“The competitiveness in practice is going to breed success, I think. Guys can’t take a day off, which is great for our philosophy in practice — compete every single day and earn a spot from day to day.”
Two of Glendale’s most prominent returners are Hoover High graduates Jason Ochart and Sako Chapjian.
Ochart will start in center field and handle leadoff duties, while Chapjian will play third and hit cleanup.
After that, things remain fairly up in the air with platooning and open competition mapped out for the remaining positions.
“We’ve got a pretty young team, a lot of freshmen, a lot of new faces,” Ochart said. “But we’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of potential. I’m really excited, it’s going to be a good season.
“Our team chemistry is better than any team I’ve ever been on. We’ve got a lot of guys from different areas, but we all kind of became one.”
Glendale does not have a single player on its roster currently that bats or throws left handed, which Cicuto said will require some discipline and resourcefulness on the mound and in the batter’s box.
“Our hands are a little bit tied,” Cicuto said. “If the pitchers locate and throw a good two-seam fastball in certain spots to left-handers, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Playing up the middle will be shortstop Ruben Padilla and second baseman Mark Andrade, both freshmen.
Freshman Matt McCallister will also be a key cog of the Vaqueros infield, with a strong bat and the ability to play second, third and short.
Michael Sherwin, who redshirted last season, will compete for the first base job with freshman David Park.
