Weather or not, it's time for ball

A practiced Toll Gate ready for season opener

By Ryan Murray

Posted 4/3/18

By RYAN MURRAY The Toll Gate Titans baseball squad opens up the season against Bishop Hendricken Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Mickey Stevens Sports Complex. Toll Gate is managed by head coach Nick Durand and assistant coaches Adrian Phillips and Mike

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Weather or not, it's time for ball

A practiced Toll Gate ready for season opener

ALL WOUND UP: Ryan Carlson of Toll Gate High School winds up to fire a pitch during Saturday’s practice game against Pilgrim High School.

(Warwick Beacon photos)

Third baseman Christian Rapoza readies in the field. Toll Gate opens the season against Bishop Hendricken this afternoon.

(Warwick Beacon photos)(Warwick Beacon photos)

LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Toll Gate High School pitcher Matt Martinez, left, prepares to launch a pitch during the Titan’s practice session against Pilgrim High School on Saturday.

(Warwick Beacon photos)

Jake Langevin gets a lead on first base during Saturday’s practice game against Pilgrim High School. The game was played on Pilgrim’s diamond.

(Warwick Beacon photos)

ALL BASES COVERED: Toll Gate infielder Caden Haley readies in the field.

(Warwick Beacon photos)

Posted Thursday, April 5, 2018 1:50 pm

By Ryan Murray

The Toll Gate Titans baseball squad opens up the season against Bishop Hendricken Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Mickey Stevens Sports Complex.

Toll Gate is managed by head coach Nick Durand and assistant coaches Adrian Phillips and Mike Decesare.

Toll Gate’s starting pitching will feature three seniors; left-hander, Nick Cehelsky, and right-handers, Matt Martinez and Ryan Carlson, a knuckleballer. Behind them in the rotation will be junior southpaw Will Waggoner and sophomores Darek Lallo (Lefty), and Christian Rapoza (Righty).

“We have good senior pitching and a solid defense behind them,” Durand said. “We are looking to build on a successful year last year and make a deeper run in the playoffs. We need to have a bunch of quality at bats.”

Toll Gate finished last year’s regular season at 10-8 and went to the postseason where they won the first-round game before losing to Cranston East and Cranston West in the double-elimination tournament.

Cehelsky, the team’s ace, pitched in eight games last season, with a 0.63 ERA. The senior struck out 43 batters while giving up 27 hits and 18 walks. Cehelsky finished with five wins and one loss over 44.1 innings.

On the offensive end, Coach Durand expects Dylan Palmiotti to be his slugger, a senior, who will play first base.

Palmiotti owned a .362 batting average last season in 58 at-bats with 21 hits and 14 RBI.

The middle infield will have sophomore Amedeo Ucci at shortstop and senior Andrew Ekroth playing second base. Third base will be played by both Carlson and Rapoza and Ryan Conley will be used as a utility player.

The outfield looks to have three junior lefties with Waggoner in center, Collin Tainsh in left, and Jake Langevin in right, plus Lallo will also see time at each position.

Durand says it’ll be either junior Jake Paul or sophomore Jake Randall behind the plate. Both players look to be in the lineup daily.

The Titans have been putting in work in preparation for this coming season.

“A lot of guys worked hard in the off-season, something we have not seen at Toll Gate in a long time,” Durand said. “With solid senior pitching and a strong younger group, we hope to have a great season.”