With the first pitch of the Battling Bishop’s 2012 baseball season just two weeks away, the team has been training tirelessly in the off season to have a successful showing.
Last season the Battling Bishops went 25-16, a winning record that Head Coach Tyler Mott hopes to increase this year.
“We will be just as good, if not better, than we were last season,” Mott said. “We are returning seven or eight everyday starters who are working hard to make sure this team succeeds to their fullest potential. We also have a lot of depth with our pitchers.”
Sophomore Sean Vollenweider said the team is bringing a lot of experience into the 2012 season.
“We are taking a step up from last year,” Vollenweider said. “We lost a few key players but we are returning the entire infield so we have a lot of experience which is key.”
Mott said the baseball team has implemented different off season training strategies that are a positive addition to the program.
“We’ve included workouts in the pool on Sunday, free swims to take advantage of the beautiful Meek Aquatics Center,” Mott said. “We have also increased the intensity of strength work outs. Overall the changes are definitely positive.”
Junior Brandon Sega said the off season has been very productive so far. The pitchers have been practicing pitch accuracy rather than velocity. The batters have also been getting a lot more swings in during practice to correct errors, Sega said.
Vollenweider said the off season practices are more intense and up-beat than they were last season. This gives the Battling Bishops a greater advantage going into the start of the season, Vollenweider said.
“We are mixing very well as a team, so it should be an exciting season this year,” Vollenweider said.
Mott said there are several freshmen who will contribute to the team’s success. However, he said he would like to see a little more consistency out of them.
Vollenweider said he is pleased with the freshmen’s performance so far.
“They all have great potential and quite a few should be able to contribute right off the bat,” Vollenweider said.
Mott said he would ultimately like to see the team get better every day. Team expectations are high and they would like to win the NCAC championship, Mott said.
The Bishop’s first game is on Saturday, Feb. 25.