Printer Friendly Version - Rams Baseball Ready to Grow on Dominant Season

Junior captain Connor Lane will look to help lead the Rams as a force on the mound this spring after being named to the All-Shoreline Conference First Team last season. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/Harbor News

Edward Devaney will look to do his part as a returning infielder/catcher for an Old Saybrook baseball team that finished the regular season with a 14-5 record last year. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/Harbor News

Despite the dominant numbers the Old Saybrook baseball team produced on the diamond last season, they ultimately fell short of their goal: to win a state title. With a team full of many new faces this spring, the Rams hope to restore the dominance they showed among the competition and push towards postseason hardware.

Head Coach Ryan Fraser is currently in his second season as the bench boss and has three captains to help pull the reins this season: John Witczak (senior pitcher/outfielder), Marlin Stavola (senior pitcher/infielder), and Connor Lane (junior catcher/pitcher). Fraser trusts each of them to serve as good role models for the new players, primarily through their actions and behaviors.

“The biggest thing that I have been stressing to the captains is to lead by example. We have a lot of new pieces on the team this year,” said Fraser. “It is important that the new players start to understand and establish the routines developed within the program.”

The Rams compete in the Shoreline Athletic Conference and are among the Class M schools. Last season, Old Saybrook finished the campaign with a perfect 9-0 conference record and claimed the Shoreline title for the first time in 40 years. Lane was named to the All-Shoreline First Team, and Auggie Albert (junior, first baseman) was named to the All-Shoreline Second Team.

Overall, the Rams finished with a record of 14-5 and were the No. 4 seed for state tournament action. Despite being a top-5 seed, Old Saybrook fell in the first round of the Class S State Tournament to the 29-seeded Windsor Locks by a 5-2 score. Hoping to build on last year’s run, Fraser wants to see his players continue the special family-like dynamic that was set.

“Something that was unique and special about our team last year was the bond between each of the players. They loved being around one another and pushing one another to be great. I have never coached a team that spent so much time together,” said Fraser. “We graduated six tremendous baseball players, but more importantly, six great human beings and leaders. We hope to continue those bonds and hold one another accountable between teammates this year (led by the captains) where players strive to get better not just for themselves, but for their teammates.”

Fraser also noted that last year’s athletes were willing to do what was best to help the team succeed, even if it meant stepping into a position they were less familiar with.

“We preach that regardless of your role, we need you to strive to be excellent in it on a daily basis to help make the team successful,” said Fraser.

The Rams have nine returning players from last year, including Witczak, Stavola, Lane, Albert, Ed Devaney (junior, infielder/catcher), Nick Denovellis (junior, outfielder), Charlie Carmichael (sophomore, infielder/outfielder), Connor Barry (sophomore, outfielder), and Griffin Velardi (sophomore, outfielder).

Whether an athlete falls into the category of being returning or new, each one of them plays a special part within the squad and they are each expected to step up, whatever their role may be.

“Each player in the program has a role. That could be from getting on base at a high rate to being the best bookkeeper in the conference,” said Fraser. “The coaching staff expects each player to be reliable and dependable in their role to make this team special.”

Old Saybrook played its first game of the season on the road on April 3, grabbing a 14-4 victory over the Westbrook Knights. In the contest, the Rams had 11 total hits. Notable players included Lane, Barry, Stavola, and Carmichael, who all had multiple hits. Lane recorded three hits over three at bats.

With a new group of faces swinging the bats can sometimes bring uncertainty and a lack of confidence, but Fraser’s main focus is to gain that familiarity and toughness in each player and their individual skills on the field.

“I look forward to watching this team grow in their physical attributes on the field, but also their confidence and knowledge around the game of baseball. We have a lot of new pieces that are playing positions or playing at a level outside of their comfort zone,” said Fraser. “My hope is that players remain positive, confident, and strive to play our best baseball and develop an identity as the season goes on.”

On April 5, the Rams played against the Portland Highlanders and lost by a final score of 8-4. Witczak took his first loss of the season, lasting just two and a third innings on the mound. He gave up four hits and five runs, however, struck out three hitters along the way. Lane also went yard in the sixth inning for Old Saybrook. He went 2-3 at the plate, leading the team in hits.

The Rams roster is comprised of Michael Kapij (senior, outfielder), Aedan Reynolds (sophomore, outfielder), Witczak, Stavola, Devaney, Lane, Denovellis, William Albert (junior, first base), Barry, Velardi, Wyatt Pennington (freshman, infielder), Aidan Devaney (freshman, infielder), Lucas Hodge-Terrerri (freshman, first base/outfielder), Michael Flores (freshman, outfielder), Jackson Marcello (freshman, first base), Tim Ferraina (freshman, third base/outfielder), and Tyler Guthrie (freshman, outfielder).