not sure what to think
Man, a couple local teams have been struggling lately. It's getting late in the season, close to playoff time, and I hope its just a blip on the radar for them, but it makes me wonder.
First off, the Berlin baseball team has lost four in a row. Now, to be honest, at the start of the season I did not expect them to be as good as they seemed when they were 12-0. But by the same token, I would never have guessed they'd lose four in a row. I can't even imagine when the last time Berlin baseball lost four in a row was. They've all been close, and I assume the Redcoats will start playing better again. I'll say this, history shows us that Leo Veleas gets his team ready for the postseason, and playing the best at that time.
I'm most confused by the play of the Southington softball team. Coming into the season, most people figured the Knights would struggle a little bit pitching. Nothing against the pitchers they have, but it is tough to replace somebody like Niki Davenport. But the pitching's been pretty solid, not just Sarah Lempicki, but Brittany Volpe as well.
What's shocking is the way the Knights defense has played, making sloppy mistakes, and costly ones in a couple of losses. Perhaps just as surprising is how the offense, once imagined to be a juggernaut, is failing to score runs, such as in a 2-0 loss to Simsbury on Tuesday. There are simply too many good, experienced hitters for this team to get shut out like that.
Up until now, I was willing to give the Knights the benefit of the doubt. While they had three losses, two of them were to Bristol Eastern, and one was to Rockville, a team they should have beaten, but a very good team. Simsbury is slightly below Rockville based on what I've seen, but still a good team. Yet, these are the kind of losses that great teams don't accumulate.
Maybe this Knights team simply isn't great. There's not much shame in being very good, but this team has the talent to be great and just hasn't lived up to it.
It will be most interesting to see if they wake up before the end of May, or it could be their shortest postseason in a long time.
Meanwhile, a couple other teams just keep winning. And since I'm talking softball, it's time to give the New Britain Hurricanes their due. For several years the 'Canes have beaten up on a soft schedule that coach Mimi Parks wishes they didn't have to play. She knows it gets them nowhere, and just gives a false sense of security, not preparing them for when they play even average opponents. They have posted some good records in the past but have been average against good teams.
Well, this year, they have made the next step. No, I don't consider them a true title contender in Class LL, mostly because of the depth and talent at the top of that class (Masuk, Cheshire, Trumbull, etc.). And they did lose 3-0 to Southington earlier, so they haven't been able to overtake their rivals just yet.
But, the Hurricanes have some solid wins against teams like E.O. Smith, Simsbury, East Hartford and Glastonbury. They also close with a good set of challenges, with G-Bury, Manchester, Simsbury and Southington a second time each.
I'm interested to see how they deal with Manchester, who's pitcher (Leone) shut them down last time around. If they get through that, why not take a good shot at Southington. If Simsbury can beat the Knights, New Britain's got the talent for it.
(But know that the Knights will do whatever they can to prevent that from happening. Despite the lopsided nature of it, this is the rare rivalry that still means something to both teams.)
Then there are the Wethersfield and Newington baseball teams, both with only two losses, and neither of whom I expected to do this well before the season. Both have had their share of good fortune, but both have also played well and had some surprise players step up and be very good. The most telling thing about each team is that it is hard to say who the best player on each team is. There are several candidates but none stand out definitively.
It's gotten to the point where these teams seem blessed. Perhaps it will continue.
First off, the Berlin baseball team has lost four in a row. Now, to be honest, at the start of the season I did not expect them to be as good as they seemed when they were 12-0. But by the same token, I would never have guessed they'd lose four in a row. I can't even imagine when the last time Berlin baseball lost four in a row was. They've all been close, and I assume the Redcoats will start playing better again. I'll say this, history shows us that Leo Veleas gets his team ready for the postseason, and playing the best at that time.
I'm most confused by the play of the Southington softball team. Coming into the season, most people figured the Knights would struggle a little bit pitching. Nothing against the pitchers they have, but it is tough to replace somebody like Niki Davenport. But the pitching's been pretty solid, not just Sarah Lempicki, but Brittany Volpe as well.
What's shocking is the way the Knights defense has played, making sloppy mistakes, and costly ones in a couple of losses. Perhaps just as surprising is how the offense, once imagined to be a juggernaut, is failing to score runs, such as in a 2-0 loss to Simsbury on Tuesday. There are simply too many good, experienced hitters for this team to get shut out like that.
Up until now, I was willing to give the Knights the benefit of the doubt. While they had three losses, two of them were to Bristol Eastern, and one was to Rockville, a team they should have beaten, but a very good team. Simsbury is slightly below Rockville based on what I've seen, but still a good team. Yet, these are the kind of losses that great teams don't accumulate.
Maybe this Knights team simply isn't great. There's not much shame in being very good, but this team has the talent to be great and just hasn't lived up to it.
It will be most interesting to see if they wake up before the end of May, or it could be their shortest postseason in a long time.
Meanwhile, a couple other teams just keep winning. And since I'm talking softball, it's time to give the New Britain Hurricanes their due. For several years the 'Canes have beaten up on a soft schedule that coach Mimi Parks wishes they didn't have to play. She knows it gets them nowhere, and just gives a false sense of security, not preparing them for when they play even average opponents. They have posted some good records in the past but have been average against good teams.
Well, this year, they have made the next step. No, I don't consider them a true title contender in Class LL, mostly because of the depth and talent at the top of that class (Masuk, Cheshire, Trumbull, etc.). And they did lose 3-0 to Southington earlier, so they haven't been able to overtake their rivals just yet.
But, the Hurricanes have some solid wins against teams like E.O. Smith, Simsbury, East Hartford and Glastonbury. They also close with a good set of challenges, with G-Bury, Manchester, Simsbury and Southington a second time each.
I'm interested to see how they deal with Manchester, who's pitcher (Leone) shut them down last time around. If they get through that, why not take a good shot at Southington. If Simsbury can beat the Knights, New Britain's got the talent for it.
(But know that the Knights will do whatever they can to prevent that from happening. Despite the lopsided nature of it, this is the rare rivalry that still means something to both teams.)
Then there are the Wethersfield and Newington baseball teams, both with only two losses, and neither of whom I expected to do this well before the season. Both have had their share of good fortune, but both have also played well and had some surprise players step up and be very good. The most telling thing about each team is that it is hard to say who the best player on each team is. There are several candidates but none stand out definitively.
It's gotten to the point where these teams seem blessed. Perhaps it will continue.
posted by Ryan Pipke at
1:50 AM
3 Comments
