Senior Matt Foppiano takes warm-up throws during practice.
Outside of the “C” building and across from the tennis courts, white lines are being drawn and the grass is being trimmed as Aragon’s varsity boys baseball team gets ready for the season and their return to the Ocean Division. After a one-year stint in the Bay Division last season, the team’s 5-9 record in league play dropped them back down to the Ocean Division for this season.
While their 13-13 overall record placed them short of the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs by one and a half points, the team looks forward to the long and exhausting 27 games ahead of them while counting on their 13 seniors this year to provide both direction and leadership.
When asked about what held the team back last season, many pointed to the holes in their team defense—especially in the infield. “Our defense was a little skittish at times, leading to a lot of errors,” says senior Steven Hughes. “One wrong can essentially predict the entire game.”
“Just a lot of inexperience, timely mistakes, and a lot of little things that really added up,” says sixth-year varsity coach Lenny Souza. “[We have to be more] aggressive and have more attention to the details, and just know the consequences of not doing things right. [The team is] a little bit older and has more experience this year, so they can be pushed harder and everyone can practice harder.”
Senior Justin Johnson adds, “[Our problems are] just a lot of fielding errors and mental errors.”
To address the problems, the team’s determined and renewed mindset has them practicing hard even after games are cancelled and even when it’s raining. “Every now and then, we’ll be in the cage and we’ll be hitting on the field a bit and then definitely getting in some fielding work as well,” Johnson adds.
Hughes adds that often, the team would take too long to find a rhythm and by then, it would be too late for a comeback. “Starting out, our offense was pretty slow and we would pick things up late in the sixth or seventh inning. What we want to do this season is start off well defensively right off the bat in the first or second inning and have [the other team] catching up to us, instead of us trying to catch them.”
Senior Victor Elmashni says, “Individual stats don’t matter as much as team wins. So, just play for the ‘A’ in Aragon, not yourself. Whatever you can do to help the team. It’s not individualism.”
After an 11-4 win versus San Mateo on Feb. 25, the team’s next game is March 8 at Newark Memorial High School.
