A new season is upon the Mount Saint Joseph varsity baseball team. The Gaels currently sit at 7 wins and 4 losses on the young season, and so far, after a stellar complete game win against Gilman, senior Zac Stoll’s pitching is leading the Gaels.
Last season the Gaels lost in a heart-breaker to their bitter rivals Calvert Hall in the M.I.A.A playoffs. As this season begins, the team still has that game in the back of their minds. Senior Sean Zaranski lent his opinion on the heart-breaking loss and how the team tries to move forward: “Even though this is a new season, that game lingers in the back of the returning players’ minds. I think that particular loss gives us motivation to not only beat Calvert Hall, but to fight hard throughout the season so that we can reach our goal of winning a championship. We know what it takes to get far in the season, and if we execute, we should be able to find ourselves in a similar situation battling in the playoffs.”
Zaranski’s comments echo how extremely important it is for this team moving forward to not forget about the tough loss, but to keep it in the back of their minds. They have the drive to want to improve from last season, and they have the drive to get over the hump this season.
One thing about this team is that they know that any one player can make an impact at any given moment. Zaranski reaffirmed this by saying, “I think that any player on this team can break out and positively impact this team. That is what makes us such a threat to any team in the M.I.A.A. Our personnel runs deep, and we have clutch players who can really get hot quick.”
Part of what is so impressive about this team so far is that, when you look at the box score after the games, there is a different impact player every single game. Zaranski really hit the nail on the head. When you have such a deep and talented roster, it can become challenging for the opposition.
Every year before the regular season begins, the Gaels travel to Myrtle Beach to compete in a preseason tournament to help prepare themselves for the season awaiting them. Zaranski spoke of the importance of this tournament at the start of a new year: “The Myrtle Beach tournament allowed our team to improve our chemistry. Chemistry between teammates is a major key on any sports team. During the tournament we were able to get a feel for how our teammates play in the field and learn more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. However, this tournament was just the beginning. I believe that our team gets along well with each other, and the chemistry we have now will blossom as the season continues.”
As the season marches on, make sure you come out and cheer on the Gaels as they continue to improve day in and day out. This team is definitely poised to show what they are capable of. Good luck to the Gaels on the rest of the season!
A big thanks to Sean Zaranski for lending his time to answer a few questions.