Catcher

NOT OFTEN does a masked man take to the mound. We're not talking about a bank robber, a hazmat worker or even the Lone Ranger. We're talking about a catcher. That position was almost exclusively the one and only played last season by Eduardo "Cheese" Sanchez for Frankford High's baseball team. But now the 5-10, 220-pound senior is a two-spot guy and one is 60 feet, 6 inches from the other. Monday, in a career first, Sanchez spent his time at both as the visiting Pioneers downed George Washington, 7-3, in a Public A clash.

Coatesville's Jake Kennedy, a savvy and hard-hitting catcher, hopes that some late-year heroics will replace an early-season blunder. In the seventh inning against host Unionville, with the bases loaded and one out in an 8-8 contest, the usually focused backstop erred in thinking a strikeout was the third out and rolled the ball toward the mound. That gave the Unionville runner at third base the chance to race home for the deciding tally in the season opener. "It was a brain cramp," Kennedy said matter-of-factly.

See and hear from GCIT catcher Zach Funk. www.philly.com/ rallyvideos

Taylor Coroneos, Washington Township. A senior outfielder and pitcher who serves as the Minutemaids' leadoff hitter, Coroneos finished 2012 with an on-base percentage of .512, batted .438, and scored 37 runs. Alexis Gaskill, Rancocas Valley. The senior catcher last season batted .519 with 30 hits, scoring 16 runs and driving in 12. Rosie LaGrotta, Sacred Heart. LaGrotta, a junior, returns as the Lions' ace pitcher. In two seasons, LaGrotta is 42-10. Last season, she went 21-5 with a 2.19 ERA and four shutouts in 162 innings.

Nick Cieri is a power hitter who likes to use the whole field. That goes for defense, too. Cieri, a senior at Rancocas Valley, might have South Jersey's sweetest, strongest swing. He has signed with Maryland on a baseball scholarship. A left-handed batter, Cieri can both pull the ball to right field or drive it for distance to left. Rancocas Valley coach Dave Hower thinks Cieri's power alley is in left-center. "He stays behind the ball like nobody I've ever seen," Hower said.

Nick Cieri is a power hitter who likes to use the whole field. That goes for defense, too. Cieri, a senior at Rancocas Valley, might have South Jersey's sweetest, strongest swing. He has signed with Maryland on a baseball scholarship. A lefthanded batter, Cieri can pull the ball to right field or drive it for distance to left. Rancocas Valley coach Dave Hower thinks Cieri's power alley is in left-center. "He stays behind the ball like nobody I've ever seen," Hower said. What's interesting is that Cieri also moves around with a glove in his hand.