Tuesday, June 15, 2004
By Mike Mattson
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER

First-year Muskegon ChannelCats manager Aaron Skiles is counting on pitching and defense to make his summer.

Skiles' select 18U baseball team will concentrate on the fundamentals in an effort to contend for top honors in the newly-formed West Michigan Connie Mack League.

"I don't think we'll score as many runs as last year, but I think our pitching will keep us in games," said Skiles, a former Muskegon High School and ChannelCats' player. "We have a lot of speed and not a lot of power. We'll play a lot of small ball."

Pitchers on the roster are Grand Haven's Earl Clover, Oakridge's Bud Giddings, Grand Haven's Nick Meints, Mona Shores' Brett Darcy and Hunter Rogers, Ravenna's Chad Patterson, Reeths-Puffer's Brett Tyers, Grand Ledge's Eric Lawrence and Whitehall's Nick Urban.

Lawrence received an invitation to play from assistant coach Ryan Bertoia, a former Muskegon Catholic Central player who attends Lansing Community College.

Offensively, Skiles said Grand Haven shortstop Troy Rutherford and Meints should be the catalysts of the team.

The ChannelCats, comprised mainly of 17- and 18-year-old area players, had their season opener Monday night against the Grand Rapids Chiefs.

Last year, the Channelcats went 22-12-1, finished second in league play and compiled a 2-3 record in the USSSA World Series in Lexington, Ky.

Skiles inherits a new team with only three players off last year's squad -- Whitehall's Jake McLouth, Giddings and Urban.

Urban is still recovering from a broken ankle and McLouth hasn't played baseball all spring after living in Mexico as a foreign exchange student. Giddings is still competing with Oakridge in the state baseball tournament.

The ChannelCats will play their home games at Marsh Field. League doubleheaders are scheduled for Tuesdays at Marsh starting at 5 p.m. Adults will be charged $2 to offset the team's renting of Marsh Field.

Muskegon also will play in five tournaments, including wood-bat events in Kalamazoo on June 24-27 and Rockford on July 8-11. The Gabby Mills Invitational in Midland on July 3-5 also will feature 20 teams from throughout the Midwest and Canada.

"I know our schedule will be our toughest one in recent years," said ChannelCats president Len Piasecki. "It's a very good schedule. Fans will have a chance to see some of the best talent in West Michigan."

Piasecki said the team goals are to win as many games and strive toward playing in another World Series at the end of the season.

Skiles is ready to lead the way.

"I think it will be challenging, but I think we're up to it," Skiles said. "I have a group of guys who want to play and they want to be here and they want to win."