As the 2018 fall ball season approaches for the NEC baseball team, they hope to wash away the agony of defeat from the last two seasons where they made it to the NAC championship, but lost to Castleton University. In the first championship series NEC was only one win away from a championship but Castleton battled to take two games to win it. In the second series it was NEC who had to battle back, down two games NEC fell short in the first game and it was over.
The Pilgrims will not have to focus on the Castleton squad in the spring due to conference changes by both schools. The Pilgrims will be playing in the NECC for the 2019 season and Castleton University will be playing in the LEC, but who knows if they will end up facing off in a nonconference doubleheader next season.
The Pilgrims ended the 2018 campaign 26-15 and went 13-8 in conference play. They now hope to improve these numbers in a big way, making a third run to a championship under head coach Chris Shank. The team lost 8 seniors last year but look to regain that strength with the strong young talent that has come in the last two years.
Coming off their summer ball schedules players should be getting into the training room as soon as possible to make sure they’re all set with paperwork and are cleared to play. They also should be aware of their bodies, getting checked by trainers to make sure that they are at 100 percent.
It is also important that players stay on top of their grades and get settled with classes because if they drop below a 2.0 GPA they will become ineligible. All players should be getting to class and staying on top of work. The team should be prepared in terms of workload for what’s expected throughout the season. Players will exponentially workout through their routines of lifting, and will focus on hitting mechanics and rhythm, as well as perfecting sound hands for defensive success, all leading up to the first practice.
Fall ball is when the coach gets a clear vision of what his starting lineup and pitching rotation will be. For the players, it’s a time when they separate themselves and develop their skill set based off the roles the coach sees them playing. It is very important that the Grims baseball players take the fall season seriously. Paying attention to detail and focusing on self improvement will be greatly measured.
“How can I as in individual, help the cohesiveness of the team?” is a question frequently passed around by coaches. Fall ball will be what separates the 2019 Pilgrims baseball team from achieving their end goal of a conference championship and moving on to regionals.
Coaches will be looking for players to bring high level competition. Of the many participating, only the 9 best can play on the field at the same time. This poses a difficult task for coaches, and we expect a lot out of every single Pilgrim.
Coach Shank is a no nonsense type coach with the accolades to back him up. Everyday he wants to improve this team, every second of the day; so the players have to make sure to match his intensity. With positions up for grabs, and the talent on the team, this fall might be the biggest yet.
Nice article hopefully the players can read this and take your advice. Perhaps some interviews will help you with knowing what’s going on with the players.