys really interested in working to get better.”

PITCHING BY COMMITTEE

… The Tribe return only a few players that saw significant varsity experience a year ago, especially in the pitching department. Ian Rarick and Carter Birnbaum will be expected to lead the rotation. Rarick returns with the most experience with just over 20 innings pitched. Aiden Rarick, Brady O’Donnell, Talan Sensinger and Dawson Keiser will also see time from the mound. The Indians do return Tyler Poole at catcher, which they hope will be a calming influence for their staff throughout the season.

SMALL BALL

… Lehighton will look to play some small ball this season, and utilize its speed on the bases. A pleasant surprise for the Indians has been junior Austin Greene, who has the hit the ball well early in the season in their scrimmages. Ian Rarick returns with the most plate appearances from last season with 60, where he batted .263 with 15 hits and nine RBIs. Aiden Rarick, Michael Yeakel, Poole and O’Donnell also saw some time at the plate last season as well.

MARIAN

HEAVY AT THE TOP

… The Colts will field a varsity roster of 20 players under eighth-year head coach Tony Radocha. They are young, but bring experience to the plate and according to Radocha, he will find playing time for everyone since Marian will have no junior varsity team this year.

FROM COLTS TO HORSES

… Several of Marian’s young players “are growing into their bodies,” according to Radocha, and that should help their skill levels improve. Sophomore Brian Hinkle will be the ace of the pitching staff. “Brian did a lot of work in the offseason. He is stronger, and he’s mentally tough when we give him the ball.” Radocha also said junior Jake Bobish is stronger and will be the No. 2 starter. Radocha added that newcomer Michael Gelatko is a “big kid with a big arm, who keeps the ball low in the zone” and will also see time on the hill.

AGILE AND MOBILE

... Senior infielder Mason Gibson has the fastest hands Radocha has ever seen, and can turn the double play with the best of them. Speed and athleticism feature junior center fielder Chase Petrilyak, who has a “cannon” for an arm and the ability to track down fly balls in the gaps. “Chase is a baseball player,” said Radocha, in reference to his explanation that there are kids who play baseball, and then there are baseball players. Sophomore catcher Lachlan Segedi carries a big bat and a high baseball IQ. Junior Joey Walko will share the catching duties, and will also play some first base.

THE GAME PLAN

… The hope is to improve upon last season’s 7-10 record. Radocha said the Colts will have to play in the moment of each game and utilize their athleticism toward making a run at the postseason. “Our goal is to be better than yesterday and when tomorrow comes, be better than today.”

NORTHERN LEHIGH

GROWING

… Experience is limited this season for the Bulldogs, but it is growing. Northern Lehigh’s roster boasts just three seniors and one junior in the upperclassmen ranks. Zach Chamberlin, Josh Kisler and Cole Hausman will be counted on to carry the load when it comes to experience.

YOUNG GUNS

… The Bulldogs rosters contains 14 players between ninth and 10th grades that do have the talent and the potential to make an impact early on for Northern Lehigh. “We have a good young group of players that is dedicated to getting better,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Greg King. “We just need them to gain some confidence early, and to keep their focus on getting better at each and every practice and at each and every game.”

TWO-MAN SHOW

… Chamberlin and Kisler - who both have a good mix of pitches and are good at locating their pitches - will be counted on to lead the staff this season. Young guys will need to step in and provide innings as well as the season moves forward.

AT THE PLATE

… This will be a lineup that will look to put the ball in play and put pressure on teams on the bases. Some younger guys who are expected to produce at the plate are Nick Buskirk and Connor Simms.

NORTHWESTERN

THE NEW KID IN TOWN

… A year ago Chad Cooperman was pitching for Bloomsburg University. Now, he is coaching the Northwestern baseball team. The 24-year-old took over when his father, Scott Cooperman - who had originally been hired - left the area for South Carolina. The younger Cooperman was on the coaching staff, and was the first person athletic director Jason Zimmerman turned to take over the team. “I was looking forward to coaching with my dad and gaining that experience, but I feel I am ready for this opportunity,” said Cooperman. “I have had to brush up on the high school rules a little, and Jason (Zimmerman) has helped me with the administrative stuff, but when you come down to it, it’s still just baseball.”

LOFTY STANDARDS

… Northwestern has had a lot of success with its program in recent seasons, and even with five starting players from last season lost to graduation, the goal of league and district championships remains. Last season the Tigers took home a Colonial League Championship and went to the District 11 finals, finishing with a 19-5 overall record and a 15-2 Colonial League mark. Ben Boyer and Dylan Witkowski will lead another talented group of seniors and set the tone for the younger players on the team.

WRITTEN IN PENCIL

… Cooperman was noncommittal about who will play where in the lineup. At least for now, the plan is to mix and match players at different spots on the field and in the lineup through the first couple weeks of the season to find the right spot for players to succeed. Minus the numbers that Boyer (. 371) and Witkowski (. 418) put up last season, the returning players had just 92 plate appearances and hit a combined .219 for the Tigers in 2021. “I tell them that every practice is like an interview,” said Cooperman. “We are always looking to put the best nine out there that are going to help us compete and win games, so every day they need to come to practice and act like they want to roll and win games. Everything is written in pencil, and we have created a lot of competition at practice.”

MOUND PRESENCE

... Lost from last season’s pitching staff are a combined 88 innings from four hurlers who pitched to a combined 3.27 ERA. Boyer and Witkowski will anchor the rotation, with fellow seniors Tanner Romig, Nick Scott, and Morgan LaBuda likely to get some time on the mound. Junior Wesley George, along with sophomores Shaun O’Donnell, Josh Lichman and Chase Moyer are also penciled in as potential mound options.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

... Cooperman will have two friends and recent teammates as assistants. Justin Kratz and Justin Welch both played with Cooperman in the Blue Mountain League last season. Kratz played at Allen, and then for Lehigh Carbon Community College, while Welch was a member of the 2018 Central Catholic team that lost to Northwestern in the district finals. “Relatability is so important to the kids, and that’s the advantage that we have of being a young staff in that we understand what they go through. We’ve been there recently, and it really allows us to connect with them at a level that I think others would struggle with. It’s a great opportunity,” said the new coach, a 2016 Salisbury graduate.

PALMERTON

SETTING THE STAGE

… Daniel Lucykanish and Trey Sterling will be counted on in the middle of the lineup for the Bombers this season. Kaleb Eitner, Cole Serfass, Garret Horvath and Connor Beahm are all expected to do damage in the hitting department as well. Eitner (21 RBIs), Beahm (18 RBIs) and Serfass (17 RBIs) were all solid at driving in runs a year ago.

TAKING OVER THE PROGRAM ... Tyler Svetik - who starred for Palmerton during his playing days - is the Blue Bombers new head coach. Svetik takes over for Erick Kresge, who also was a former Bomber player.

FROM THE MOUND

… Beahm, Horvath and Chase Reph will be the key contributors on the mound. Beahm led the team last season with a 6-1 record and a 2.33 ERA, along with 50 strikeouts. Horvath was second on the team last season with 20 strikeouts.

EXPERIENCE

… Palmerton returns experience from a team that qualified for the postseason and finished with a 14-10 overall record a year ago.

PANTHER VALLEY

YOUNG GUNS

… After last year’s 16-6 record and winning a Schuylkill League Division 3 title, the Panthers still have plenty of firepower and are primed to build upon their success and make another district playoff run. “We’re a young, but an experienced team,” said Rich Evanko, who begins his eighth year as head coach. “We’ll have at least 11 players who contributed in some way last year that we’re counting on to have good seasons for us.”

ROTATION ELATION

… Evanko is excited about the number of talented pitchers he has on his staff. Juniors Brad Hood, Michael Pascoe, and Cody Orusulak, along with sophomore Stephen Hood, all have shown the ability to throw shutdown innings. Trey McAndrew and Tyler Black fill out the rotation. The Panthers have plenty of arms, so none of their pitchers should be overworked.

HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE

… A major strength of this Panther group is their versatility. Pascoe and the Hood brothers can play any position in the infield. “Depending upon who’s pitching, we have a lot of flexibility,” said Evanko, “and our players have high baseball IQs, so they not only can play multiple positions, but play them well.” PV’s lineup will be flexible, as well, with Pascoe and Brad Hood hitting in the power slots. “Last season, our No. 9 hitter and center fielder Chase Weaver got some big hits for us, so we think we’ll be pretty solid from top to bottom,” said Evanko.

THE GAME PLAN

… After winning a division title, Evanko is aware that there is a target on his team’s back. “We expect to see the No. 1 and 2 pitchers from every team we play this year.” To defend their division title, compete for a league championship, and get past the first round of districts this year, Evanko will employ some old-school baseball tactics to try achieve a 10-plus win total. “We certainly have some big bats in our lineup, but we’re going to play some small ball too, and try to score runs by bunting runners along and hitting to the opposite field and utilize some of the speed we have.”

PLEASANT VALLEY

COMING IN

… The Bears have been working hard since November, hitting inside, while their throwing program started in January. It’s been a good offseason for Pleasant Valley, with plenty of players in attendance. “On the first day of school, I had guys coming up to me asking to get them in the weight room already,” said Pleasant Valley head coach TJ Murphy. “I have a great group of guys that have really bought in to what we want to do here and are dedicated to getting better.”

OUTSTANDING OFFENSE

… PV’s offense expects to be a bright spot this season with solid production returning. Andrew Meitzler hit .426 a season ago and led the team in hits, and figures to make a nice one-two combo with Jack Smale, who hit .323 and had 16 RBIs. Nate Loch will serve as the Bears leadoff hitter. Dom Payan will also be expected to contribute, and Jake Gethen did a nice job of driving in runs last season with 23 RBIs.

STEPPING UP

… The Bears will need younger players to step up in the pitching department with their top two pitchers this season being Ben Mostosky and Ryan Kymer. The two combined for just 22 varsity innings pitched last season. Nate Mostosky will also play a significant role on the mound for Pleasant Valley.

DEFENSIVE APPROACH

… Pleasant Valley is a program that prides itself on a pitching and defensive-first approach, which helped it get to the postseason a season ago with a 14-6 record. The Bears lost to Emmaus in the EPC final, and lost to Easton in the quarterfinals of the District 11 playoffs. Pleasant Valley’s infield is once again expected to be strong this season, with experience returning at those spots, as well as at catcher and the always-important center field position.

TAMAQUA

REPLACING VETERANS

… The Blue Raiders will need to grow up quickly early in the season as they look to replace nine seniors from a year ago. Tamaqua returns two players who saw significant varsity time last season in seniors Thomas Case and Mason Moyer. “We’re a very young team, but I like how we’ve looked in our scrimmage so far,” said Tamaqua head coach Jeff Reading. “What I really like about this group is the way they are around each other. They really like to support and motivate each other, and their enthusiasm for the game is very high.”

COME ONE, PITCH ALL

… Almost every single player on the Raiders roster has a pitching designation next to it in the position category, so Reading is prepared to use a ton of arms this season. Case and Moyer will lead the group, but other players such as Tim Fritzinger, Mason Ligenza, Noah Mateyak and Nate Fannock will also see time, as will a number of others.

TOO EARLY TOO TELL

… At the plate, the Raiders will take a wait-and-see approach to see who emerges as impactful hitters this season. Case (. 306) and Moyer (.256) return with the most plate appearances, along with Lucas Milot (seven hits). Ligenza, Wyatt Steigerwalt, Lucas Kamant, Gianni Valentine and Luke Kane will also have opportunities to help out at the plate as well.