If the Newbury Black Knights baseball team had to add a color to its black and orange uniforms this season, it would be green.
Green as in inexperience, as the 13-man program has nine players who haven’t played since little league, and some haven’t played at all.
“But I give them credit for coming out,” said Tom Pokorny, the team’s skipper, in his fifth season. “Because if they hadn’t, we wouldn’t have had a team.”
That possibility was real at Newbury, where the school couldn’t field enough players for a girls softball team for a second straight season.
When programs go away, they are hard to bring back, Pokorny said.
The good news is Pokorny and assistant coach Tom Mental, a Newbury graduate, have blank slates to teach.
“He’s great with fundamentals,” Pokorny said of Mental.
Pokorny and Mental were high school rivals as members of the class of 1970 and battled each other for the Geauga County scoring title in basketball.
Mental edged out Pokorny, a Berkshire graduate, 24.6 points to 24.2 per game, Pokorny said.
Mental was all-Ohio in football, basketball and baseball, and played football and baseball at Baldwin Wallace College. He’s a member of Newbury’s athletic hall of fame.
Last week both were at the high school gymnasium coaching their group of newbs. Pokorny threw batting practice inside the cage while Mental working on fly balls and cut-off throws in the parking lot.
Baseball teams have a difficult time practicing this time of the year, when the snow still covers the usable grass.
Sam Barnhart is one of four returning letter-winners who will probably play second base.
“There will be a lot of work that’s needed this season,” Barnhart said. “A lot of new faces. We have to get used to it, and be able to play with each other well.”
Jarred Dassatti is a returning starter. Although just a sophomore, he is one of the team’s most experienced and best players.
“I think we’re going to do pretty good this year,” said Dassatti, whose brother Darrin graduated from the team last year.
Jarred said the experience he got last year has prepared him for a larger role this season.
“I started as a freshman, so I shouldn’t be too nervous,” he said.
Jacob Brent and Billie Ridenour both return as letter-winners.
Brent, a junior captain, said there have been some rough practices early in the year.
“We have had some that haven’t been so well,” he said. “But we’ve been getting better. We’ve been building our skills and our strength. We are looking for a good season.”
Brent will need to pitch and fill in where needed, likely in the outfield. He said he was ready to play any position.
“It’s different from last year,” Brent said. “Coming from being the little kid to being the older responsible one is definitely an experience people should have — just as a part of growing up.
“It’s definitely fun and something new.”
Ridenour was the team’s designated hitter often last year. He thought the first week of practice had been good, and looks for continuous improvement as the Black Knights get set for their season in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division, the last time a Newbury team will compete in the CVC.
“I try my hardest,” he said. “I screw up sometimes, but I just try to get better.”
The senior appreciates the experience Pokorny and Mental bring as coaches, he added.
“We have a few really good players and some players that could be really good,” said Ridenour, who expects to pitch and play third base. “I’m just looking for good things, and even when I graduate I’m still going to be involved.”
Pitching will be a challenge as the team tries to eat innings. Because of the lack of pitching experience and smaller numbers, Pokorny has decided not to schedule any Saturday double-headers.
Brent, Dassatti and freshman Billy Svec will pitch. Ridenour and Jordan Cicchella should also help out on the mound, Pokorny said. Cicchella is expected to do the catching as well.
Nick Urzeni, a junior, will be somewhere in the lineup. And Nate Pradonovich, the team’s varsity fullback, has come out for the team after not playing since little league. Pokorny expects him to play somewhere on the infield.
Pokorny thinks the team’s strength will be hitting, so defense has been the focus of the early practices.