Spring is right around the corner, which means one thing—baseball is back. As the snow melts, green grass returns and the Bluffton baseball team takes the field with new faces and a fresh start.
After working all fall and winter, opening day is today, Feb. 28, against Ohio Wesleyan University. Excitement is building in the locker room as the team looks forward to Opening Day.
The team looks to come out strong and build momentum going into its trip to Florida over spring break. The Florida trip will be yet another test for this young team as they have eight games in six days. The team believes Garret O’Reilly will start the season on the mound for the Beavers.
“I’m looking forward to turning the season around, being better than five-hundred,” said Parker Reynolds, a sophomore catcher.
“I’m looking forward to the nice weather, playing baseball and seeing what we are made of as a team down in Florida,” he said.
Every player is looking forward to something a little different in Florida, but overall their goal is to win. Doc Campagna, a junior third baseman, said he is, “looking forward to winning lots of games with a new team.”
“There is no sense of entitlement on this team, everyone here pitches in,” Campagna said.
The sense of winning more games than last season is what motivates the players this year, as last year was a disappointment for the Beavers. With a young pitching staff, a new infield and outfield, this team looks to shake up the league by proving youth does not mean a thing.
“I am looking forward to getting rowdy in the dugout,” said Garret O’Reilly, a freshman pitcher and third baseman.
Leonard Winiarski, a freshman catcher, said he is looking forward to his first college season.
“Everything we have been working on in drills, seeing it come together, seeing the team fired in all cylinders,” he said.
The freshman players adapt to the changes of college baseball. Being the different playing styles, more home runs or being allowed to have fun during the drills while still getting their work done. The young players say they are embracing the changes to their game.
Picked to finish eighth in conference play, the Beavers look to prove everyone wrong. Working hard in the offseason, the team understands the hardships and welcomes them.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to provide more accurate information on the starting pitcher for Bluffton in the game against Ohio Wesleyan.
