A year ago, the Boys’ Varsity Baseball was in a similar situation. In a season that seemed destined to end in at least a Section 1 title, the team fell short in a devastating first-round loss to the bottom seed Croton. Coming into this year, all of the returning players knew it would have to be different.

“We realized that improving with every game and practice would be important to be at our best when playoffs come around,” said Senior Captain Jack Ryan. Ryan is committed to play Division 1 baseball at the College of William & Mary while his teammates Quinten Cooleen and Spencer McCann are also set to play in college next year. Coolen is committed to play Division 1 at the University of Albany and McCann will play Division 3 at Claremont McKenna. Noah Campo will playing baseball at McGill University in Canada.

“My favorite part is that I know they will always be ready to play and that if we play at the level we are capable of, our talent should always win out,” Ryan said about playing with two other college-committed pitchers.

With the amount of next-level talent at the position, it is clear pitching is the strong point of this year’s squad. Along with them, Matt Juvelier has stepped up in a big way with Ryan temporarily out of the rotation. He is 3-0 on the season including a no- hitter against Irvington. His most recent win came against previously- undefeated Pleasantville, who the Bears defeated 15-2. In this game, Senior 3B/1B Noah Campo, hit for the cycle, including a grand slam, to power the team to an 8-1 record. Despite an early season loss to Croton, it seems as if the Bears have hit their stride in recent games. When Ryan returns to the pitching lineup the potential on the mound and in the record books is undeniably high. However, the lack of a section championship from last year is a constant reminder that no matter how good you may be, you can always get better and running into one hot opposing pitcher can unravel anything.