The Cabrini University men’s baseball team traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for a spring break series of games. The Cavaliers experienced beautiful weather while doing what they love, playing baseball together. The team played a total of four games against Eastern University, Bridgewater College, and John Jay College, finishing the round robin at an even 2-2.
There have been many spring break trips for this team, but this one was special: it was the last. Senior catcher Oscar Bautz said, “Knowing this was our last spring break trip together as a team was something I won’t forget. Being able to wake up for a week, have beautiful weather and play the game we all love with guys who are like family is something I won’t forget. The way we got closer is something I won’t forget either.”
Hot start, rocky middle, strong finish
The Cavaliers got off to a hot start with a statement win against Eastern in the battle of Eagle Road. The final score was 7-1. Following the big win, the Cavaliers faced some adversity as they fell to Bridgewater in a double header. The first game saw a 6-2 loss followed by a 20-18 shootout.
Following the losses, the Cavaliers had to dig deep to get revenge and come home with an even win-loss percentage. Sophomore infielder Colin Stocklin said, “We felt like we needed to come back after our two losses against Bridgewater. “We needed to come back home on a winning note, and we wanted to show we have what it takes to win with the limited numbers we have on the roster.”
Two days later, the Cavaliers proved the locker room right as they came together and dominated John Jay in a much-needed win 14-4.
Graduate outfielder Dustin Sutton earned a spot in the weekly honor roll with his performance on the trip. A Cabrini athletics post states, “The Cavaliers’ leadoff hitter recorded 5 hits and 5 walks, crossing the plate 8 times in total. He’d have a double, a triple, a homerun, and 3 stolen bases during the week. Defensively, Sutton maintained his perfect fielding percentage as he’d record 8 putouts in center field.”
More than results
When it comes to sports, there is one thing more important than the wins and the losses, and that’s the experience as a team. Bautz said, “The hotel brings you back to the tournament days when we played Little League. Obviously, we were there for business, but you’re with your teammates and you are hanging out with the team doing everything together.”
“We got close off the field and that is something we will always remember, plus the hotel accommodations were great, and people love college athletes, so we were able to tell our story to the people we met,” he recalled fondly. “The past two years we went down, we always made memories, but this one meant something more to us, this small group of guys.”
This close-knitted team made some magic over spring break and will continue to do so as the season goes on. They’re off to a good start, but are not even close to finished as they have twenty games left in the regular season. The Cavaliers rank third in the Atlantic East standings with a record of 7-4 and hope to make some noise in conference play and potentially send Cabrini out on top with an Atlantic East Championship.
The team’s next outing will take on Kean University in Union, N.J. on Saturday, Mar. 23.
