For the baseball team, the transition from last year’s senior-heavy team to this year’s younger, more inexperienced team has not gone as swimmingly as hoped.
The Bulldogs dropped their first three games in succession to Sherwood, Magruder and Rockville, scoring only one run over the three-game span.
CHS entered the game against Rockville March 29 on a two-game losing streak and looked to spark its season. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, a slew of errors plagued the team as it ended up falling to the Rams 8-0.
“We’re a talented team,” junior pitcher Matt Kogan said. “We just haven’t put all aspects of our game together.”
Kogan started the game against Magruder March 26 in the home opener. After a rocky start where he allowed six runs in the first two innings, Kogan rebounded and only allowed one run in the following four.
“I started following exactly what the coaches told me,” Kogan said. “Once I started doing that, I began pitching much better.”
The game against Sherwood March 21 could be considered a grudge match as the Warriors eliminated the Bulldogs in last year’s state tournament in the regional semi-finals.
Junior Kelby Spring went toe-to-toe with Sherwood senior Will Bouey in a complete-game effort. Spring only allowed one run through five innings as the game was tied 1-1 before a defensive lapse in the sixth gave Sherwood a 2-1 edge.
“We know we can compete with anyone,” junior Nick O’Brien said. “We have a lot of intensity, but we struggle using it to our advantage.”
The team has taken note of its offensive struggles to this point in the season. According to O’Brien, the team has dedicated itself particularly to improving its hitting and has taken the initiative to practice on its own.
“We haven’t performed to our best, but we know we are a lot better than this,” O’Brien said. “We have optimism about the future.”
The streak has not been without its bright spots. Junior Danny Weiss has found success at the plate, bumping his average up to .444 on the season. Spring’s pitching has also improved over last year as he has found a more stable place in the rotation.
Still, the young team that features only three seniors continues on with hopes that it can reach the ultimate goal and win the state championship.
“We lost a lot of leadership,” O’Brien said. “We are looking for leaders to step up. It takes time, but it will happen.”
CHS plays at Paint Branch April 12 at 3:30.
