It’s that time of year again, and opening day for Sturgis baseball is just a few days away. After a respectable regular season record of 8-8 followed by a loss to West Bridgewater in the state tournament last year, the Storm will seek victory as they open up against Nantucket away this Saturday.
One of the keys to success this year for Sturgis will definitely be senior captain Kyle Garvey, who has been quite the player in his Sturgis career and looks to continue his excellence in his final season.
“Well, I think we will go 10 and 6 this year,” Garvey projected in an interview with Stormwatch reporter Jacob Tobey.
Garvey did not shy away from sharing his own lofty goals for the season as well: “Personally, I am trying to win 8 games as a pitcher, hit .600 [batting average], make states, and win in the states. I also want to set the Sturgis pitching record for most wins.”
Ever since Sturgis baseball has been around, several teams have made it to the state tournament but have never moved on past the first round.
Senior captain Connor Bryant commented on this annual obstacle, “We have always said, ‘we need to make the tournament' and we do, but we never get past that first game. This year, our coach's idea for a word to describe our season is ‘more.’ We need to want more, no matter how far we go. This year, our goal is not only to make the tournament, but to be the first Sturgis team to win a game in the tournament."
That desire that the team holds will take them a long way and hopefully propel them to success in the tournament. Bryant preaches leadership as he will try to direct a team with three underclassman in the starting lineup and seven underclassmen on the varsity squad overall.
"I try my best to lead by example, but I am not the most athletically talented kid, per se, but on the field, I try to be loud, always cheering on my teammates and just giving instructions.”
With a ratio of eight upperclassmen to seven underclassmen on the varsity roster, chemistry is another big piece of the puzzle in putting a winning team out on the field. Bryant stated, “The team this year is the closest one I have been a part of in my four years [at Sturgis]...Chemistry is key for our team; it is what has made us successful in the past when our level of talent was lower. Now, our chemistry is what is going to put us over the top this year."
The Storm clearly want to do well this season, as last season was a disappointment in some of the players’ eyes because Kyle Garvey had injured his back in the first inning of the state tournament game and couldn’t pitch the rest of the way. Sturgis went on to lose 10-2 to West Bridgewater.
When asked about which game he looks forward to the most, Garvey answered, “Probably Nantucket because we have never beaten them and we should have last year, but we never did” (Sturgis lost 5-3 and 6-2 last year). Seeing that this is the first opponent on their schedule, Saturday’s game should be one to remember as the Storm travel across Nantucket Sound, ready to check off their first win of many in 2013.
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