The Hawthorne High School Baseball team and their head coach, Mr. John Passero, are looking forward to an eventful 2015 spring season.
Last year’s varsity baseball team made it to both the county and state tournaments, and Passero is hopeful that the baseball team will advance even further this year, along with the goal of competing for the league title. “With the talent we have, it will be no surprise to be in competition for all three titles, league, county and state champions,” explained Passero. The team played their best towards the end of last year’s season and are confident the learning experiences last year will carry into this year.
The varsity baseball team has a great amount of talent, ranging from Sophomores to Seniors. There was a lot of talent lost from last year, but there are still a great number of experienced players on the team. David Mascis and Brandon Terrizzi are returning juniors, and the top 2 pitchers, along with Kyle Grofsick and Aaron Dominguez, who will also see some time on the mound. Returning starting infielders include Calvin Graham, Kyle Grofsick, and Carlos Perez, with the position of third still being battled out between Michael Deitrich and Michael Terranova. The quick and athletic outfield includes Tyler Charles, James Baratta, and Ryan VanderWerf. Sophomore Desmond Mateo will be seen catching behind the plate, as he had a great pre-season.
Due to the snow and cold weather, the baseball team faced a tough pre-season. They could only fit in 3 scrimmages and one practice on their home field, while the rest of the practices were in the gymnasium. All other schools, of course, faced the same problems and will hopefully not affect the beginning of HHS’s season.
Opening day for the Bears is a home game against Cedar Grove, an independent game due to the fact Cedar Grove is not in HHS’s county or league. The baseball team’s first league game is Monday, March 6th verses Garfield.
