Sports Editor
FORT FAIRFIELD — The Fort Fairfield baseball team, led by seventh-year coach John Ala, may be on the young side this season, but that should not rule the Tigers out from being competitive. “We are a very young team this year, but I’ve been impressed with the attitudes and efforts thus far.” coach Ala said. “Overall, we have a lot of potential and I’ve seen improvements in many areas already.”
The 2010 Tigers include seniors Josh Churchill, Jeremy Dillon, Dustin Tarbox and Brian Bixler; junior Austin Bixler; sophomores Landon Towle, Zack Argraves, Billy Weismann and Carl Smith; and freshmen Austin Bernier, Tyler Churchill, Nate Guimond, Andrew Tuck, Brandon Clark and River Bourgoine.
With Churchill, the Tigers have a talented all-around athlete who will be called upon to provide verteran leadership. Churchill batted .375 as a junior and will once again pitch and play shortstop.
“Josh’s leadership and performance will be crucial to our success,” Ala said. “We will rely on him to be a high on-base guy, as well as pitching a large amount of innings and playing shortstop.”
The other seniors will also need to step up, the coach said. Brian Bixler, the team’s starting third baseman, sported an impressive .380 batting average a season ago. Dillon, a right fielder, brings a solid work ethic and is a team leader. Tarbox, a center fielder, is in his first-year with the Tigers.
“Brian hit extremely well last year and will move to our clean-up spot this season,” Ala said. “He’s solid defensively at third and will make his debut on the mound this season.”
Austin Bixler, a natural leader, is the team’s returning starting catcher and will also see some time on the pitcher’s mound.
“Austin is very strong behind the plate and we will need him to keep runners stationary on the bases,” the coach said. “He is also a guy we need to have a hot bat.”
Towle, a first-year player who will pitch and compete for a spot in the outfield, brings added depth to the pitching staff. Argraves, a returning second baseman/pitcher, brings is one of the hardest working athletes on the team, the coach said.
“Our current challenge is to define everyone’s role on this team to determine what our best lineup is going to look like,” Ala said. “There is a lot of competition going on for many of our starting spots. This is a great situation because guys are working hard and pushing each other to get better every day, which is our goal.”
Preparing for the new season has been much easier for the Tigers this year, according to the coach.
“We’ve been able to get outside almost a full month ahead of schedule, which has been great,” he said. “It’s allowed us to work on different aspects of the game that just can’t be simulated in the gym. I’m proud that we have a great group of young men. I couldn’t ask for a more positive and hardworking group, they are committed to making each other better each day.”
Fort Fairfield opens its season 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 26 at Katahdin.
