jen brace/submitted photoThe Cabrini baseball club has quietly broken barriers and significantly improved since its inception only three years ago.
The team of 22 dedicated players is arguably the best it’s been since the club began in 2004.
The Cabrini baseball club is a member of the National Club Baseball Association. A fairly new club on campus, the growth of the team has gradually increased since it was started by a group of 15 students.
Like many teams, the club is currently participating in a fall wooden bat league in the National Adult Baseball Association. So far, they have assembled a record of 2-2-1 playing teams in New Jersey that include former minor league players.
This year, the team is taking a huge step in competition with games scheduled against New York University and Hofstra. The program plans to take a further step in raising the money necessary to pay for the trips up to New York.
Since the team began, it has depended on fundraisers and a small amount of money allocated from Cabrini to support the equipment and fees needed to sustain the program. With dances, an athletic calendar and player dues, the team has been able to support itself and become a respected member of the NCBA.
The team is led by captains Matt Warren and Anthony Vellutato. With six seniors also leading the way, the team has high hopes for the more vital spring season.
The team has already met and defeated the supposed best team in the league with a score of 9-1. Facing the better teams in the division early on, the team has been unexpectedly received with great praise.
“People were surprised we could compete with the best teams in the league. This year’s team has the potential to go to state this year,” Anthony Vellutato, senior graphic design major and captain, said.
The bench runs deep according to Vellutato, with at least three people able to play each position, an important factor in determining how successful they will be this year.
A good mix of players has turned out each year, Vellutato said. “Most guys come out and see how dedicated we really are. We get a good mix of interesting guys who really love the game.”
Bobby Moren, a senior religious studies major, said he expects to win the fall league and go at least .500 in the spring. Moren is one of the few players who handles the finances and scheduling for the club.
Though content with a club team, the players all hope to someday bring Cabrini baseball to the Division III level. Last year, the players put together a 22-page proposal and an hour-and-a-half presentation on their aspirations for the future of the program.
Vellutato said the presentation was received well and that the athletic directors told them they hope to one day soon bring the club up to the collegiate level and maybe even build a field on campus.
Though the club has no official web site, they’ve created one on Facebook, making it easy to access directions to game sites, schedules, photos and league records.
The team will play the Camden Young Guns in Camden, N.J. on Sunday, Oct. 21 and the Tri-state Titans in Pittsgrove, N.J. on Saturday, Oct. 27 each at 10 a.m. The next home game is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28 at Eastern University versus the Camden Braves at 12:30 p.m.
