STAC BASEBALL: OWEGO READY TO TAKE ON STEP-UP CHALLENGE (2024-03-24)
Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — The Owego baseball team is stepping up to the Class A level this season, but the River Hawks are ready to accept the challenge.
“Our goal for every season is to win our STAC division and a sectional championship,” coach Nick Wegmann said. “With us moving up to Class A this year we know that presents a new challenge, but the boys have been doing a great job preparing themselves for the season and are hungry to compete all spring.”
Also competing in Class A when the postseason rolls around will be Johnson City, Maine-Endwell, Norwich and Windsor.
The River Hawks opened the 2023 season with eight consecutive victories on the way to a STAC Central championship and 13-5 overall record (8-1 division record). Three of their losses came against schools from larger classifications, including two to STAC champion Union-Endicott. Another setback was a 1-0 Section IV Class B semifinal loss to Lansing, which went on to finish as the state runner-up.
Owego returns eight players, including six starters. Most notable is senior catcher Ben Rollison, who led the state with 35 stolen bases.
Joining Rollison are returning starters Conlan Taylor (3B/P), Elijah Lewis: (IF/P), Evan English (1B/DH), Joseph Palladino (CF) and Talan Schumacher (2B), all juniors. Also back are seniors Kam Wicklund (OF/P) and Zach Beyer (OF/P).
The River Hawks bring up five players from a JV team which went 12-4 and also won the division. The junior squad dropped two games to larger classification opponents, including STAC champ Horseheads in the conference semis.
Looking to complement the returning line-up are juniors Matt Higgins (SS/P), Mason Grippen (3B/P), Parker Jenkins (1B) and Jack Buchsbaum (RF), and sophomore Connor Kotski (1B/P).
Owego graduated just four players, Drew Tavelli (SS/P), Lucas Harbol (1B/P), Jack Rollison (RF) and Peyton Farrell (LF/P), but all played key roles.
The River Hawks open the season March 26 at Susquehanna Valley.
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IN PHOTO: Owego’s Ben Rollison. ... TCSR STOCK PHOTO.
