On Monday, April 14th, the BFA Bobwhites faced off against the Burlington Seahorses for their opening day game. Head Coach, Dylan Newton, and Assistant Coach, Matthew Brault, were interviewed about the game. The Bobwhites battled hard and played smart, giving them a 9-4 win over the Seahorses. The biggest factor in helping the offense’s scoring of 9 runs was the preparation going into the game.
The Bobwhites have been practicing their bunting abilities, which causes the opposing team to play real defense, and makes shifts in the field that open gaps for them later in the game. This season, Coach Newton plans on using the team’s major speed factor with upcoming games, which comes with being very aggressive on the basepaths, getting bunts down to move runners into scoring position, having the opposing team on their toes, and putting the pressure on them to make the plays.
Being the first game of the season, they were able to see the team’s ace, Carson Neveau back on the mound. This created a lot of energy, keeping the team engaged throughout the game and confident in not only his abilities to pitch, but the players abilities as well.
Following the first away game win the Bobwhites have had in two years, the approach to start the season off was to be as aggressive as possible. Winning as many games as they can early in the season won’t just prove that they’re good, but will prove to all competing schools that the Bobwhites are better than how they portrayed themselves last year.
This year, one of the main goals is to keep the energy and focus up throughout the entire game. Last year, the Bobwhites struggled with their ability to stay focused during their games, which caused the team to make more errors that would snowball into a sloppy defense and no offense. To change the energy and mindset, players must self reflect. But with the team they have and the bonds they’ve built over the years, the energy will stay up throughout the game.
Up-and-coming player and Freshman Zeb Desaro, will play a huge role on the team this year. Desaro moved from JV to Varsity after proving to the team and coaches that he belongs there. His positive attitude, abilities to play different positions all around the diamond, and his contact make him a viable asset to the team. Coach Newton said, “He’s the future”. With Desaro being the leader of the freshman pack, he sees a very bright future in our baseball program.
Evan Marchasseault being the “Juice Player Of The Game”, had an incredible day at the plate going 2-4 with 2 doubles and all contact flying to the deepest parts of the field. His vision, contact, speed, and power will keep him hitting at the top of the order, and possibly moving to the 2nd spot in the batting order. Evan showed off all of the work that he put into baseball off-season. Even after missing a month’s worth of practicing due to pneumonia, he fought hard and worked harder to gain back all of the time that he lost. Evan Marchasseault is a true 5-tool player who’s shown his confidence and aggressiveness at the plate. This game was just a sneak peek of what to expect throughout the season. He will have an incredible breakout senior season.