April 1, 2022
After a division title and a playoff appearance in 2021, the Utica Blue Sox are looking for more in 2022.
The Blue Sox went 24-17 during the 2021 campaign that resulted in tying for the PGCBL’s Central Division title.
This year’s team in Utica will feature a few returners. One of the bigger returners is infielder Ryan Enos (SUNY Oswego) who hit .298 for Utica last year with a home run and 24 RBI. Another returner is two-way player Dewey Roden (Le Moyne), who hit .242 and had 11 RBI in 19 games as a first baseman, and also appeared in eight games as a pitcher, including five starts, to the tune of a 1.76 ERA across 30 2/3 innings and struck out 39 hitters.
As for new players, they will be bringing in three nationally top-ranked graduating high school seniors that are committed to the University of Kentucky: catcher Brandyn Durand, shortstop Carson Applegate and outfielder Lukas Schramm. This is the second straight year the Utica program will be bringing in players that play in Lexington. They will also add third baseman Daedrick Cail (Arkansas State), outfielder Tim McHugh (St. John’s) and a pair of Valparaiso teammates in outfielder Ryan Maka and catcher Kade Reinertson.
“Everything looks good. We’re excited, we do conference calls with my coaches every two weeks and we have a spreadsheet that we’re going over, lineups, get some talking points,” Delett said.
It is the goal of the Utica coaching staff to have a familiarity with the players before they arrive in Utica, including tracking their progress at their respective schools around the country, so they know each player’s game when they arrive for the summer.
“More so for the players so they get to know who we are and what we’re about as a program, obviously is helps us but we call these guys, my pitching guy [Chris Ayala] will call these guys and touch base with them before they come here,” Delett said. “Give the players an idea that we’re not just a summer ball team who’s just going to go out there and throw you out in the field, we’re truly concerned about them to help facilitate their progress. The players respond to that.”
Having these high-quality players and facilities is something that Utica and Delett are doing to not only help the team’s brand, but the league’s as a whole. Part of this is the Blue Sox Academy, which Delett and the program founded in October 2020 as the premier athletic training facility in Central New York, featuring multiple batting cages, a pitching lane and more. It offers experienced instructors, including Delett, for lessons. More renovations to the facility are to come as well.
“We want the league to grow as much as we want to grow,” Delett said. “We’re looking at it as if we can grow and we can be a competitive aspect of the league for the other teams, then the league looks better because there’s better competition and it’s going to attract other players to come in… we want to do whatever it takes.”