Sports

Pitcher-busting Menzel Now an Arm's Best Friend

The Novato High catcher isn't just hitting well this season; he's now helping the Hornets' impressive pitching staff keep opponents from putting up runs.

The only thing worse than your favorite baseball team losing a game is your second-favorite also falling short on the same day.

Such was the life of catcher on Thursday.

Not that it cushioned the blow, but the hot-hitting senior had to know it was going to be a tough day going in.

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

First off, his Hornets (they’re his favorite team) were up against Drake and its impressive pitching staff.

To make matters worse, the San Francisco Giants (his second-favorite team) were having Opening Day at almost exactly the same time, basically assuring Menzel wouldn’t be able to watch that game at all.

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And then adding insult to injury, neither the Hornets nor the Giants hit well Thursday. Novato got just one hit in its 5-1 Marin County Athletic League loss to Drake, and the Giants didn’t score until the ninth inning in their 2-1 loss to the dreaded Dodgers.

Talk about a double dip.

And to think: It had been a darn good month of March for Menzel leading into the big day. He’d gotten key hits in each of Novato’s two previous games – a 5-5 tie against San Marin and a 3-0 win over Justin-Siena – and he helped prevent a loss to the rival Mustangs by throwing out two runners on the bases late in the game.

Not bad for a guy whose “utility” skills the previous season had put him at just about every position on the field except catcher.

“Last year we needed his bat in the lineup,” Novato coach noted. “This year we needed him to catch, but at first he didn’t want to do. Now he’s really coming along.”

Menzel doesn’t dispute he was less than thrilled to hear he was being pushed to be the catcher this season. He had his heart set on starting at third base.

But now he wouldn’t trade places with anyone.

“When the coach first told me,” Menzel recalled, “I asked, ‘Can I play infield?’ I hadn’t been a fulltime catcher since I was 13 or 14. But now that I’m doing it all the time, I really like it.”

Despite the balls in the dirt. Despite the thrown bats to the ankle. Despite all the gear.

“You take a beating,” Menzel acknowledged. “But you’re involved in every play. You’re kinda in control of the game. You get a lot of action back there -- more than any other position.”

Many catchers believe the wear and tear of the position affects their hitting. Menzel chooses to look at the bright side.

“An at-bat is an at-bat no matter where you’re playing in the field,” he noted. “As the starting catcher, I’ll be in the lineup no matter what. Seven innings every game. So I’ll get more at-bats.”

Having gotten important run-scoring hits in both the San Marin and Justin-Siena games, Menzel is starting to look a bit like Buster Posey both at the plate and behind it. It’s not a coincidence.

“You can learn a lot from the pros, especially ones that are playing your position. They’ve perfected their technique,” he assured.

“I’ve always been a big Giants fan. I always watch their games. Now that I’m catching, I’m watching him (Posey) closer than I have before. Looking at things he does, maybe I can pick up some things.”

By missing the Giants’ game Thursday, Menzel didn’t see Posey’s costly throwing error.

So maybe it wasn’t such a bad day after all.

NOVATO BASEBALL UPDATE

Recent results: Tied San Marin, 5-5; beat Justin-Siena, 3-0; lost to Drake, 5-1.

Novato’s record: 3-2-1 in MCAL, 4-2-1 overall.

Highlights: Dustin Treike belted a triple to center field into the wind for Novato’s big hit in the tie with San Marin … Matt Peachey added a key RBI single as the Hornets went up 5-3 before surrendering two seventh-inning runs … pitched six strong innings … pitched a complete-game two-hitter in the win over Justin-Siena in a game that lasted just 1 hour, 20 minutes … Max Menzel had the only RBI of the game on a sixth-inning single.

Coach Bob Scheppler’s comments on the Justin-Siena win: “Jake (Barron) really had command of the strike zone and he used his defense. We played error-free defense, which was nice.”

Upcoming schedule: Friday at Marin Catholic, 4:30 p.m.; Monday at home vs. Branson, 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Redwood, 4:30 p.m.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here