Monessen baseball team hopes bump in numbers translates to success

By: Mike Kovak
Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 4:27 PM

Kody Kuhns and Jack Sacco are the only two seniors on the Monessen baseball team.

They also double as the team’s most fervent recruiters.

Kuhns and Sacco began working the hallways, lunch room, basketball locker room, basically anywhere the duo thought they might land potential players.

“We wanted to get more kids on the team, so we were recruiting all basketball season,” said Kuhns, who committed to play basketball at Division III Carlow. “We said, ‘Come play baseball. You’ll like it. You’ll have fun.’ ”

The efforts paid off.

Coming off a 1-13 season with a 1-9 mark in Section 2-A, Monessen got a bug bump in numbers. The Greyhounds hope it leads to an increase in the win total and, maybe, even a spot in the WPIAL playoffs if things come together quickly.

“We have 22 kids. That’s more than the football team,” longtime coach Bill Matush said. “Now a lot of them haven’t played before, but I decided not to cut anybody. It’s kind of a pleasant surprise. A couple of the kids who never played before might end up contributing.”

There’s no doubt Kuhns and Sacco will contribute.

Sacco pitched a whopping 47% of Monessen’s innings last season. When he’s not on the mound, he has been the Greyhounds’ best bat and a steady defensive presence in the infield. Sacco batted .455 last season with a 1.102 OPS, 12 RBIs, 12 walks and only two strikeouts in 47 plate appearances.

Kuhns missed the last couple weeks of last season with a knee injury, but he complemented Sacco on the mound and at the plate, finishing with a .296 average, five RBIs and a pair of triples.

“We’re really counting on them for leadership being the only two seniors,” Matush said. “The one thing I want to see is us being better than we started. I want to see improvement from everybody, and if we’re better in May than we are in March, I’ll consider that a good year.”

Matush said Sacco and Kuhns will get some pitching help this season. Junior shortstop Dante DeFelices, Josh Walters, Josh Arnold and Eli Covington will get opportunities.

Covington, who plays third base, and freshman catcher/shortstop R.J. DiEugenio will make Monessen better defensively in the infield. Benny Spiker will man second base, and the outfield starters will come from a group that includes JeSean Blackman, Matt Sawa, Lorenzo Gardner, Arnold and Gio DeStefano.

“We have a lot of guys out for the team who play multiple sports,” said Sacco, a three-sport athlete who will attend Washington & Jefferson in the fall. “We have more guys from teams that made the playoffs, and I think that’s a good thing. … I think we’ll see a lot of growth. I view our youth as an asset.”

Monessen opens its season against Southmoreland on Friday at home. Section play begins April 4 at Jefferson-Morgan.

“It’s a tough section,” Matush said. “But I don’t see anyone being completely dominant.”

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