Bernards’ baseball team enters their 2016 season with a big chip on their shoulder. Last season, they made a run all the way to the state championship game, where they lost to Governor Livingston. This marked their second consecutive appearance and loss in the state championship game, but they did finish the season with a sectional title to their name. However, getting back to states will be very difficult to do because of last year’s strong senior class that won’t be with the team due to graduation.
“[Getting back to states] is going to be extremely difficult,” senior outfielder Devin Rivera said in an interview. “We lost most of our starting lineup and some great pitching but I feel like we have some really good pieces coming up. We have been working really hard and been coming together as a team so as far as I see it we definitely have the potential to take states this year.”
“Making it to the state final and losing was really tough on everyone,” senior catcher Jake Cawley said, “but you have to look at it in a positive way and realize we have some guys who now have state final experience, and that’s something most other teams cannot say. It’s gonna be tough without the seniors last year, but I have confidence in our underclassmen.”
Prior to the start of the regular season, the team, along with the boys’ lacrosse team, will be heading down to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Florida for their Spring Training. This trip will allow the team to prepare for the season with practices in the beautiful weather conditions of Orlando, Florida and play exhibition games and scrimmages against other schools from different states. The team leaves for Orlando today, March 17, and will return on Tuesday, March 22.
“Going to Florida helps us out a lot,” Rivera said. “We get to see live pitching and live fielding which most schools don’t get to experience; it prepares us for the upcoming season and puts us one step ahead of our opponents.”
“It’s hard to get the field ready and have good weather to practice outside in the early parts of the season [in Bernardsville], so Florida helps us a ton,” Cawley said. “It’s a lot of fun and gets us ready for the season.”
After the Florida trip, the team will begin their regular season on April 1 against Delaware Valley at home, followed by a trip to Voorhees on April 5. After the Voorhees game, the team plays two consecutive games at home against Warren Hills and Gill St. Bernards, followed by three straight away games against Somerville and Rutgers Prep. The team will play 13 home games and 13 away games during the regular season, with the longest homestand and road trip of the season being four games each.
“With the amount of young talent we have and the senior leaders I really think we can do something come regular season,” Rivera said. “It’s going to be tough but I plan to help lead the team and make sure we stay on track. The sky’s the limit for us and I’m just excited to be apart of it.”
“We expect nothing less than we did the last two years,” Cawley said. “We think we have the guys and ability to have another very special season.”
