Local Sports: High School Baseball Preview

Outcome: There appears to be plenty of talent left over from last year's 20-3 state playoff team to give the Owls hopes for another strong season in 1996. It all starts with pitching, and the Owls have plenty of that, led by Peters, who was named to the preseason all-state team. He went 9-1 last season with a 1.33 ERA and hit .324 with 15 RBIs to earn first-team all-county honors. Bowers joined Peters on the first team last season after hitting .405 with four homers and driving in 22 runs. As the Owls' No. 3 starter, he went 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA and can expect the ball a lot more this season. Marsiglia and Cash are two other quality pitchers with plenty of varsity experience. "It's the same thing for anyone: Good pitching will stop good hitting," Rihard said. "Those guys look ready and should be able to keep us in ballgames." Tozer returns behind the plate, but, after that, the Owls will have an entirely new infield. Bowers will play a lot at first, and Curtin has looked good at third. Cash and Peters will play in the outfield when they aren't pitching, and junior Billy Mays is up from the "B" squad this season. The lineup looks solid with newcomer Steve Hahn adding punch along with Denny Bowers' younger brother, Matt, a sophomore. "He's bigger than his older brother and hits the ball just as hard," Rihard said.

Pub Date: 3/19/96