New Stevenson University head baseball coach Dave Gage is excited about the upcoming season. He admits he wants to see the team improve and “leave the program better than when they came in.”
“The team is not lacking in experience as they have a good number of seniors on the roster who are looking to help lead the Mustangs to a division title,” said Gage, adding, “One of the team’s strengths is that they hit the ball really well.” Gage is looking to use that to their advantage to get them past some tough opponents this year.
While winning a championship might be one of the team’s goals, every team in the country wants to win a championship as well, he said. “We try not to think about it, if the team does what they are supposed to on the field, a championship will take care of itself,” said Gage.
Gage emphasized that he used recruiting to add more depth to the pitching aspect of the team.
“If they are going to be in the hunt for a championship, they are going to need key players to step up and lead them down that path,” said Gage.
One of the key players for the team this year is John D’Aquanno, a senior third baseman from Pennsylvania. He had one of the best batting averages on the team last year with a .250 and was a good leader as well, according to Gage. The Mustangs will be looking to lean on his offense and leadership to help them improve.
The Mustangs will face many new challenges this year, such as having a new coach is one of these challenges. Getting the team to buy into his philosophy will be important, and Gage plans to surmount this challenge by getting to know his players on a personal level.
“I have high hopes for this season and for myself, my goal for the team is to get a ring baby,” said returnee Mark Terrell. Personally, he hopes to improve his batting average. Though Gage thought that having a new coach would be one of the biggest challenges to the team, Terrell had a different outlook, suggesting that “consistency and excellence, game in and game out, will be a significant challenge.” The Mustangs are coming into this season poised, ready to take the MAC by storm and bring a ring to Owings Mills under new leadership.