By MICHAEL PARENTE
Sports Writer

The usual suspects figure to make waves again in Division I baseball this spring. Bishop Hendricken, North Kingstown, Portsmouth and Cranston West have the pitching depth to withstand a grueling schedule that features three games a week.

The rest of the schools, including Saint Raphael Academy, will battle in an old-fashioned arms’ race to see who can challenge the top guns at the end of the season.

“Three games a week every week is tough,” Saints head coach Tom Sorrentine said. “Pitching is going to be a big factor. I see that as the main obstacle we have to face first.”

The good news for the Saints is they still have senior ace Doug Hopper, who will be expected to go the distance on a regular basis and preserve the team’s relievers.

“We’re looking for him to give us seven innings every time out,” Sorrentine said. “He’s been working out all winter, and should be one of the better pitchers in the state.”

Senior Angelo Santos and sophomore Mike Dolan will round out the rotation with junior Nick Gaj, junior left-hander Drew Given and senior right-hander Brandon Sherratt auditioning for roles in the bullpen. With three games a week, the Saints need as much depth as possible to avoid overuse and fatigue.

“The bigger schools have more people, and it favors them a little bit,” Sorrentine said. “We don’t have as many guys, so we have to work on our program.

“The way I see it, you need three starters and you need a good guy to come in and shut people down. You need a reliever. You’re going to get as many innings as you can out of your starters, and then find someone to close it out.”

The Saints are still trying to sort it all out, but the weather has been uncooperative. Monday’s opener against Woonsocket was rained out, and the team has had limited practice time outdoors since the end of the hockey season.

“We haven’t even gotten on the field yet,” Sorrentine said. “We’re bringing our pitchers along slowly.”

As the staff ace, Hopper brings the most experience to the table and will be counted on to pick up the slack now that John Thurber and Chris Hall – two starters from last season – have graduated. The Saints have a thin roster with only 20 players.

“Hopper should give us seven. The other guys, I don’t know yet,” Sorrentine said. “It’s so early. We’re not locked in yet. Hopper pitched a lot last year, but the other guys didn’t.

“John Thurber pitched a lot last year, and so did Chris Hall. We had a good senior group last year. This year’s pitching staff has to get it going.”

Saint Raphael’s pitchers will benefit from a strong defense, anchored by an infield that features John Kashmanian at first base, Gaj at second, Brandon DeCesare at shortstop, Ray Johnston at third and senior John Robbins behind the plate. Robbins’ experience should also play a factor in the maturation of the pitching staff.

“Defensively, we’re pretty good,” Sorrentine said. “The important thing is we got our catcher back.”

Although the roster is small, the Saints are built with versatile players. Given will play first base on days he doesn’t pitch while Johnston can move from third base to centerfield when Hopper starts. Kashmanian will start at first base, but has experience playing the outfield from 2007. Dolan can also chip in at third.

Ultimately, the Saints’ chances of making the playoffs will hinge on the success of their pitching staff. Hopper needs help from his teammates in the rotation, and the bullpen needs to be solid on days when the starters can’t go seven innings.
“It’ll come down to pitching,” Sorrentine said. “The other schools have a lot of pitching. That’s where they’ve got the edge on us a little bit, but we’ve got to bring our guys along. I think we can be OK.”

Saint Raphael’s main adversaries are Cumberland and La Salle, who are among the favorites in D-I North. Lincoln, which won the regular season division title last year with an 11-7 record, is rebuilding after losing most of its starters, potentially paving the way for a new champion. Woonsocket could also move closer to the top after finishing 9-9 last year, along with North Providence and Smithfield, which is now in its second season at the D-I level.

Over in the West, Cranston West remains a heavy favorite to win its third consecutive state title while South Kingstown and North Kingstown should be neck-and-neck in the South after winning 13 and 14 games, respectively, last season. The East is wide open with Portsmouth – 18-0 during the regular season last year – emerging as the early favorite, but Barrington, Middletown, East Providence, Moses Brown, Tiverton and Rogers are gunning for the No. 1 spot.

The Saints, much like everyone else, will rely on their pitching, but will also need to improve offensively to compete with the elite schools in D-I. The demanding schedule for all teams could play a role in determining who rises to the top at the end of the season.

“We haven’t hit the ball so far this year,” Sorrentine said. “Pitching-wise, we’ve been getting some decent efforts. I haven’t really been happy with the hitting, but it’s early – it’s cold. I think we’ll be OK.”