From March 25th to April 1st, during the last week of Spring Break, the Blake varsity baseball team took sixteen players trying out for the Varsity team to Florida to have a trip filled with baseball and fun.
The team went of Disney World, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida in hopes of improving their skills against high-level competition and team bonding.
The Bears played two teams from New York, a team from Pennsylvania, and a team from Woodbury, MN. The Bears got three wins in the process, a great record against very good teams. Blake almost went 4-0, but unfortunately time constraints kept them from getting the opportunity to do so, and they ended up losing the game.
Besides the games, the team went to a couple of the Disney World parks, including Animal Kingdom and Epcot. They also went to a delicious Thai restaurant in Epcot, and got to meet other players from different teams.
Blake hopes to win the Tri-Metro conference this year, and with the team they have they looked poised to do so. Blake is led by 1st Baseman Devon Johnson ’12, Pitcher Kentucky Morrow ’13, and Catcher Blake Szalapski ’12, to name a few. Blake is coached by George Blackwell, Geoff Fuller, and Brandon Royce-Diop.
After going 7-12 last year, the Bears expect a rebound season with all of the returning players they have. In order to have a good season, Johnson says, “We need to stay consistent all year and get contributions from all aspects of the game, hitting, fielding, pitching, etc.”
After a promising spring training, the Bears look to be a dangerous threat in the Tri-Metro conference this year. And with only five seniors on the team, it can only mean many more good seasons to come.