Reloading more than rebuilding

Post 295 should be as strong as ever this summer

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

In the past few seasons, Gaithersburg Post 295 has become synonymous with excellence in the realm of Montgomery County American Legion baseball. In 2003 and 2004, Post 295 captured county and the state championships, and many of those players, who also formed the backbone of Quince Orchard High’s baseball team, went on to win the Class 4A state title with Cougars in 2005. They hoped to earn another title during last year’s American Legion season, but after a successful run through the regular season and the county playoffs, Post 295 lost its opening game in the state tournament to eventual champion, Funkstown Post 211. With 11 players from that team gone, Gaithersburg Post 295 will have to rely on some new faces to re-establish the tradition.

‘‘We’re a totally different team,” said manager Rick Price, in his 23rd year at the helm. ‘‘We’re a little bit of a work in progress. But the attitude of the kids is positive.”

It certainly should be. Though Post 295 is rebuilding a bit, it is not doing so with castoffs. They still draw players from the county’s vaunted high-school programs, including Northwest and Quince Orchard, which followed its state championship with a state semifinal appearance this season. And, among those coming back is Mike Celenza. Headed for Salisbury University, Celenza looks to follow up his monster 2005 season for Post 295 (.455 batting average, nine home runs, 50 runs batted in) with another strong effort. He should be primed and ready, if his final season at Quince Orchard was any indication. In his senior season with the Cougars, Celenza hit .533, smacking 11 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and knocking in 43 runs.

‘‘We will have a lot of good players, and they are coming in from strong programs,” Price said. ‘‘The question is where are they going to fit in? Right now it’s an open competition.”

Among the new faces is Quince Orchard shortstop⁄pitcher Kyle Judson and Northwest third baseman and catcher Ezequiel Vasquez, who will asked to replace the departed Jensen Pupa and Stephen Haeder at those positions. Though Vasquez batted just .233 for the Jaguars this past season, Price thinks these players, along with infielder Joe Weaver, who has returned from spending his last two years in France, have the tools to be successful.

‘‘I think we’re picking up some good players,” Price said. ‘‘These are guys that are going to help us.”

Post 295 also needs to find good pitching. Last year’s rotation complied a 2.28 ERA and included 10 players that recorded at least two victories, including Joe Mattes (4-1, 2.16 ERA), Brian Conley (5-2, 2.30 ERA), Pupa (4-0, 5 saves, 1.15 ERA) and Brett Fox (5-0, 4.32 ERA). Of that group, only Fox is back this season to head up a new group of pitchers.

Andy Moldawer, who was buried on a deep Cougars roster a year ago, will also join the staff, after a senior season in which he posted an 8-0 record and a 2.08 ERA in 49 innings. Those numbers caught the eye of Catholic University, and he will use the American Legion season to prepare for the rigors of college baseball. For Post 295, the season may be more about reloading than rebuilding. Even if their manager isn’t ready to admit it, the county title still runs through them.

‘‘We’re young, and Gaithersburg Post 104 and Damascus Post 171 are probably the class of the league,” Price said. ‘‘But this thing is fun. We’re going to have a good time this year, and we’re picking up guys that should be able to help us for the next three years.”