Growth key for the Patriots

­­When Lea Selvey talked to his team the week before its first game, he relayed a story about the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
He told his players about manager Joe Maddon, who penciled in 128 different lineups in 162 games last season. And he told them that their year could be very similar.
“Lineup wise, we have no idea yet. Don’t be surprised if we have a bunch of different lineups,” said Selvey, whose Jay County High School baseball team graduated almost its entire starting lineup from last season. “The thing we have with this group is … we’re real young. …
“It really, honestly, could be a different lineup every day.”
Only three returning players had 20 or more at bats last season, and only one, junior Andre Duke, was a full-time starter.
Duke is the team’s returning leader in walks (12), RBIs (11) and runs (eight). He will be in his third season as the team’s catcher.
Chance Fuller, who started at third base in the Patriots’ season-opening win Saturday over Northeastern, picked up 13 hits last season and is the returning leader with a .245 batting average. And Ryan Miskinis, an infielder, had a .400 on-base percentage last season in 22 at bats.
“Duke is going to be steady,” said Selvey. “He’s going to hit the ball hard.
“Miskinis being left-handed and Fuller being left-handed is a huge plus. And (Andy) Haffner, who has really worked over the winter on his hitting, is left-handed.”
The rest of the lineup for the season opener included juniors Ty Huntsman and Devin Conatser, sophomores Alex Dunn and Landry Inman and freshmen Josh Selvey and Jason Houston. Anthony Skeens, Keenan James and Dusty Rogers all got in the game off the bench, and Selvey said he also expects contributions from juniors Jordan McBride and Dustin Selvey and freshmen Blake Boughman and Jon Lowe.
“We’re not going to be a team that has a lot of power,” said Selvey. “But we have some decent average hitters, I think, and we have some speed with this group.”
Jay County’s pitching staff is its area of greatest experience, although Eric Homan and Mike Masters, who combined for six of the team’s nine wins last season, were lost to graduation.
Ty Huntsman, who won the season opener, is the Patriots’ top returning hurler after striking out 17 batters in 28 1/3 innings a year ago.
Haffner is the only other returning pitcher who earned a victory last season, and Selvey said during the offseason he has focused on developing a sinker and slider.
Landry Inman added seven strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings a year ago.
“I thought this summer he came into his own,” said Selvey of Huntsman. “Of the games he pitched this summer, we were in every one. …
“This summer, we didn’t score a lot of runs, but he kept us in every game.”
“(Haffner) has worked really hard over the winter. We’ve changed his form a little bit. He’s more of a compact pitcher. He’s not throwing it as hard, but he’s throwing more strikes.
“(Inman) came within an eyelash of starting in the sectional last year. Landry is a great change-up pitcher. He has good control.
“He has a good curveball. He spots the ball well. He doesn’t throw hard, but he’s crafty. He controls things out there.”
Every year, Selvey talks about team goals of winning 20 games and a sectional title. And he hopes his team can improve after picking up just nine victories in 21 games last season.
At the same time though, he said he wants to make sure his young team’s focus is on constant improvement.
“We have to get better every day,” Selvey said. “This year’s group, I think you’re going to see them grow and grow and grow as the year goes on.
“There could be some rough spots, but there’ll be some bright spots too.”
“If we grow, and learn and have fun, that’s what we’re looking for out of them.”[[In-content Ad]]