The 2019 varsity baseball team have gotten off to a rough start but are looking to make a change during the final stretch of the season. The team has a record of 4-8 but have played a brutal schedule to start off the season. Some of the losses came to big schools like Canfield, South Range, Chagrin Falls, Poland, and a few other. But even in the losses, the Bulldogs have shown signs of light and are capable of turning this season around for the better. With 12 games left in the season, the Bulldogs will look to finish the year off on a high note.

To break the team down offensively and defensively, it’s safe to say that the team came out rusty playing some very dominant teams out on the baseball diamond. As a team, they struggled early at the plate lacking confidence while hitting. As the team gained more plate appearance and faced a variety of different pitchers, their hitting game really started to pick up the pace. Defensively, the team also came out sluggish at the beginning of the season making errors on routine plays. Our pitchers were also struggling on the mound, racking up more walks than strikeouts. This became frustrating because the team knows they are capable of much more if they want to have a successful season.

Senior Clay Lazzari said, “I’m excited for the second half of the season. The team is finally coming together hitting and in the field as well. Our pitching staff has been exceptional the whole season and seems ready to finish out the year strong. I’m hype to see what our team will do with the games remaining on our schedule.”

The team has three returning seniors looking to lead the final stretch of the season. They understand what it takes to be a leader and to lead by example and are definitely steering the program in the right direction.

Senior Kevin Ellsworth-Myers also said, “I’m excited for the remainder of the season. We improved so much as a team which makes the whole baseball experience a lot more fun.”

Fans have witnessed the team’s improvements game after game as they move toward playoffs. The past two years, the team has been eliminated in the same spot during the post season. With the leadership of the three seniors, Lazzari, McClellan, and Ellsworth-Myers, they look to turn that around and lead the Bulldogs into a deep run with the ultimate goal of a district championship.