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FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1990
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T
here's a wide variety
of high school baseball
talent in the metro
Detroit Jewish "community"
of prep ballplayers this
spring, according to a random
survey of varsity coaches.
At Detroit Country Day,
senior pitcher Brian
Feldman, with 6 wins and one
loss and a 1.50 earned-run
average (ERA) as a junior,
opened this season with two
straight victories, including a
three-hitter against Warren
De La Salle.
"He's a real intelligent pit-
cher," says Yellowjacket coach
Frank Orlando. "He feels
very comfortable with his
fastball, then has two types of
curves, along with a split-
finger fastball. He uses them
all to his advantage" because
he knows what he wants to do
as the batters come up. "He
can set up different pitches;
he changes speeds real well."
Feldman pitched in many
key games last year and
threw a no-hitter in the Class
C district against Royal Oak
Shrine. He is being scouted by
several Mid-American Con-
ference colleges, including
Eastern Michigan University,
Miami of Ohio and Ohio
University.
Helping Feldman defensive-
ly are shortstop Eddie
Wolkind, a junior third-year
letterman, and senior first-
year starter Jason Hillman at
third base. Orlando calls
Hillman "a real refreshing
story."
"He's worked three years
for this goal. He's worked just
an unbelievable amount of
time trying to polish his
skills. After the prom last
year, he played the next mor-
ning at 10 a.m. To me, that's
dedication." Hillman, a
second-year letterman, has a
strong glove and "I think he's
going to be a really good hit-
ter this year," Orlando adds.
Wolkind, says Orlando, is
also "a case of hard work and
determination. Eddie doesn't
have great size. But he has a
very strong arm. Defensively,
he makes some real fine plays
at shortstop. He's a good left-
handed hitter."
Southfield-Lathrup's tal-
ented Scott Lyons is coming
back from a knee injury suf-
fered 1 1/2 years ago. Wearing
Scott Lyons:
Recovered from injury.
a knee brace, he posted a 2-4
record as a pitcher last year.
Now, says coach Bob Marten,
the senior is at or close to 100
percent physically, is running
well and wears only a light
wrap on his knee. Lyons open-
ed the Chargers' season with
four no-hit innings against
Southfield, then settled for a
three-hit, 7-1 victory, striking
out 14 batters while going
one-for-two at the plate
himself, including two runs
batted in (RBI).
Marten says Lyons is a
power pitcher and more. "He
can bring the ball in hard and
fast, but he's got a real nice
curve ball, also."
Lyons bats cleanup, but is
not a classic home run hitter.
"He's a line-drive hitter,"
Marten says. "He has some
power, if he gets hold of it. He
hits the ball real hard."
Lyons' teammates include
his cousin, junior Adam
Niskar, a second-year starter
at catcher. Niskar, a .300 hit-
ter last year, bats third. "He's
a good catcher," says Marten;
"he does a real good job. He
blocks the ball and throws it
real well."
Junior outfielder Joe Jonas,
in his first varsity season, is
a strong defensive player.
"He's got real good speed,"
says Marten. "He's got good
range; he can catch the ball."
Among Lathrup's junior
varsity standouts is junior
Craig Sukenic, who plays se-
cond and third base and will
see occasional varsity action
this season.
At Bloomfield Hills Cran-
brook, senior J.J. Modell, a
.300-plus hitter last season,
begins his second year as the
Cranes' starting first-
baseman.
West Bloomfield coach Jeff
Snarey calls junior third-
baseman Noah Bremen "a
student of baseball." Bremen
received more than a passing
grade last year, leading the
Lakers in hitting with a .349
average.
Bremen bats fourth
although, like Southfield-
Lathrup's Lyons, he is not a
prototypical cleanup hitter.
"He's a consistent hitter,"
says Snarey. "He moves the
ball." Defensively, Snarey
adds, Bremen is "the best.
Very good agility. Good hands
and a good, strong arm."
Laker leadoff man Josh
Cascade, a senior rightfielder,
also adds power to West
Bloomfield's lineup. Against
Novi on April 24, Cascade
socked the game-winning
home run and totalled six
RBI in the contest. Snarey
says Cascade has a "good eye,
makes good contact with the
ball. Defensively, an out-
standing arm."
Normally a centerfielder,
Cascade was put in right
because on the Lakers' home
diamond, that is the "sun"
field. "He's adapted very well
to learning how to play that,"
Snarey says.
Senior Rob Light, a right-
hander who was 3-4 with a
2.71 ERA last year, is one of
Snarey's aces. Snarey calls
him "a finesse pitcher. Has
good speed and he's got con-
trol and a good variety of pit-
ches. Very competitive." Light
also helps himself with the
bat, beginning the season
with seven straight hits.
Junior Randy Wertheimer
is starting in center field in
his first varsity campaign.
"He's adapted well," Snarey
says. "He has very good range
in center field. Good speed.
And he's swinging a very
good bat." Wertheimer crack-
ed his first varsity home run
in the victory over Novi.
Another West Bloomfield
varsity newcomer is
sophomore Ian Friedenberg,
who plays second base, short-
stop and third base. "Very up
and coming young man," says
Snarey. "Very good agility,
good hands, does a very good
job defensively." Friedenberg
is working to improve his
hitting.
Birmingham Groves in-
fielder Jonah Stutz started