The LM varsity baseball team is back with a vengeance after an early exit last season. The goal head coach Colin Quinn has is to win the State championship, and this year is no different. Alongside assistant coach Brandon Musselman and a team of skilled, hard-working, and strong players, the varsity team is as hungry as a bulldog to make a run for it.
When the regular season began on March 19, the Aces were ready to show the Central League what they were made of, starting off by defeating Conestoga 3-1 as they delivered a strong pitching performance.
They next played an extremely talented Haverford and unfortunately lost 4-1. The offense was cold and they knew they needed to do better. From this loss, the team continued to put in more work in practice to make sure that they could keep improving.
The next day they faced Ridley, and came back from being down 4-0 in the third inning to win 5-4 with clutch extra base hits in the later innings. The atmosphere was optimistic and no one was slacking. The team continued to pour effort into every practice to keep the momentum going.
When it was time to face Upper Darby, the work they put in showed as the offense exploded to win 14-1. With a two game win streak, the team was ready to beat anyone in their way.
Next was Garnet Valley, and the team won another close 5-4 game. This put them into third place among the Central League schools with a record of 4-1, only behind Radnor and Haverford.
To begin April, the team faced Marple Newton and the bats came alive to beat them 9-2. However, their four game win streak was snapped when they lost a tight game against Strath Haven on a walk-off hit, losing 3-2.
Lastly, over spring break they lost to Radnor 6-1, but picked up a victory against Springfield 7-3.
“Fielding and hitting have been inconsistent for our team this year. With a strong pitching staff led by twins Brian and Justin Heck, we need to provide run support offensively and play clean defense,” said Quinn regarding what the varsity squad needs to continue working on.
They now sit with a record of 5-3 against the Central League schools and a 7-4 record overall. They are ranked 83 in the state according to MaxPreps, a high school sports statistics website.
The JV team also has a strong morale similar to the Varsity team, as Coach Marc Gottfried has been putting all his time into making this team great. He said, “The energy surrounding the JV team this year is fantastic so far! There’s a lot of positivity coming from both the players and the staff and we’re all looking to improve each day. Everyone is enthusiastic and working hard at every practice and game. Looking ahead, we’re focused on continuous improvement in all facets of the game.” They also sit above .500 with a 5-4 record.
Lastly, the Freshmen began 3-0 after defeating Radnor 3-2, Conestoga 4-2, and Springfield 8-3. Coach Thomas Mann, like all the other baseball coaches at LM pours everything into making this team do well and it is paying off greatly.
“We are very connected and in constant communication with each other about what needs to be done at practice and during the games to improve both the team as a whole and the players individually,” noted Mann.
“[Overall] there is a ton of energy and a lot of success this year. At the halfway point of the season, all three programs are above the .500 mark and the players have stepped up when called upon. We are excited not only for the current season, but also for the future,” said Quinn.
All the teams realize that they still have some flaws and that they need to keep improving in all categories to become the best possible team they can be. With the teamwork, dedication, and energy expressed by everyone, I’m sure they’ll continue to do great things. Any challenge they face they can handle, no matter the weather, the time, or the team they’re facing. The Aces fight like bulldogs and get the job done. And of course, we have the best fans to support and root them on!
