Sports: Baseball

At Bat for ‘Another Shot’

When the season ended last year, the members of the men’s baseball team felt a little let down, despite finishing 25–10 and tying for the regular season UCAA conference title.

“We didn’t do as well postseason as during the season,” says head coach Joe Reina of the Yellowjackets’ first-round loss to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the UCAA playoffs. “It left a bitter taste in our mouths. This year, expectations are extremely high.”

This spring, he says, the returning players are, “chomping at the bit to have another shot.”

Having lost only a handful of players last year—four of the starters were seniors—means that the bulk of the team is back for that second shot.

With 12 freshmen and six sophomores, yet only five seniors and three juniors, the team skews young.

“All the upperclassmen had playing time last year,” Reina says. “And the freshmen were starters, key players, on their high school teams. They all know how to win.”

This year’s goal is to ensure the team has the right mix to carry into the playoffs.

“We’re the deepest we’ve ever been—there are a lot of players who can fill in for each position,” says second baseman Adam Braveman ’05.

Pitcher Brady Noon ’07 says team leadership also is key to going further this season. “Last year, a lot of the players got tired—the intensity was lost by the end of the season. I think this year the seniors will keep the momentum up and keep us together.”

Says Braveman: “The seniors’ biggest task is, when we lose a couple of games, to help the team keep perspective and keep the same level of intensity throughout the season, not just when we’re playing the top teams.”

“We’ve had fairly successful teams, but we need to make a splash on the national level,” Reina says. “The seniors have to say, ‘We belong here.’ And once we get to the NCAA regional tournament, anything is possible.”

—Jayne Denker