LYNN — A year removed from losing in the state championship game, the St. Mary’s baseball team is on a quest to get back to the title game and is off to a sizzling start sitting at 11-1. On Wednesday, the Spartans clinched a berth in the postseason after a 10-0 win against Archbishop Williams.
Despite the strong start, however, Head Coach Derek Dana is making sure his team takes it “one game at a time.”
“It’s definitely in their minds [to get back to the title game], but you can’t get there without going through the season. We keep talking about how we need to go from game to game. The most important game of the season is the game you’re playing that day. We’re trying to keep them focused on that,” Dana said.
The Spartans return the vast majority of their team, which includes a star-studded pitching rotation.
“The pitching has been excellent. We have five to six guys who have innings behind them this season. They’ve stepped up. Sometimes they go the distance, sometimes we have to go to the next guy and the next guy has been ready,” Dana said. “That’s what has been propelling us so far this season. Our defense has been pretty good so far too.”
Two of the pitchers back for St. Mary’s are Josh Doney and Jack Zimmerman. Both Doney and Zimmerman played a key role in St. Mary’s powering through the postseason.
“It’s huge to have them back,” Dana said. “Josh has been pitching in big games in the state tournament and this is his third season doing that. Zimmerman had a great year last year which was his first time on varsity. He’s off to an even better start this year. They know how to take care of their arms, and the coaching staff have done a great job preparing and caring for the kids.”
Not only do the Spartans return core players, but they welcome back Cam McGonagle who missed last year’s season due to injury.
“As a sophomore, he was our leading hitter. He was starting to heat up on the mound as well before he got hurt,” Dana said. “The last time he threw before this year was against St. John’s Prep in a 2-1 game where he struck out two or three in an inning and a third. We missed him last year and he’s now knocking off the rust and has been doing very well on the mound and at the plate.”
McGonagle will bring more power to the offense as hitting was an area where Dana wants to see more “consistency”.
“I’d like for us to start having a bit more consistent hitting. Against Archbishop Williams, we didn’t have a run through seven innings and then we scored 10 in the eighth inning,” Dana said. “I’d like to be a bit more consistent on offense.”
There have been a few members of the team that Dana has praised for their work ethic and getting the job done when called upon.
“Jackson Finn as a sophomore didn’t get a lot of time, but this year he’s been getting time on the mound and he’s looked very good. He’s been in the mix for the outfield too, he’s taken a big jump,” Dana said. “We have a sophomore in Chase Collins and a freshman, Jackson Barrett, that have really embraced their roles as pinch runners. Although that doesn’t sound glamorous, Chase leads the team in runs scored and Barrett is up there in stolen bases and runs. When they get on the base path they’re creating havoc.”
St. Mary’s will look to win its twelfth game of the season on Saturday when the Spartans travel to Bishop Fenwick for a showdown against the Crusaders at 11 a.m.
