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2022 New England High School Team Previews

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2022 Spring Team Preview: Amity

WOODBRIDGE, Ct. - “The potential is there. If we don’t do well blame the coaches.”

That is how Amity veteran mentor Sal Coppola assesses this year’s squad, which has a solid core of pitchers back from a team that finished 13-7 a year ago, winning the sub-bracket of the SEC before losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Right-hander Justin Zamkov along with southpaws Martin Zhang and Casey Sexton headline a pitching staff that Coppola is expecting good things from in his 28th season at the helm.

“Hopefully, Martin Zhang will anchor a somewhat experienced staff,” Coppola said of the Columbia commit. “Another co-captain and our best pitcher last year that is back is Justin Zamkov.”

The 58th-ranked 2022 RHP in New England also catches, a position of uncertainty this season for the Spartans. Sexton, a Nichols College recruit, brings more pitching depth with the team’s top hitter a year ago, McAllister Burke, another potential candidate on the mound.

Burke, the 29th-ranked senior shortstop in New England, hit .550 a year ago, “the  best in my time at the school,” according to Coppola. The Dartmouth signee is slated to play third base.

AJ Soldra will be another stick at the top of the lineup for Amity.

“He has taken on such a leadership role,” Coppola said of the New Jersey Tech commit, a junior center fielder who will head to prep school prior to college.

Senior Paul Canalori and Nick Clark, the 21st-ranked junior shortstop in New England, are newcomers to the infield with Brian Kiska Jr, the 17th-rated 2023 outfielder in the area, ready to help at first base and in the outfield for a team that lost to graduation first baseman Sebastian Holt, now at Maine, Julian Stevens, a nationally-ranked outfielder currently at Missouri, and pitcher Jack Ranani.

“We have good team speed, depth and pitching,” Coppola noted. “We have a few other guys that might be able to help us out on the mound in addition to our top three or four. We don’t have any superstars on the team, but this group meshes well.

“Defense is my biggest concern,” Coppola added. “If you say name your infield including the catcher I’m not sure who I would say. It’s really inexperienced defensively. We lost a three-year starter at catcher so we’ll have someone new there. Zamkov can catch, but is also a pitcher so we may end up with a 10th-grader catching.”

Coppola, who a year ago picked up his 500th career victory and in October was inducted into the Amity Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame, is confident about another nice season ahead.

“We have the potential to be good,” admitted Coppola, who has led the Spartans to six state titles - 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. “We’re hoping to make a nice run but we have a lot of work to do.”

 

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