This could be just as good a year as any for the Silver Lake baseball team.
Fresh off a 21-6 season where they won first Division 1 South Sectional championship, the Lakers roster was not wiped out by graduation, which is always a positive indication.
Specifically, they will have a strong presence on the mound with Dan Collins, a junior, Trevor Dennett, a senior, and Alex Heffernan, a sophomore, back on the bump, anchoring their starting rotation.
“They all won big games for us last year, so their experience will be nice to have,” Lakers head coach Kenny Tocci said.
When he is not on the mound Collins, who was a Patriot League All-Star last year, is also a valuable third baseman.
Aidan O’Neill, a senior center fielder, enters his third year as a varsity starter, as does junior catcher Josh Harvey is now a three-year starter. Junior shortstop Steven Quigley is back at shortstop once again this year. Along with Collins, the trio should be a strong part of the Lakers lineup.
Another asset this Lakers team brings is their flexibility and willingness to do what is best for the team.
“We also have many guys who can play multiple positions and their versatility will help with making in game moves,” Tocci said.
Checking out his team’s schedule, Tocci said there was not one game that stood out as more important to win than another.
“Every game is a big game because we only have so many to play,” he said. “The most important is the game in hand. We don’t overlook anyone because our league is too good to do so and if we disrespect anyone by looking past them, that’s when bad things happen. Sounds cliché, but that’s truly our approach. No one game, no matter who it is against, means more than another. They all matter; that’s why we play them.”
While the Lakers have a talented squad, their main focus will just be improving each and every day.
“If we do that good things will happen,” Tocci said. “Proof is in how we’ve performed in that we have won the Patriot League five years in a row with the mentally of just focus on getting better each day, focus on one game at a time and in those games try and win one inning at a time and we will be fine.”
The Lakers begin their season on Tuesday, Apr. 4 against East Bridgewater.