On Saturday, June 4th, BNL Coach Kris Moseley held a “Modified Baseball Showcase and Hitting Derby” for members of the team. In the Showcase, players moving on to the JV or Varsity levels were able to demonstrate their baseball skills in front of Varsity Coach Chris Bonaquisti, along with their teammates, parents, and other spectators. Those participating showed off their baserunning speed, their ability to steal a base against a live pitcher, as well show off their infield and outfield fielding and throwing mechanics.
Coach Bonacquisti offered feedback during and after each drill and stayed after to talk with the players and discuss performance, what to work on in the off-season, and what to expect at the next levels of competition.
“We are going to be a good team in this conference and these steps are necessary for this to happen. All the kids that showed up did a good job in a lot of the areas. As a whole, they work hard, run the bases really well, and are coachable,” Coach Bonacquisti.
Following the Showcase, all members of the team were invited to participate in a “Hitting Derby” to end the season with some friendly competition. As home runs are difficult for this age group and due to the nature of the field, players needed to focus on contact with the baseball to score points. They were divided into two balanced competitive groupings. After multiple elimination rounds, emerging as winner of Group A was Thomas Durfor and runner-up was Chase Maxon. The winner of Group B was Anthony Wood and runner-up was Gabe Smith.
Coach Moseley added, “I wanted to come up with a way to conclude our season that would also serve to help players look forward to next year. This Modified group made tremendous progress and I wanted that progress to be seen. We also want to build enthusiasm around this program and develop a positive culture around baseball here in Berlin/New Lebanon. This event allowed players to demonstrate their abilities while their skills were at their peak.
With Coach Bonacquisti and other observers’ feedback, these kids can gain an understanding of what they need to work on to compete at the next level, whether that’s technical skills, tactical understanding, or both. Hopefully, the players, parents, and Coaches found value in this event. I see a lot of potential in this group, and we should all be excited for what is to come with BNL Baseball.” -Source Coach Moseley
Photos- Mr. Turetsky