By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – The Bristol Eastern softball team has a new coach in 2022 and Tyler Catlin is no stranger to the softball wars of the Central Connecticut Conference.
The former coach over at Rocky Hill should fit in well as the new lead man for the program at BEHS.
He replaces Scott Redman (106 wins) as the mentor of the Lancers’ program and the new coach is looking for big things out of his crew.
Catlin brings back about a half dozen seniors from a stacked 14-win team in 2021 and the Lancers have plenty of on-field leadership he can count on.
Here’s a look at Eastern this season:
BRISTOL EASTERN SOFTBALL
Head coach: Tyler Catlin (First season as head coach at Eastern. Catlin went 59-48 over his stint at Rocky Hill).
2021 season: Eastern went 14-7 overall. The No. 15 ranked team in the Class L field went to the second round – falling to eventual Class L runner-up St. Joseph in a 7-0 final back on June 2.
Losses: Riley Giblin (1B), Jasmine Perez (OF, CCC South All-Conference), Jennifer Black.
Returning Players/Roster: Ali Tellier (sr, P, CCC South All-Conference), Grace D’Amato (sr, 3B), Janessa Gonzalez (sr, C, CCC South All-Conference), Samantha Policki (sr, 2b), Alex Shorette (sr, OF), Sarah Snedeker (sr), Jazmyn Browne (jr, SS), Ashley Serafin (jr), Emily Valentine (fr, INF), Gracie Browne (fr, INF/OF).
2022 Season Outlook: Between returning veterans and promising newcomers, first year Eastern coach Tyler Catlin isn’t exactly starting from scratch this year.
“We return six seniors, led by Ali Tellier,” said Catlin.
And Tellier is the real deal in the circle, throwing 121 innings in 2021 – winning 13 games along the way.
The CCC South All Conference performer struck out 139 batters and carried an impressive 4.20 ERA.
On the flip side, she batted a tough .400 from the dish and was second on the team in hits (28) and runs (29).
But she doesn’t come alone as catcher Janessa Gonzalez was a stabilizing hand behind the plate last year.
“Gonzalez will also be a big contributor for us this season,” said Catlin.
Gonzalez, perhaps the most improved player on the squad from one year ago, batted .377 and blasted out seven doubles.
She also belted four home runs and collected 26 RBI.
Centerfielder Alex Shorette is a jack-of-all-trades athlete who batted .344, added 15 RBI, and smashed out her first career home run against South Windsor last season.
And the senior parade continues with infielder Samantha Policki.
She had a fantastic junior campaign, batting .327 from plate with a home run and 14 RBI.
Grace D’Amato is finally healthy, and the utility player can be slotted at multiple positions around the field.
In a very good sample space from 2021, she tallied 10 hits in just 23 at-bats.
“[Grace is] working hard to get herself back on the field full-time for her final high school season,” said Catlin.
Outfielder Sarah Snedeker will be looking to earn more playing time this season as the senior unit is poised for a very good year.
Junior shortstop Jazmyn Browne (.414 on base percentage) and first baseman Ashley Serafin (.300 batting average) will fit in seamlessly in the infield.
“Both return from productive sophomore years and are also looking to expand on their roles in helping the Lancers make a deeper run this season,” said Catlin of the Brown/Serafin combination.
And two freshmen are in the lineup as well.
Gracie Browne, Jazmyn’s younger sister, can play multiple positions while infielder Emily Valentine “have already shown tremendous promise in being able to help Eastern right out the gate,” said Catlin.
There’s plenty of talent around the diamond and with that experienced battery, Eastern is in very good shape this year.
“Up the middle, we look very strong at catcher, pitcher, middle infielders, and centerfield,” said Catlin of his veteran core. “Sprinkle in some players in corner spots looking to expand their role from last season and we have a real recipe for success.”
The challenge for Catlin is to see what happens to squad when the pressure is at its highest.
Can the Lancers deal with the stress from big games against the likes of Southington and, of course, Bristol Central?
“When we face some challenging moments, who will step up and lead us?,” asked Catlin. “Who’s going to start a rally when things are looking gloomy, keep the troops up in the game, or stay in the moment of the game no matter what the situation is? If we can do those kinds of things collectively as a group, recognize each game is the most important game of the season, there’s no question we can follow Tellier’s talented right arm through a strong and successful regular season and bring that momentum into the postseason.”
It won’t be easy but by the completion if the regular season, a CCC South title could be a real possibility for the Kingstreeters.
The Schedule
Eastern’s successful previous seasons sees the squad square off against a boatload of the elite squads from the CCC.
On Friday April 15, Eastern battles non-conference challenger Pomperaug at 4:15 p.m. in what should be a very good early season test.
The following week, the Lancers tangle with Glastonbury, Wethersfield, and Conard – proving that Eastern’s schedule is just as loaded as every other local CCC program.
“I know early there isn’t an easy out in our lineup one-through-nine,” said Catlin. “But no teams on our tough schedule (Berlin, Windsor, and Hall are Eastern’s first three games) are going to care about our line up being talented. Each game is going to be a street fight in the figurative sense.”
“We’re going to have to claw for every inch if we want to be the best.”
Eastern battles Bristol Central on May 6 and May 20 in which should be two classic confrontations.
Eastern drops season opener
The Lancers battled Berlin to open the 2022 campaign this past Saturday, dropping a hard-fought 3-2 decision from Sage Park.
Tellier pitched extremely well in the circle but drew a tough loss.
D’Amato led the offense with two hits and an RBI while newcomer Emily Valentine notched a double and scored a run over the losing endeavor.
