The Madison Varsity Baseball team is returning seven of their nine starters from last season. Having lost only two seniors, the team has high expectations for their performance this year as they plan to capitalize on both their roster depth and experience.
Senior Captain Sam Berk expressed that the team spent a lot of time working on the “more intricate things” in the offseason because they had such a large group of returning players. He added that they “didn’t have to work on team chemistry or basics,” which he believes can “make the difference in close games.”
Two wins this week against a Whippany Park team that had a 19-5 record last spring has set the tone for what players and coaches expect to be a great season. The Dodgers won their opening game 3-2 on Tuesday, April 1st, working out kinks that would lead them to a statement 18-0 win against the same opponent the next day.
When asked about the significant difference between the two scores, Berk stated that he felt as if the team had “overlooked them” during the first game. He added that it took “a lot of grit and determination to fight out for that win.”
The Dodgers pulled off a come-back victory on Tuesday with a two-run 7th inning. After being down 0-2, the 7th inning comeback was a testament to the type of baseball head coach Brian Weingart wants to play. “It is our brand of baseball, we preach you only have to get on base to win baseball you do not have to have 10 hits,” Weingart stated. “That was no more evident than in that 7th inning.”
Wednesday’s game was a different story.
The Dodgers were on fire during the entirety of the five inning game. They scored eight runs in the first, three in the second, and two in the third prior to adding an additional five runs. During this game, Berk stated that they were “able to prove to [themselves]selves how [they] should’ve played.”
Senior Will Bias stated that as a team, their biggest goal is to win their section. Feeling as if they didn’t play as well as they should’ve last year, the team is hungry to prove themselves and win.
The Dodgers are set to take on West Morris on Saturday, April 5th.