Both varsity and JV baseball are on track to achieve a winning record for spring 2012, thanks to intense work and player experience. JV, especially, is seeking to improve its game overall, in order to best prepare for next season.
As of press time, varsity’s record was 6-4. The last game, played on Apr. 17 against South Lakes High School, was an overwhelming victory of 10-1 in the Statesmen’s favor.
Junior Conor Boyle attributed the win to “good pitching, good defense, fewer strikeouts, and [making] the other team make plays.”
“It was nice to get the offense going,” Boyle said.
This year’s varsity team is made up mostly seniors; there are ten in all, out of the 18 total team members.
As a result, players from JV are doing what they can to improve their game enough to fill the numerous slots that will be up for grabs next year.
Players are fueled by a desire to improve personal skill in preparation for next spring.
The idea of “making the varsity team is what has driven me through the ups and downs I have had playing on JV,” sophomore Samuel Criscitello said. “The way they play baseball is exactly how I want to play.”
While individual improvement is always a priority, the JV team has other goals in mind. Already it is coalescing into the organized unit that will be needed to improve on this year’s already good varsity record.
“We all get along pretty well in the dugout and we’re all good friends,” Criscitello said.
The JV team’s current record is 3-4, although according to freshman Shane Russell, the team “hopes to end the season with a winning record.”
Both JV and varsity teams are looking to have a strong second half of the season, and varsity is hoping to win the district for the first time in over ten years. They were briefly ranked for the region and are attempting to regain that recognition by solidifying their winning record.