In this edition we will take a closer look at the Bishop Manogue Miners.  Under the guidance of Charles Oppio the Miners are coming off a successful 2018 campaign.  They captured the Northern Region Championship, cruising to a 4-1 record in the regional playoff and earning a bid to the state playoffs. The Miners ran up against a "buzz" saw in the state championship tournament, losing to eventual state champion, Palo Verde and runner up, Basic Academy of Henderson.  A gallant effort there are no moral victories for the Miners and they are anxious to avenge their early exit in the state tournament.

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Team: Bishop Manogue 

Nickname: Miners

NIAA Classification: 4A

League: Northern 4A Region

Head Coach: Charles Oppio

Team Twitter Handle:

2018 Overall Record: 25-12 (17-5)

2018 League Finish: 2^nd in Division/Regional Champions

2018 1^st place Finish in League: Reno

2018 Postseason Finish: 4-3 (4^th in State)

Number of Returning Starters: 6

Number of Returning Pitchers: 10

Top Returning Players: ’19 C/UT Calvin Bailey; ’19 CF Paul Vossen; ’19 RHP/SS Josh Rolling; “20 LHP/1B/OF Rylan Charles; MIF/P Jack Weise

College Commits: ’19 CF Paul Vossen-Utah, ’19 SS/RHP Josh Rolling- UNLV

Top 2019 Players: SS/RHP Josh Rolling; CF Paul Vossen; C/UT Calvin Bailey; RHP TJ Czyz; RHP/3B Jack Masterson;  LHP Noah Columbo

Top 2020 Players: LHP/1B Rylan Charles; MIF Jack Wiese, RHP/3B Dom Williams; LHP Jordan Wilson; C Brandon Leary; P/1B Nick Martin

Other Players to Watch: P/3B Seth McGrath; P/3B Drew Scolari; RHP Ethan Enriquez;  RHP/C Cody Glenn; P/INF Luke Metzker; RHP/SS Logan Pruzki

2019 Outlook:  The Bishop Manogue Miners return six starters and a wealth of playoff experience.  The have an extremely balanced offensive attack and talent all over the field. Likely leadoff hitter, senior, Paul Vossen maintains dynamic, game changing speed. Virtually unstoppable this Fall, Vossen can give opposing pitchers and defenses a lot to think about. Vossen is looking to rebound from a pedestrian 2018 after an outstanding sophomore season, and if the fall season is any indication, he will do just that. Senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher, Josh Rolling is a fluid fielder with power potential in a projectable frame.  A UNLV commit, Rolling could see some interest from MLB teams come June.  When Rolling takes the mound, his arsenal will likely include a mid 80s fastball, curveball and changeup. He is a good athlete and will throw consistent strikes.  With the lack of proven pitchers, Coach Oppio and his staff will be relying heavily on his right arm. Perhaps the Miners most consistent offender from a year ago, is senior Calvin Bailey.  Bailey could see action at a variety of positions. He is a capable outfielder and infielder, but could see some time behind the plate as well.  The left-handed hitter has the ability to use all fields with a line drive approach. TJ Czyz returned to the Miners after playing last season with state champion, Palo Verde.  Czyz is a low to mid 80s pitchability right-handed pitcher with a solid feel for his breaking ball that he can throw out of multiple arm slots.  This is a nice pickup for Coach Oppio and a pitching staff with some unproven performers. Senior catcher, Anthony Lynch could lend some power to the lineup as well.  Lynch is a physical backstop with durability for the position and if he can get to his strength in game might enhance the Miners run production. Likewise for senior outfielder, Garrett Hires.  Hires is a strong physical hitter that could offer some additional run production.

Juniors, Rylan Charles and Jack Weise figure to be staples in the Miners’ lineup. Charles is an accomplished hitter with sneaky power and the ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base.  He is recovering from an off-season knee injury which could slow his start and may likely impact his mound time. Weise is a reliable infielder who will likely play second base unless Rolling pitches and then he will move to short.  Weise has enough arm strength to play on the left side of the diamond as well as a projectable body and solid range. Expect him to hit for average in 2019 with developing power moving in to the future. He is the popular heir to shortstop for 2020.

Some concern exists for the Miners pitching staff, but they have plenty of options. Keep an eye on the likes of upperclassmen, Noah Columbo, Jack Masterson, Dom Williams, Jordan Wilson and Nick Martin.  In addition, underclassmen, Seth McGrath, Ethan Enriquez, Drew Scolari, Cody Glenn, Luke Metzker, and Logan Pruzki are capable of providing depth.  Coach Oppio and his staff always do a fine job of finding players to fill roles and perform at a high level, no reason to believe 2019 will be any different. When the sun sets expect the Miners of Manogue to be in the hunt for another championship and state tournament bid.