Baseball team is eager to start the 2017 season

Energy is high and there is a lot of excitement among the Muhlenberg baseball team, as Wed. Feb. 1st marks the start of the 2017 season for the Mules. The baseball team looks to improve upon an 18-20 campaign from last year. As far as Centennial Conference action is concerned, the baseball team put up a 9-9 record, which earned them sixth place in the conference standings, but unfortunately two games out of the playoffs.

Preparation for the upcoming season started back in the fall semester of 2016 when the Mules had their annual four -week fall season. NCAA rules limit Division III teams to four practices a week for the four weeks allotted, so the Mules covered a lot in the short amount of time. Head Coach Tod Gross, entering his fifth season as the Mules head coach, was pleased with the fall season, saying, “I thought we did a great [job] of coming together as a team.”

The regular season will start inside the John Deitrich Fieldhouse, where the baseball team will practice, most likely, all the way up until their season opener at Gallaudet University on Feb. 26th.

Indoor practice is certainly not the same as being out at their usual home field (Cedar Creek Park), but Coach Gross believes the team will keep their competitive edge that they had in the fall. “Intersquad games were very competitive in the fall and I believe we will take that competitiveness into our February practices,” Gross added.

A 40 game schedule is on the plate for the baseball team, set with 22 non-conference games and 18 Centennial Conference games. A lot of the players are excited to take on the 40 games, and they said there are a lot of different reasons to be excited.

Many are waiting to see how a team that was considered young and inexperienced last year will grow. Pitcher Chris Bunero, ’17 and Chris Grillo, ’19 are both looking forward to seeing the progress. “We are bringing a lot of talent and experience back this year and I’m looking forward to see how we progress from last year,” Grillo said. Bunero agreed, adding he is “looking forward to returning to a more matured team.”

Speaking of excitement, after three games in the north, the Mules will be leaving Allentown for their annual Spring Training trip. Third baseman Jon Capra, ‘19 is anxious to get to Myrtle Beach where the baseball team will play at The Ripken Experience facility. “I’m a big fan of the spring trip. I love traveling with the team, and getting the opportunity to bond together as we live and play at Myrtle Beach,” Capra said. The Mules will have a packed week of baseball while the College is on its spring break. During this trip the baseball team will have nine games scheduled throughout a nine-day span. The team will also have the opportunity to play one of its games at Pelicans Ballpark, the stadium of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, who are the single A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. “The spring trip is always a highlight of the season,” explained Robbie Hopes, ’17, and this year’s team is eager to get to some warmer weather in the early spring to kick off the season.

Although last season did not end in a playoff berth, there were still some positives that some of the team is looking to carry into this year. “We have a good nucleus of young guys as well as older guys who can lead us,” Grillo stated. Bunero also sees potential in the success that was achieved against teams in the Centennial who had success last season. A few of the most impressive Muhlenberg victories were seen in a 4-0 record against rivals Johns Hopkins and Haverford, the two teams who played in the Centennial Conference Championship. “Seeing how we can beat the best teams in our league shows that we have potential to do big things this season,” Bunero said.

However, with this much excitement among the players, they seem to be keeping a humble ego when thinking about some goals for the 2017 campaign. “We’re focusing on getting better with every practice and every game,” explained Hopes. The senior first baseman understands that success in the past doesn’t automatically lead to more success in the future. Success will have to be the product of a group effort. “We have to trust in everyone’s ability to get the job done at any given time,” Bunero agreed, adding, “The goal is always to play in May, but we have to focus on every practice before we even step on the field for our first game. From there, we can go day by day and focus on what we need to do to progress every day.”

The Mules are stressing a “team over self ” mentality this season in hopes of bring a winning tradition to the program. From an offensive perspective, Coach Gross would like to see his team “create more run scoring opportunities,” and defensively he thinks the team will benefit from “turning more double plays.”

The Mules are focusing on coming together to reach team accomplishments rather than individual accolades. The team is starting to buy into positive mindsets as a part of the formula for success. “Last year the team had a great sense of chemistry, but that’s always something we can improve on,” said Capra.

Grillo agreed, saying, “Confidence is a big key. If we can be confident in ourselves and confident in each other, then there is no reason we shouldn’t meet the standards we are setting for ourselves.”