As we prepare for our 2014 high school preseason coverage, we are going to take a quick glance at teams from across the state.

Team: New Middletown Springfield
Class: DIII
League: Inter Tri-County League Upper Tier
Head Coach: Matt Weymer
2013 Overall Record: 21-8
2013 Conference Record: 11-3
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 4

TOP PLAYERS

Ryan Kohler, CF, 2015, 5'10-155, R-R ... 2013 All-Tournament Team (State Championships)
Hunter Snyder, C, 2015, 5'9-150, R-R ... A great defensive catcher and leader.
Dalton Donachie, P/INF, 2015, 5-8, 140, R-R ... Returning number 1 starter for the staff.  8-1 last year with wins in the district final, regional semifinal, and a no decision in the state semifinal.
James Hillyer, P, 2014, 6-1 175, R-R ... Best returning relief pitcher. 85 MPH fastball with great command.
Jordan Peterson, P, 2015, 5'10 150, R-R ... Started the regional and state championship games last year as a sophomore.
Brandon Chamberlain, 3B/OF, 2015, 6-3 180, R-R

OUTLOOK:

New Middleton Springfield has been a dominant division IV team over the past few years. They are coming off of three straight district titles and had state runner-up finishes in 2011 and 2013, but this year they will be competing at the division III level. Expectations for this year’s team remain extremely high mainly because they are returning a core group of players that were huge contributors during their tournament run a year ago. That group includes junior CF Ryan Kohler, junior catcher Hunter Snyder, junior P/INF Dalton Donachie, senior pitcher James Hillyer, junior pitcher Jordan Peterson, and junior 3B/OF Brandon Chamberlain. The team will get a spark from the mound as they return the top three pitchers from a year ago. Dalton Donachie will be the staff’s top returner. Last year he posted an impressive 8-1 record including wins in the district final and regional semifinal. The number two will Jordan Peterson who made key starts in last year’s regional final and state championship game. First out of the bullpen will be senior James Hillyer who brings a mid-80s fastball accompanied with great control. Providing stability behind the plate for this veteran staff will be Hunter Snyder who is a solid defensive catcher and provides great leadership on the field. The spark offensively will be provided by Ryan Kohler. He was a member of the all-tournament team last year because of impressive play both offensively and defensively. Look for Brandon Chamberlain to make some noise in the lineup, as well. New Middleton Springfield will be a very dangerous team in 2014. They are favorites to be at the top of their conference and look for them to make another deep tournament run.   

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COACHES PRE-SEASON QUESTIONNAIRE

We appreciate the strong response so far from high school coaches across the state assisting with our pre-season coverage.  If you have not already done so you can fill out our coaches pre-season questionnaire online by clicking here.