The Marist baseball team has kicked off the season with a solid 4-3 record, showing both promise in their opening games. While the team has displayed moments of brilliance, they know there’s still work to be done as they prepare for a grueling upcoming schedule.
The team’s early success has been fueled by strong pitching performances. Junior pitcher JP Gainer has played a key role on the mound, giving the team valuable innings and helping keep the team competitive against tough opponents.
“Our team is coming together well,” Gainer says. “We’ve had some tough games already, but we’re learning from them. The goal is to keep improving and be ready for the postseason.”
The team has picked up some impressive wins so far, including an 8-1 victory over George Washington, a 7-4 win against Richards, a dominant 10-0 shutout over Homewood-Flossmoor, and a hard-fought 2-1 victory on opening day against Fenwick. These performances have showcased both the team’s depth and their ability to close out games against quality opponents.
The team faces a daunting stretch in the next two weeks, where the Redhawks will face several powerhouse programs. This includes #4 Saint Laurence on 4/3, #10 Mount Carmel on 4/8, #6 Lincoln Way East on 4/10, and lastly a 2 game series vs Nazareth, on 4/14 and 4/16. Despite this tough stretch, many players are looking forward to these games.
“These are the games you dream about playing in,” junior outfielder Mark Coffey says. “Getting the chance to compete against one of the best teams will be a great challenge, and we’re excited to show what we can do.”
These games will serve as a true test of where the team stands as they push toward the heart of the season. A hard schedule is nothing new to the Redhawks, who annually play some of the top teams in the state.
“We always play a tough schedule,” head baseball coach Kevin Sefcik says. “When you come to Marist, you should expect to play the best competition around. Hopefully, this prepares you for the playoffs and for college baseball if players get that opportunity.”
The team is also banking on experience to help them compete at a higher level this season. This includes multiple seniors committed to play college baseball such as starting pitcher Aidan Flinn, a University of Illinois Urbana Champaign commit, starting catcher Joey Gumuls a Loras College commit, infielder Evan Smith, a North Central College commit, and pitcher/outfielder John Mcaullife, who is committed to Cornell University.
“We had a younger team last year with a lot of guys returning, and hopefully, the experience from last year will help us,” Sefcik says. “I’m expecting to compete for the conference title and get back to a 20-win team.”
With a balanced mix of experienced seniors and juniors as well as up-and-coming young talent, the Redhawks are looking to prove they can hang with the best. If their early season performances are any indication, they have the potential to make some serious noise as the season progresses.
