Bates Baseball, 4-2, has gotten off to a hot start and shows no signs of slowing down. The team kicked off the 2023 season over February break by traveling to Kissimmee, Florida to participate in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. After holding practices and intrasquad scrimmages throughout the week, the team was set to take the field for the opening weekend. With a doubleheader against Houghton University on Saturday and an early morning game versus Chatham University on Sunday, Bates took care of business, winning all three games and outscoring opponents 22-8. 

After coming back up north, Bates took their first loss against no. 10 ranked Endicott College and bounced back by splitting their doubleheader versus RPI and sweeping their doubleheader versus Brandeis University. 

When asked about standout performers through the team’s opening weeks, senior captain and outfielder Tyler Attal pointed to the performance of freshman right-handed pitcher Max Dio. 

“He got a start for us in Florida and then has made two relief appearances and has been completely lights out against some really, really good baseball teams,” Attal said. “He throws strikes, throws hard, has good movement, and he’s been really effective. So going forward, I’m really excited to see how much he can do for the team.”

Attal also highlighted two returning players with increasing roles, Jack Brennan ‘24 and Brandon Biggane ‘25.

“I’ve been really happy to see Jack Brennan at shortstop. So far he’s been swinging the bat really well and playing a good shortstop for us. I’m super confident in him being the leader of our infield, so I’m excited to see the season he has,” he said. “Another highlight performer is sophomore catcher Brandon Biggane. It was a surprise to everyone when he started playing left field, and he’s a great athlete, so he’s been able to adjust to left field while also catching some games. He’s swinging the bat really well, and he’s going to be a big part of our offense. The fact that he’s able to play both left field and catch is really, really important for our team.”

Bates has three upcoming away matchups versus Dean College, MIT and Coast Guard Academy, a doubleheader. These games will set the tone for the rest of the season, as Bates begins their NESCAC campaign on March 31 against Tufts University. 

Attal said that he’s optimistic about the team’s chances this year because of their aggressiveness on the basepaths. 

“We’re looking to steal with everyone in our lineup, depending on the speed of the opposing pitcher and catcher,” he said. “Our goal and mindset is to be super aggressive on the base paths and that’s going to carry our offense, whereas in the past we really didn’t steal many bases. The aggressive mindset for our offense, and specifically the base paths is going to be huge for us going into the rest of the season, and I think we’ll be able to keep opposing pitchers and defenses on their toes.”

Bates Baseball is ready and determined to make some noise heading into the heat of their season. The Bobcats aim to make their first NESCAC tournament since the 2019 season and with the leadership, skill and team chemistry that has been displayed thus far, the team is surely trending in the right direction.