The Bates baseball team has not been off to a great start in their 2017-2018 season. With six losses and two wins so far, they are trying to get back onto the ball by winning their game against UMass-Darthmouth in Boston on Sunday, March 25.
Having lost the first handful of games of the season, Coach Jon mentioned that it was a definite wake up call.
“We haven’t dealt with the hardest moment yet. It’ll come later in the season,” Coach Jon says. “I’d say our first few games were a wake-up call for us. We realized we needed to put the work in and prepare as a team. It’s come along well since then.”
With this shift in perspective from the team, they have been working hard during practices to win more games. Having a unique team dynamic has made that process a lot easier.
“The team dynamic is unique. We have such a diverse group…. different personalities, different cultures/backgrounds. We aren’t scared to have some fun either,” says Coach Jon.
One setback is definitely the weather. There have been constant snowfalls and cold winds, which have made their season very difficult. Due to the weather, they have been practicing in the gray cage, and both of their games against MIT have been either cancelled or postponed.
“The season has been difficult dealing with weather, but it’s the same for everyone on the East Coast. We just need to play our schedule. We have a good team, and they’ve done a great job staying focused during practices. We are ready for the heart of the season coming up,” says Coach Jon.
However, the weather does not scare this team; not only do the Bobcats enjoy playing in the cold, but they also have signed up for training and competing in this crazy Maine weather.
When asked the question, “What is the mentality and attitude the team should have going into Sunday’s game?” Coach Jon responded with “Win one inning at a time. Execute.” That is exactly what the men’s baseball team did, as they won an exciting 4-3 victory against UMass-Dartmouth on Sunday.
In the seventh inning, UMass-Dartmouth’s Kenny Michael doubled down the left field line, and Nate Tellier scored. In the same inning, UMass-Dartmouth’s Mitch Baker stole second base, and Michael stole home. At this point, the score was 2-0 for UMass-Dartmouth. In the eighth inning, UMass-Dartmouth’s Josh O’Neil doubled down the left field line and Zach Courier scored.
During the ninth inning, the Bobcats made a major comeback and won the game 4-3. The first highlight involved Dan Trulli ’19 reaching on a fielder’s choice, Rob Matson ’21 advancing to second base, Jon Lindgren ’20 advancing to third base, and Connor DiVincenzo ’18 reaching home plate, making the score 3-1.
In the second play, Jack Arend ’20 was hit by pitch, Trulli advanced to second, Matson advanced to third, and Lindgren scored.
During the third play, Kyle Carter ’20 reached on a fielder’s choice, Arend got out at second, Trulli advanced to third, and Matson scored.
In the final play during the ninth inning, Pat Beaton ’20 singled to right field, Carter advanced to second, and Trulli scored. This secured the Bobcats’ victory, and they won the game 4-3.
The Bobcats will play UMass-Dartmouth again on March 27 at Endicott. With the same work ethic, attitude, and mindset they’ve had for the last three games, they are hoping to not only beat this team again, but add another win to their overall record for the season. And with this goal, the team is hoping to play in the NESCAC playoffs again, like they did last season.
