The worst winter in recent memory is drawing to a close and the spring thaw is near, and even through this winter has left the ground covered in snow for weeks now, our game has returned as it has for more than 100 years. The great American game has finally returned to the campus on Columbia Point and the Beacons are ready to improve on last season’s 21-16 record, the best in school history.
The coaching staff and players have been practicing in the Clark Athletic Center since early in February in preparation for their season opener in Fort Myers, Florida March 15 against Suffolk University. It is these practices that Coach Mark Bettencourt believes will bring the team closer together and get them in shape for the upcoming 40 game season.
Sitting down with the coach you learn his philosophy and his three keys to winning, “Discipline, dedication, and work ethic.” In talking about the upcoming season he is optimistic, in speaking of last season he is unsatisfied, “It was great to win 21 games last season and I’m happy with the effort from last year’s team.” He goes on to say, “I will never be satisfied…Last year is over, we’ve been working hard to make sure that we continue to get better.”
So how does the coach plan to improve on last year’s success? The Beacon’s leader points towards several returning players, such as Adam Waxman (.363, 6 HR, 32 RBI), Mike McGonagle (.429, 3 HR, 13 RBI), Jim McDonough (.423, 10 RBI, 22 SB), and John Tekela (.361, 3 HR, 16 RBI) to anchor the offense while Mike DiLalla (2-3), Marco Acosta (5-1), and Ryan Barrack (2-1) are expected to shoulder much of the load on the mound.
Assistant Coach Todd Carroll, who spends much of his time with the pitchers, says, “Things are looking good for us, we’ve got several guys that can work the ball around the strike zone.” In addition to this nucleus of returning players, the Beacons have added a few new faces, including freshman shortstop Mike Yagmin from Connecticut and third baseman Jason Burch from Texas. Last year’s team outscored their opponents 313 to 264. This year’s Beacon squad will have to fill some holes left by graduating players that accounted for 15 homeruns and 99 runs batted in.
The UMB team will have to play superbly on defense since they will be going head to head with some of the best Division III talent in the country. Coach Bettencourt said, “Pitching and defense is the key to any successful season, and I think we have a group of guys here that have worked very hard and I’m looking forward to seeing the results on the field.”
He went on to add that this year’s team has a lot of talent, but he is most impressed with their hard work, “It seems like I’m saying this every year, but I think this year’s team is the hardest working group that I’ve had in my time here.”
In speaking with the players on the team, many of whom are in the best shape of their lives, they are optimistic about the upcoming season and looking forward to their first game in Florida. Their attitude is best summed up by the note on their locker room message board, “Go hard, or go home”. Nobody’s leaving.