Big Red Baseball Sees Best Season in Years
You’re on your way out to the stadium. You pass by the baseball field and see a game is going on. You hear the metallic sound of the bats, the slap of a glove and, most clearly, the shouts of the boys. With every run, every successful play, their cheers echo through the field. This year, Exeter baseball had a 16-6 record. While this on its own is impressive, the boy’s high number of wins is particularly notable when compared to last year. Comprised of 21 seniors and postgraduates, the mainly upperclassmen roster featured only one lowerclassman, lower Sam Stone. Throughout the season, the team stayed spirited, managing to pull off several impressive last-minute wins and advancing to the playoffs as the third seed.
While several spring sports teams regularly attend pre-season training in Florida, prior to this year, Exeter baseball did not have an established pre-season. However, this year, the majority of the team was in attendance over spring break in Florida, where they played against other prep schools. Senior Perry DeLorenzo said that this excursion was a vital component in building the foundation for the team going into the regular season. “The trip brought us closer together as a team, and allowed us to gain valuable experience in the field that we would not have had otherwise,” he said.
Pre-season was also the team’s first look at what to expect during the regular season; the boys went undefeated, creating high hopes. Upper Connor Singh, one of the starting pitchers, commented on the team’s prospects going into their first few games. “We had a great group of seniors, we knew our lineup was going to produce a lot of runs and we felt good about our pitching,” he said.
“We made the playoffs for the first time in three years and even though we didn't win, it still felt good to prove to people we could play and deserved to be in the tournament.”
After a few cancelled games due to weather conditions, the boys’ started the season with three easy wins (6-3, 10-1, 9-1). However, Exeter baseball then faced its first tough opponent, Worcester, in a doubleheader away game.
While Exeter managed to hold off Worcester in the first few innings, their opponents scored towards the end of the game, stealing the win 2-1. Yet, considering Worcester was the six-time New England championship, the team was encouraged by how they managed to keep the score tight. In the second game, Exeter then won 10-5, displaying strength and resilience that would persist throughout their season.
After their doubleheader against Worcester, Exeter baseball went on to win eight consecutive games. Full of spectacular plays, the team even pulled off a walk-off hit by pitch. After a tough loss to Tabor, which ended their winning streak, Exeter went on to face Andover in a doubleheader.
With a strong start, Exeter won their first game 5-3 against the Smurfs, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 2013. However, Andover made a comeback in the second game, beating Exeter 0-3.
One week later, Exeter faced Cushing, another tough opponent. Tied at 5-5 in the seventh inning, with the bases loaded, PG Stevie Upton went up to bat. At the plate, he swung and hit a fly ball to left field. Cushing’s left field missed the catch and Stevie got a walk-off a hit, bringing Exeter to a 6-5 win. The boys rushed over to their teammates, forming a huddle and celebrating the win. Many of the guys recounted Cushing as one of their favorite games; the team had come together to pull off an exciting win that secured their spot in the playoffs. Senior and captain JT Thompson spoke of this season’s team dynamic.
“The camaraderie we had this season was incredible, like no other team I've been on before. This was the most enjoyable and the most successful season I have had in my four years at Exeter. It was a ton of fun and we [were able to make] a run for the most wins in Exeter baseball history,” he said.
As the third seed for the playoffs, Exeter was matched against Andover for their first game. The Smurfs scored early in the bottom of the third inning, yet Exeter then made some incredible plays—DeLorenzo caught a pop fly out over the fence, ripping his jersey in half in the process. Despite the hard work of the team, they were unable to score, and Andover took a 3-0 victory before going on to win the Central New England Baseball Championship. Upper Collin Shapiro commented on his positive experience in the championship tournament, despite the team’s early loss.“We made the playoffs for the first time in three years and even though we didn't win, it still felt good to prove to people we could play and deserved to be in the tournament.”
With 16 wins, this year’s team had the opportunity to set a record number of wins during a season in Exeter baseball history. Andover, their potential 17th win, would be a tough opponent. While Exeter had already proved they had the ability to beat Big Blue, Andover had also gained confidence from their recent championship. Exeter scored early in the second inning, and furthered their lead in the fifth inning, bringing the score to 3-0. Andover began evening the score in the fifth inning, scoring one run. In the sixth inning, they scored two more runs. While Exeter held off Andover for the next few innings, keeping the score at 3-3, the Smurfs scored a walk-off hit in the ninth inning and rushed the field to celebrate.
Despite this loss, the season was still overall very successful. Several of the returning players have high hopes for next year. However, some standout players will be lost. Thompson, who will be graduating today, was hailed as a great leader and an incredible center fielder, making impressive dives and unbelievable catches. Pitchers and senior Stephen Cerrone and postgraduate Mike Kacergis were also noted for their performance on the mound. While Exeter baseball will lose several valuable players, they’ll still have several returning talents. Kacergis commented on the strong performance this season by some of his younger teammates.
“Collin Shapiro [was] consistent all around,” Kacergis said. “[He was a] great hitter and great leader, even though he wasn't a senior. Harrison Money called great games and was easy to work with from the mound. [He] also had a bunch of great hits. We have a lot of seniors leaving, but the uppers and one lower will take the reigns.”
After their E/a game, the boys returned to campus for a closing speech from their coach, Dana Barbin. Barbin called the lowerclassmen over, and arranged them in a fielding formation. “This here is your team. Next year, it’s up to you whether you have a good or bad spring,” he said. Indeed, the returning players are eager to continue this season's success next year.