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By John Nolan
Assistant Director of Scouting/Content Management 

As we enter February, the high school season is quickly approaching. As the month progresses and February turns into March, we will take a look at high school programs throughout our coverage area as they prepare for the 2016 season.

Team: St. Christopher’s School
Nickname: Saints
Class: VISAA Division I
Conference: VPL
Head Coach: Tony Syzmendera
Twitter: @STCVA
2015 Record: 15-6-1
2015 Post Season: VISAA Quarterfinals
Returning Starters/Position: 5
Returning Pitchers: 2

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ross Abrash: (OF, 2016) Abrash will hit towards the top of the Saints’ order and brings a lot of speed to the table.
Jeb Bemiss: (RHP/CIF, 2016, Cornell) Bemiss will be the saints tops pitcher and has a good fastball/curveball combo to go with good command. He is currently ranked 43^rd in the PBR VA/DC Class of 2016 Rankings.
Benny Bencks: (OF, 2016) Bencks hits for a high average and contributes plenty of power as well as a strong outfield arm.
Nick Biddison: (MIF, 2018, North Carolina) Biddison is an outstanding athlete and a very talented player on offense and defense. He is currently injured and will likely miss most of the season. He is ranked 130^th overall in the PBR 2018 Overall Rankings.
Ryan Hansen: (RHP/CIF, 2016) Hansen is a good defensive first basemen who works between the gaps and changes speeds effectively when he is on the mound.
Hayden Mitchell: (C, 2017) Mitchell is an athletic defender who brings a lot of speed and a line drive stroke.

SEASON OUTLOOK
St. Christopher’s is coming off of a very good 2015 season that saw the Saints advance to the VISAA State Tournament before falling in the quarterfinals. The Saints have a talented and inexperienced team in 2016. Bemiss gives the Saints’ rotation a legitimate ace and there is talent in the rest of the rotation. St. Christopher’s figures to be a team that will rely on pitching and an athletic defense early in 2016 as it looks for its offense to gel and new faces to settle into their roles. The likely loss of Biddison will hurt greatly, but the Saints will still be a deep team that can beat anyone when Bemiss is on the mound and St. Christopher’s should be very dangerous by the time the postseason comes around and the younger players have established themselves grown into their roles.