Canton Legion Enters 2012 Opener With Mound of Pitching

The Canton Post 24 American Legion baseball team enters its 2012 season opener with a mound of pitching.

Southpaw David Roberto will be "our ace," leading a pitching staff that also features righthanders Dan Friedman, Liam Murphy and Sam Larson and lefties Jim Fitzgerald and Jake Fishman, first-year head coach Greg Lyons says.

Roberto and Friedman, both 2011 Sharon High School graduates, are coming off college freshman seasons. Roberto pitched at Saint Louis University, where he was 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four games, and Friedman at Union College, where he was 0-2 with a 5.18 ERA in nine games.

Fishman, a junior, and Larson, a sophomore, were the aces of the Sharon and Canton high varsity baseball teams, respectively, this spring. Fishman was a Sharon tri-captain. And Fitzgerald is a junior at Canton, says Lyons, an assistant coach for the Bulldogs.

"Our pitching staff is our strength. It's our strong point," Lyons says.

Post 24's season opener is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 6 at Medfield High School. The home opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9 at Canton Memorial Field.

Lyons played for the Canton Legion from 2003 to 2006. The 2005 Canton High graduate takes over for Colin Clapton, who retired.

The roster includes Sharon and Canton residents who are current or recent high school players.

"It's a good mix. Definitely a good mix," Lyons says.

"I tried to pick up a few younger kids that maybe might not play as much as they might like, but it's an unbelievable learning experience."

At catcher, Lyons will start Bulldogs junior Steve Mullaney, backed up by Sharon High junior Colin Gray.

Mullaney "knows the game pretty well," Lyons says

"This is his second year playing varsity. Just over the course of this year, he's become night and day, between just calling the games, knowing what pitches to call, and also technique behind the plate," the coach says.

At first, Post 24 will see Fitzgerald, Roberto, Sharon High junior Nate Pedersen and Xaverian senior Brennan Sullivan of Canton. Outfield is Sullivan's first position, Lyons says.

Three Bulldogs will round out the infield: senior Chris Cammarata at second, junior Drew Blake at shortstop and juniors Justin Rudy and Kyle Delsignore at third.

Canton High sophomore Kevin O'Brien will be the utilityman.

The Post 24 outfield will include Sullivan, Friedman, Fishman, Sharon junior Brad Kaufman, Canton senior captain Matt Potts and Canton junior Ian Flavin. And Canton freshman Liam Murphy might play a little outfield, Lyons said. Sullivan and Murphy will pitch, with Sullivan coming out of the bullpen.

Offense "probably going to be the biggest struggle for us," Lyons says.

"We do have some power. It's just not going to be there all the time, not consistent enough for us to rely on. So, small ball's going to be the option, I would say, the majority of the time"