Sports
Phillies minor leaguers relied plenty on their fathers, are being counted on now
Carson DeMartini’s most painful experience with failure came in 2022 in the Cape Cod League following his freshman season at Virginia Tech. He batted .248 and struck out 45 times in 36 games. “The biggest part of baseball is learning how to deal with failure,” DeMartini said. Two years before he became the Phillies’ fourth-round […]
Carson DeMartini’s most painful experience with failure came in 2022 in the Cape Cod League following his freshman season at Virginia Tech.
He batted .248 and struck out 45 times in 36 games.
“The biggest part of baseball is learning how to deal with failure,” DeMartini said.
Two years before he became the Phillies’ fourth-round draft pick, DeMartini turned to the one voice who would get him through the darkness.
“I called my dad every night saying I wanted to go home, that this sucks,” DeMartini recalled. “He worked me through that, reminded me to not look at outcomes and just focus on the process every day.”
DeMartini survived, had two successful seasons at Virginia Tech and has reached Double-A Reading in his first full season in pro ball. He did so with thanks, hard work and well-timed advice from his father.
Many current and former Phillies minor league players and manager relied heavily on their dads. Some now are feeling the pain of being dads who are away from home more often than not.
First-year IronPigs relief pitcher Devin Sweet is one of them.
He and wife Lauryn have a 2-year-old daughter, Nova, and a 5-month-old son Micah. Sweet was in the Mariners’ organization when Nova was born. The three of them were together for much of the next year, so Sweet got to see many of the milestones, from teething, talking and crawling to walking.
Sweet is not as fortunate now with Micah.
“My daughter is getting older and starting to understand when I’m not around,” he said. “When I see her, she’s super excited. She runs to me in the airport. She says she misses me every time I leave. It’s getting tougher and tougher.
“With my son, not being able to see all the milestones, it’s a tough part of baseball life.”
When Sweet’s family comes to visit, he gladly welcomes the sleepless nights or early-morning wake-up calls because he relishes the family time.
Sweet and his wife have previous experience with long-distance relationships. They met as freshmen at North Carolina Central University. But Lauryn Sweet, a volleyball player, transferred to a college in Texas closer to her family.
The two worked through the logistics. They also had many discussions when they wanted to start a family.
The 28-year-old Sweet is in his eighth professional season after being signed by the Mariners as an undrafted free agent in 2018. The Phillies are his fourth organization, all in the last two years, so he and his family know there are no guarantees.
Sweet admits to feeling the pressure of providing for his family, particularly when things are not going well on the mound.
The right hander is 2-1 this season with a 5.25 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 20 games with the IronPigs.
“There is a little bit of extra stress,” Sweet said. “But in talking to my wife, she hears me out, provides that assurance that she’s got it, that [the family] will be taken care of no matter what.”
IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras relies on his wife, Carol, to handle all that comes with raising two pre-teens, a son Cole and daughter Addison. The three of them are in Myrtle Beach, S.C., this weekend for a baseball tournament. The family will come to the Lehigh Valley next week.
Moments such as this weekend are tough on Contreras.
“If I could change it,” he said, “I would have them with me all the time. I love what I do. This is my passion, to coach.
“I want to get to the point where they’re with me on the journey. That’s my goal.”
For now, Contreras leaves his coaching hat in the clubhouse when he does see his kids play. But it’s hard because of the knowledge he has for the game as a former minor league player now in his fourth season as the IronPigs manager.
“I can turn off the coach in me and become just dad until I hear the coaching,” he admitted. “That’s where the professional coach in me gets frustrated because I want my kids to learn how to play the game the right way. If I see coaching going the wrong way, that’s more stuff I have to talk about after the game.
“I try not to involve myself, just be dad. But the coaches do know what I do, so they’ll come and ask me my opinions on things. So, I’ve drawn up practice plans and other things such as defensive positioning. It’s cool when they see it actually work.”
Sweet said he would love to transition to the coaching side of the game to work with players on their routines, pitches, mindset, etc. But there is a caveat.
“If I could find a way to do it and be with my family full time,” he said, “I’d 100% would go for it.”
As Contreras and many others know, however, that often is not possible.
Current IronPigs Garrett Stubbs and Parkland graduate Gabe Mosser are asking teammates about the balance and challenges of fatherhood and baseball. Both will become first-time fathers later this summer.
Here are comments from some of them as fathers and sons:
IronPigs infielder Buddy Kennedy, whose grandfather Don Money spent four seasons with the Phillies:
“My dad, what he put into me is that you want to be the best, the best player on the field no matter what. If you do that, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. My grandfather, very simple things but translates to me because I had a professional edge to me than most kids have because of his background. Every day I talk to them.”
Former Phillie/IronPig Darin Ruf:
“Last year was the first Father’s Day that I didn’t have to do anything to do at a ballpark, so we went to the pool and won a cardboard boat race. After [Thursday’s Baseballtown hall of fame induction ceremony in Reading], I can’t wait to get back to watching my son play baseball. I’m have so much fun watching him play.”
Former IronPigs manager and current Phillies third-base coach Dusty Wathan:
“Having my dad [John, a former MLB player and manager] here [Thursday in Reading] with Father’s Day being Sunday is pretty cool. I grew up at the ballpark, had a lot of father-son games. Becoming a father, having three of my four kids here and with my wife being a teacher, my family was always at the ballpark. We were always doing something after a game, dinner or standing out here and throwing another 150 pitches to the kids who then jumped in the pool.”
Former Phillies pitching prospect Trevor May:
“This is my first [Father’s Day], so a bunch of us are going bowling first-time fathers. We have kids a few months apart. We’re going to try to get to a baseball game out in Seattle soon.”
IronPigs first baseman Keaton Anthony:
“As I got older, there was a lot more understanding from both of us. [My dad, Mike] understood the player I was becoming. I understood all the things he was trying to teach me growing up. It was hard for him to coach me when I was 10, 11. Way different game than when I was 16, 17. He was hard on me when I was younger, but he built me into the player I’ve become. In college and now in the pros, he’s super understanding if I have a bad at-bat or game. Our relationship has grown every day. It’s never negative.”
Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
Originally Published:
Sports
Battalion Chief’s Son Helps Stop Burbank Water Polo
The Burbank High boys’ water polo team had its ups and down Thursday night when it faced visiting Camarillo High in a nonleague match at Burroughs. But if there was one weakness, the son of one of Burbank’s own was to blame. Reynold Owings scored a match-high nine times as the visiting Scorpions defeated the […]
The Burbank High boys’ water polo team had its ups and down Thursday night when it faced visiting Camarillo High in a nonleague match at Burroughs.
But if there was one weakness, the son of one of Burbank’s own was to blame.
Reynold Owings scored a match-high nine times as the visiting Scorpions defeated the Bulldogs 20-17 in a nonleague match.
Owings is the son of Burbank Battalion Fire Chief John Owings.
“The team played well. They came through from the second to fourth quarter. It was a high-scoring game, but we kept them off,” the younger Owings said of his team.
Burbank (1-2) got off to a slow start, but fought hard in the second half and nearly overcame a six-goal halftime deficit.
“We were in zone in the first half and we got scored on 13 times so at halftime we regrouped and adjusted,” Burbank coach David Arakelyan said. “We started playing more of a press. Our center defender did a really good job of fronting in the second half. We were able to get a few more steals and get some momentum going.”
Owings scored the first goal of the match less than a minute after the start and five of his team’s seven goals in the first quarter.
Jack Babelyan tied things at one with a left-handed shot into the right corner.
Avvo Ilangesyan also had a first-quarter goal and Daniel Gemdzhyan had a pair of back door goals late in the period to help keep the Bulldogs within striking distance.
Camarillo (1-0) scored twice more to start the second quarter, before Ilganesyan scored at the 5:44.01 mark to cut the lead to 9-5.
Babelyan and Michael Bakrgyan also had second-quarter goals for Burbank.
The Bulldogs began the second half on a 4-0 run as Ilangesyan scored twice and both Jack and Daniel Babelyan each had goal.
Owings scored at the 4:14.62 mark of the period to end the Bulldogs’ run.
Anthony Gemdzhyan also scored in the period for Burbank.
Trailing 15-12 going into the fourth period, Burbank hung tough but could only close the gap to within two goals.
That came when Illangesyan, who had a team-high six goals, scored on a 5-meter penalty shot with 40.77 seconds left.
Sports
Owls Drop Match to Hurricanes
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic women’s soccer team fell to Miami on Thursday evening by a score of 4-0. Five minutes into the first half, senior Morgan McDonald attempted the first shot on goal of the match. The shot from McDonald marks her first shot on goal of the season. The first […]
Five minutes into the first half, senior Morgan McDonald attempted the first shot on goal of the match. The shot from McDonald marks her first shot on goal of the season. The first 30 minutes remained scoreless until the Hurricanes scored a goal with 30:08 on the clock to take the lead. At the end of the first 45 minutes, the Owls (0-2-1) trailed 1-0.
The Hurricanes (2-1-0) scored their second goal of the match early in the second half to extend the lead to 2-0. The third goal of the night for Miami came with 62:57 on the board. At 68:09 on the clock in the second half, there was a goalkeeper change for the Owls as transfer Megan Hogate checked in for the first time in an FAU uniform.
Sophomore Ashley Small finished the night playing a total of 68 minutes, registering two saves on the night to improve her season total to 15 on the year thus far. Freshman Keira Pabalan recorded 44 minutes for her freshman debut.
UP NEXT
FAU will return down south to face the Panthers of FIU on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
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To stay up to date on all things Florida Atlantic women’s soccer, follow FAU on social media @FAUWSoccer.
Sports
Dos Pueblos Boys Water Polo Pulls Away for Win Over Arroyo Grande in Season Opener | Sports
A balanced offensive attack powered Dos Pueblos boys water polo to an 18-10 victory over Arroyo Grande in the season opener on Thursday at Elings Aquatic Center. The Chargers (1-0) had seven different players score goals, as every player got minutes on a roster that will feature impact players from all four grade levels this […]
A balanced offensive attack powered Dos Pueblos boys water polo to an 18-10 victory over Arroyo Grande in the season opener on Thursday at Elings Aquatic Center.
The Chargers (1-0) had seven different players score goals, as every player got minutes on a roster that will feature impact players from all four grade levels this season.
“Being able to rotate all the newer players through is really good for the team cohesiveness,” Dos Pueblos head coach Chris Parrish said. “What was great was when we had the juniors and the seniors sitting on the bench at the end of the game, they were cheering as loud as possible for the younger guys.
“We have a great blend on the team this year where we have a starting freshman goalie, we’ve got three other freshmen that are getting substantial minutes, we’ve got another three sophomores that are getting great minutes, and then we’ve got three juniors and three seniors.”
The Chargers wasted no time getting started, winning the opening sprint and immediately turning it into points as senior Eli Carnaghe found junior Lucas Neushul for the first goal of the season.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth play, Dos Pueblos tripled its lead with goals on back-to-back possessions.
On the first score, senior Aricin Marshall fed a wide-open junior Grant Nelson to make it 2-0. After a defensive stop, DP freshman goalie Koa Zertuche lobbed a pass ahead to fellow freshman Channing Wigo, who deposited the shot for his first high school goal.
“Koa has been great and he’s become a part of the team really quickly,” Parrish said of his goalie. “Channing is a wealth of talent. He’s really savvy in the water, and we know he’s going to bring a different aspect to our game.”
Arroyo Grande responded with a pair of goals of its own to cut the Charger lead to 3-2 with 2:43 left in the quarter. Dos Pueblos came back with another goal of its own as Marshall found Neushul in the middle for his second score of the day.
After the Eagles scored on a penalty shot, Marshall got into the scoring column off an assist from Carnaghe, scoring from the right side to bring the lead to 5-3.
Arroyo Grande came roaring back in the final minute of the opening quarter, scoring twice to even the game at 5-5 heading into the second.
The Chargers came out of the break on a mission, rattling off a 4-0 run in the opening three minutes of the second quarter to pull away for a 9-5 advantage.
Dos Pueblos’ offensive balance was on full display during the run as four different players scored. Neushul, Carnage, Wigo and Nelson all secured multi-goal performances with goals to begin the quarter, with assists coming from junior Adam Gelman and Neushul.
The majority of Dos Pueblos’ second-quarter goals came off strong defensive stops on the other end, allowing the offense to get out in transition.
“The important part is that these guys are playing a little bit of defense, because all of them want to go score goals, and quite frankly, a lot of the guys are really used to knowing that three quarters of the possessions another team has against them are going to end up in a steal or a bad shot,” Parrish said.
“They find themselves just kind of eager, waiting for that whistle to just get out in the transition… The problem is, we’ve got to make sure the ball doesn’t go in the goal before they decide to go into offense. That’s the next step.”
The Eagles got on the board with 3:53 left in the half, but the Chargers immediately regained control as Carnaghe beat a trio of defenders and Neushul scored on a pass from freshman Skyler Carroll to give both players a first-half hat trick.
“Eli Carnaghe is going to find some open space in the pool, especially where he ends up playing on the offensive end because Lucas, Channing, and Grant are going to occupy so much of the attention of another team’s defense, that he’s gonna be able to get their shots off,” Parrish said.
Neushul deposited one more goal before the half expired, while Arroyo Grande found the back of the cage as well to bring the DP lead to 12-7 at the half.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams exchanged three goals apiece throughout the period.
The Chargers’ three goals came courtesy of Wigo, Nelson and Neushul with assists from Nelson and sophomore Ty Abel. Wigo and Nelson’s goals came in transition, while Neushul’s gave his team a 15-10 lead with one quarter to play.
Dos Pueblos took full control in the fourth quarter, shutting out the Eagles on the defensive end and adding on three goals to bring the game to its final score of 18-10.
Nelson, sophomore Tyler Racine and Abel all scored in the final quarter to put the cherry on top of the season-opening victory. Racine was the seventh and final Charger to score in the win.
“What I really want to see is some balance, and I want to see everyone comfortable and confident being able to take that shot, because it’s not always going to be Grant [Nelson] and it’s not always going to be Lucas [Neushul],” Parrish said.
“There’s only 12 field players, so if seven or eight are scoring, it’s hard to guard us.”
Sports
Northeastern volleyball hopes for comeback
Northeastern women’s volleyball is set to kick off its season with the Holly Young Invitational Aug. 29 to 30 in Durham, N.H. The Huskies are slotted against Saint Peter’s University, Holy Cross University and the University of New Hampshire. During the offseason, the Huskies announced that Brendan McGourn would be the team’s new head coach, […]
Northeastern women’s volleyball is set to kick off its season with the Holly Young Invitational Aug. 29 to 30 in Durham, N.H. The Huskies are slotted against Saint Peter’s University, Holy Cross University and the University of New Hampshire.
During the offseason, the Huskies announced that Brendan McGourn would be the team’s new head coach, and Jaime Snyder was named associate head coach for this season. The changes came after a difficult season for the Huskies, finishing with a 10-16 overall and 8-10 in the CAA and a missed CAA tournament.
In addition to new coaches, the Huskies are starting fresh with a completely different roster. Northeastern acquired seven freshmen, one redshirt freshman and one graduate student after six players from last season’s team graduated. Last season’s leaders in kills, blocks and assists are now gone, leaving senior libero Nadia Koanui as the only category leader in digs and service aces.
Graduate student outside hitter Svenja Rodenbüsch and redshirt freshman outside hitter Valentina Meirelles are the Huskies’ only additions with previous experience on a college court. Meirelles appeared in five matches for the University of California San Diego before missing the rest of the season due to injury. However, she showed promise, tallying six kills in each of her first two games. Rodenbüsch won two national championships in Germany and was an NJCAA All-American in 2022 before ending her undergraduate career at Fairfield University. At Fairfield, Rodenbüsch averaged 1.78 kills and 1.27 digs per set, as well as 53 blocks last season. In the first round of the NCAA playoffs for the last two years, Rodenbüsch led her team in kills.
Koanui, incoming sophomore setter Gabby Reeves and incoming sophomore outside hitter Brynn Smith are going to be key parts of the team’s success, carrying on their legacy from last season. Koanui was first on the team in digs with 459, first in service aces with 23 and third in assists with 96. Reeves ranked fifth in digs, fourth in assists with 72 and third in service aces with 18. Smith was fourth on the team in kills and fifth on the team in aces, with 168 and 13, respectively.
The Huskies begin conference play Sept. 19 at Stony Brook University and have their first home game Sept. 26 against Towson University at Cabot Center.
Sports
About Town Redondo: Home invasion, arrests; ocean water polo, Post Office upgrade
About Town Redondo: Home invasion, arrests; ocean water polo, Post Office upgrade – Easy Reader & Peninsula Magazine Skip to content Police catch, arrest home invasion suspects Responding to a pre-6 a.m. disconnected 911 call about someone pointing a gun at another inside a car Aug. 17, Redondo […]
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Police catch, arrest home invasion suspects
Responding to a pre-6 a.m. disconnected 911 call about someone pointing a gun at another inside a car Aug. 17, Redondo Beach Police officers tracked the report to the 1900 block of Matthews Avenue.
Officers canvassed the area, learning that two residents had been victims of a home invasion, and the suspects fled on foot just before police arrived. Officers gave chase and took the two men into custody without incident.
Jesus Velez, 31, from Rochester, New York and Draven Luna, 21, Queens, New York, were arrested and charged with robbery, burglary and kidnapping. Bail for each was set at $100,000.
RBPD detectives now prepare to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The two victims were treated at the scene by the Redondo Beach Fire Department and taken to a hospital, listed in stable condition. Their identities were withheld as the RBPD investigates the specific circumstances and motives of the incident.
Detectives believe there are no outstanding suspects, and no further threat to the community.
Anyone with information regarding the alleged crime is asked to contact RBPD Detective Coates at (310) 379-2477, ext. 3506.
King Harbor ocean water polo tournament coming; boat parade route expands
Ocean water polo in King Harbor will debut Sept. 20. A tournament with up to 10 teams, including at least two women’s, is set for a demonstration which may become an annual event.
Earlier this year, a water polo club approached Redondo Beach Mayor Jim Light about the idea, following a previous attempt at such an event by Redondo Beach Firefighter Grant Currie.
The Sept. 20 tournament is meant as a proof-of concept, said the mayor, the idea being to approve a long-term event. Currie and Vedran Kaluderovic – City Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic’s husband, a longtime water polo player – are working together to organize the brackets.
Courts will be set up in the water between Riviera Mexican Grill and California Surf Club, a short-term location to take advantage of better spectator vantage points, before the proposed boat ramp goes in at the spot. Courts in the future are slated to be near the Joe’s Crab Shack site.
Ocean water polo is established in Europe but rare in the United States.
“We’re trying to activate the waterfront,” said City Councilman Chadwick Castle. “We want to draw more people down so we can all use and enjoy it.”
In addition, King Harbor Yacht Club’s “Holiday Boat Parade” will have a new route in December, to go closer to the Pier and the corner by Riviera Mexican Cantina, to make it more spectator-friendly.
“This is the only parade we have in Redondo Beach,” Castle said.
Post Office upgrades sorting and delivery center
The U.S. Postal Service has announced an update to the Redondo Beach Sorting and Delivery Center, to aid in operational precision and improve service performance.
“These new, state-of-the-art facilities will help make the Postal Service more efficient, more capable and more competitive for the future,” said Brian Cuellar, Redondo Beach Postmaster. “The investments we’ve made here represent more than just an upgrade; they represent a commitment to our employees, our customers and the future of the Postal Service.”
The modernized, local sorting and delivery center is one of 111 recently launched across the country, as part of a $19 billion investment to revitalize USPS processing, transportation and delivery networks. ER