With their season opener still more than a week away, members of the Revere High baseball team will have plenty of opportunity to impress head coach Joe Ranno as they seek to earn a spot on the varsity for the 2010 season.
“This is the latest start we’ve ever had,â€said Ranno. “We have four scrimmages scheduled before we open the season on April 15, so we’ll get a good look at everyone.â€
The Patriots will be led by a trio of captains, seniors Chris Adreani, Jonathan Chiarelli, and Brian Robichaud, who are among seven seniors on the squad.
“We have a lot of underclassmen competing for varsity spots and we will need them to come through for us in order to have a successful season,†said Ranno, who noted that junior John DiVenuti has looked impressive in the two scrimmages thus far, reaching base on every at bat.
Pitching is an aspect of the team that is Ranno’s primary focus at the moment. “We have two starting pitchers coming back in Jonathan Chiarelli and Nick DiMare, and we expect Brian Robichaud and Russ Goodwin to come out of the bullpen. But we need to find some more pitchers for our staff,†said the coach, adding that sophomore southpaw Jim Ortiz could be in the mix on the mound.
One spot Ranno feels is filled is at catcher, where he expects Paul Norton to handle the duties behind the plate.
Ranno and crew open the season next Thursday, April 15, hosting Salem.
