Viking baseball team ready for season opener Saturday hosting Lynnfield

The Winthrop High baseball team will get the 2010 season underway when Coach Jim Gillis’s squad hosts Lynnfield this Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

“We’re ready to go,” said Gillis. “We’ve played a number of scrimmages and we’re coming along pretty well. We’ve been hitting the ball and the pitching has been sharp, so we should be in decent shape for the season opener Saturday.”

Senior southpaw Rob Swanson, who pitched four scoreless innings in a scrimmage against Stoneham, has earned the nod from Gillis to be the starting pitcher for opening day on Saturday.

Will Milano and Anthony Hatzisavas will round out the regular starting rotation. Freshman Dan Feeley and junior Justin Rowe, who pitched well in a scrimmage with Brighton, also figure to see a lot of innings on the mound.

In the hitting department, Gillis said the entire squad has been coming around. “We’ve been trying to have the team be aggressive at the plate,” said the coach. “Finally being able to get outside and see some live pitching also has made a big difference.” Gillis noted that Brendan Ronan has wielded a hot bat, with Nick McCarthy also earning plaudits at the plate in the pre season.

After Saturday’s opener, the Vikings will return the favor and play at Lynnfield on Tuesday before opening their Northeastern Conference schedule next Thursday at Marblehead.