The baseball team is pushing through their season conference play begins. The team includes a group of students who “play hard,” said Jason Tawney, head coach of 14 years. Currently, baseball has an 8-9 record overall.
Led by strong pitchers senior Alec Romanowski, who is 2-0, and freshman Chris Perez, who is 2-0, “the team expects the beginning of games to be solid,” said Tawney. This has been their biggest strength as a team. Other standout players include outfielder Ian Eberly, designated hitter Craig Joseph and pitcher Trevor Fitzsimmons.
On the other hand, defense has been their weakness and led to majority of the losses, but the team is addressing the problem, Tawney explained.
The team’s preseason play was filled with strong teams including nationally ranked Frostburg State University, Bridgewater College, Christopher Newport University and Keystone College. The team’s main rivals in the conference are Alvernia and Widener, whom the Mustangs regularly battle for the conference championship.
The Mustangs battled the Alervnia Crusaders in three games over Stevenson’s spring break week. In the first game on March 18, the Mustangs fought hard but lost 5-4 in 10 innings.
Things turned around on March 19 as the Mustangs walked away with a 10-2 win in five innings (shortened by rain). However, the team could not rally to get back-to-back wins; the Mustangs lost 10-4 in the second game.
As a team, the Mustangs’ batting average is .277, with an on-base percentage of .380, according to gomustangsports.com. With the semester ending in May, Tawney said, “We have 12 seniors who have played for us and given Stevenson their hard work and effort for the last four years.” The head coach expressed his appreciation for the team as they continue to push through.
Sophomore Billy Small said he is eager to have more fans at the games. As great teammates and “productive young men in society,” Tawney believes the team is positive about finishing up this season and will continue to work hard. He adds that the team and coaches appreciate fan support in the stands. Their next three home games are on March 23 against Bard College, March 25 against Hood College and March 28 against Salisbury University.
