The varsity baseball team (12-3 overall and 5-1 in the Peninsula Ocean League) had a 5-2 win against Sequoia (4-10 overall and 1-4 in the POL) on March 28.
At the bottom of the first inning, the Dons were able to score three runs thanks to the team’s awareness of the field and their ability to quickly adjust their hitting to aim for vulnerable areas.
The Dons continued with this strategy, shaking up the pitcher early and keeping their momentum going throughout the rest of the game.
Throughout the game, the Dons had seven hits, two of which were doubles.
“Everyone’s hitting better, pitching better, playing better [and] defending better,” said senior pitcher and catcher Adam Bever.
“Once the rain kind of slowed down, I went out and played catch and just tried to stay loose”
However, during the bottom of the third inning, it began pouring, causing an hour-long rain delay. The Dons worked to maintain their focus while waiting for the weather to clear.
“During the rain delay, I just tried not to get off my game,” Bever said. “Once the rain kind of slowed down, I went out and played catch and just tried to stay loose and away from everything.”
After the delay, the game resumed and heated up quickly. The Dons scored another run in the bottom of the sixth inning, and their energy from the dugout was electric.
“We usually have to make noise to try and get in the pitcher’s head, but this year we’ve been saying a lot of ‘oh yeah’ like the Kool-Aid Man,” said senior pitcher and third baseman Conor Hourigan. “It just kind of happened … when we had a rally … playing South City.’”
The team hopes to win the Ocean league and qualify for the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“We all pretty much have the same goal: Win enough league games to get enough points to make it to CCS,” said senior third baseman Drake Kenneally. “We’ll see where it takes us from there.”
To get to playoffs, the Dons have to keep their focus as they play against difficult teams with similar ambitions.
“I would say the hardest games this season will be Half Moon Bay [on April 23 and 25] … I think there’s going to be a lot of bickering and trying to get in each other’s heads,” Hourigan said. “We don’t want to lose to them. There’s a lot more pressure I guess because it’s not just another team, it’s Half Moon Bay.”
In order to achieve their goals this season, the Dons are looking to capitalize on their strengths and incorporate them into strategies that will give them an upper hand.
“We’re fortunate to have … a lot of different types of pitchers that allow us … to match up our pitching to counteract what [the other team is] successful at offensively,” said head coach Lenny Souza. “We want to make sure to play the defense behind our pitching and play catch and not make mistakes.”
The Dons are also planning on keeping a consistent game plan going into each game, regardless of the team they are up against.
“We try to keep it the same for every game no matter if we’re playing a team that we know we’re going to roll over or a team that’s actually going to be really good competition,” Hourigan said. “Just trying to keep a serious mentality is a key thing … and just trying to know that anything can happen.”
The team is also placing a large emphasis on fundamentals. Drills as simple as playing catch could make a difference in tight games.
“We try to be simple and fundamental, and I think it’s really, really benefited our team”
“We’ve really focused on playing catch, and we’re starting to become very good at it,” Souza said. “It really has enhanced our play in other aspects of the game, other than just playing catch. We try to be simple and fundamental, and I think it‘s really, really benefited our team.”
Although their game performance is the most important part of the season, the Dons also realize that in order to improve their play, they must have strong team chemistry.
“Our team chemistry is pretty good, but we still have more time throughout the season to build and kind of form a small family,” Kenneally said. “That’s where it all starts.”
The Dons next game will be on April 18, at San Mateo (10-5 overall, 4-2 POL).
