LYNN — Just like many others in his position, Classical baseball coach Mike Zukowksi can’t help but feel for his handful of seniors whose seasons have been put in question due to the coronavirus epidemic. But one thing he can appreciate in these times is how well his squad of Rams are handling the situation.
“I feel so bad,” Zukowski said. “It’s such a big year and supposed to be a fun time of the year for them. For the seniors, you really want to go out on a winning note and I’ve really been at a loss for words on what to say to them. Thankfully, from what I’ve seen they’re handling it tremendously with their attitudes.”
That group is led by a pair of senior captains in Aidan Dow and Jared DeFillipo. Both were set to put the finishing touches on great careers on the diamond and on the mound for the Rams before the season was delayed.
“I was really looking forward to this year,” Dow said. “You look at all the guys we had coming back and we were going to have a really scrappy team. I think we could’ve made a good run and hopefully at some point we still can.”
“I feel the same way the rest of the team feels,” DeFillipo said. “We’ve been looking forward to this season for a long time and spent so much time preparing for it. Having that taken away has been tough.”
Being named team captains is reason enough to look forward to a season, but Dow and DeFillipo haven’t had much of a chance to step into those roles this spring.
“Being a captain your senior year, it’s exciting,” DeFillipo said. “But I think that it’s been hard having it happen this year. Going into our senior season we really want to end on a good note.”
The pair have tried to stay positive during the little conversation they’ve been able to have with their teammates and coaches.
“We’re trying to keep things as positive as you can,” Dow said. “Even if it’s a brief conversation, we text each other and we’re also all trying to workout however we can on our own.”
Zukowski has tried to keep his team up to date with the latest news through text, but he often finds his players one step ahead of himself in that regard.
“They’re all chomping at the bit to get out there,” Zukowski said. “We have a text thread and I’m trying to keep them informed on the latest but some of them even know it before me. Right now we all have to do what we have to do as a community and let the chips fall as they may.
“Everyone is holding their breath right now,” Zukowski said. “It’s really going to come down to what (Massachusetts) Governor Charlie Baker decides is best for getting the kids back in school.”
Like every team, the Rams have struggled to prepare however they can for a possible season. Dow and DeFillipo have been taking swings however they can.
“It’s a really tough time,” Dow said. “Obviously we’d rather be out there on the field. I’ve been hitting in my driveway into a net off a tee and working out inside the house.”
“We’ve all been doing the most we can do without the rest of the team,” DeFillipo said. “I’ve been working out and using a tee, but other than that it’s tough not being on the field.”
Dow, who committed to play baseball at St. Anselm earlier this year, has also seen his early preparations for next season take a hit.
“Thinking about next year, I’ve been looking to text some of the guys up that have been up there already and try to build some good relationships with the team already,” Dow said. “I was actually supposed to stay at a cousin’s place in New Hampshire to meet one of my teammates before all this happened, but we had to cancel.”
As for DeFillipo’s future plans, the shortstop and pitcher received offers to play baseball at several schools but couldn’t find the right fit to continue his education. DeFillipo will be attending UMass Lowell and plans on trying to walk onto the baseball team.
