The 2010 season is around the corner…

Can you smell it? The fresh cut grass? The chalk from the base lines? Spring Training is here and the 2010 season is right around the corner. We are just two weeks away from our season-opening series in Kannapolis, N.C., against the Golden Griffins of Canisius College. Our team is excited and eager to play that first game, however, there’s still a lot of work to do.

So far, practice has been very productive for us as a team. Thanks to the weather, we have been fortunate enough to be able to get out on our field for team defense. Reviewing bunt defenses, run downs, first and third plays and relays on the field is a much better option then doing them indoors. The pitchers have been throwing early morning bullpens and doing a great job in the weight room. The position players are getting their cuts in and working diligently on their defensive game. The guys have been working hard and the team chemistry has been awesome.

The Blackbirds have gotten some great leadership out of our upperclassmen and have received great efforts from our freshmen so far this year. Coach Maines has stressed preparation, attention to detail, communication and mental toughness to our team on what seems to be a minute-to-minute basis. He explains every day that the college baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. Last year we were 4-4 and in second place in the NEC after two weeks of conference play. Feeling good about ourselves, knowing that if we pitched, played defense and continued to swing the bats well, we’d be fighting for a playoff spot six weeks down the road. Over the next few weeks we sustained some injuries to our pitching staff and just never overcame the adversity. The reminder of the season being a marathon and not a sprint was never clearer to our team. From all bad comes good and our season was a learning experience. Our team has done a great job on learning from last year and turning the page to the future.

Before I go, congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning their first Super Bowl title. It’s great to see New Orleans have something to celebrate after all of the hurt they have endured since Katrina. Who dat!

-Coach Noto