| Last updated at 12:26 AM on 29/05/08 |
Chevys look to improve, now 
New Brunswick Senior Baseball League club plays at home Friday
DANNY CARSON
Special to The Guardian
SUMMERSIDE — It’s a common trend among expansion teams not to perform well during their first few years.
This is a trend the Summerside Hemphill GM Chevys hope and believe they can avoid in their second season in the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League.
“We’re expecting a significantly different season,” says Chevys general manager Craig Noonan, who has also assumed the head coaching duties for the 2008 season.
The Chevys had a dismal first season in which they won only a single game before the playoffs. This year, they started the season with a 5-1 road victory over the Moncton Mets on May 24.
“We feel we sent the league a message, beating the runner-up (team) from last year,” Noonan said.
The Chevys will look to send another message this weekend. They host the Mets in their home opener at Queen Elizabeth Park’s Baseball Field on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
The following day, the Chevys host the two-time defending champion Fredericton Royals in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
Last season, one of the Chevys’ downfalls was an inability to close out games and hold leads.
“We lost a lot of one-run games and blew a lot of leads,” said Noonan, who feels they have addressed this issue.
“We have a lot better pitching, a lot more depth in the bullpen, and we have better speed.”
While the Chevys have addressed many issues, Noonan still believes there’s room to improve.
“We do need a more consistent offence and better patience at the plate,” he said.
While pitching was their biggest improvement, Noonan still expects a solid performance from throughout the lineup.
“We’re expecting big things from Nial Hughes,” says Noonan.
Cormier to Moncton
Former major-leaguer Rheal Cormier of St. Andre, N.B., is returning to the NBSBL.
Cormier, 41, will join the Moncton Mets from June 14-July 17 to prepare for the Summer Olympics in Beijing in August.
The left-hander, who played with Cincinnati, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston and Montreal during a 16-year major-league career, is expected to make his first start in Summerside in the second game of a doubleheader on June 14.
Cormier can only pitch a maximum of two innings.
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A look at the Chevys' roster:
Infielders
Joey Wood, Nial Hughes, Jason Doyle, Jason MacLean, Tyrrell Hughes, Nick Cameron.
Outfielders
Sean Corcoran, Nick Hann, Jason Monaghan, Danny Stewart, Jeff Ellsworth, Chad Smith.
Pitching Staff
Dan O’Shea, James Stewart, Blair Creelman, Adam Gaudet, Ryan MacLeod, Steve MacLean, Jason MacLean, Jo
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