New manager, fresh start, key for Warriors

TROY, N.Y. » Heading into the 2018 season, the Averill Park Warriors baseball team is hopeful a combination of leadership both old and new will get them to where they want to be. After missing out on sectionals in 2017, new skipper George Brooks boasts as senior laden squad with eyes on a postseason berth. A fact Brooks is keen on. “We got four seniors here and nine as a whole, so any time you have a team full of seniors that have a little bit of extra experience, that goes a long way,” Brooks said. “These guys are determined, they haven’t had a ton of success in the last handful of years and now that they’re seniors they essentially want to go out with a better season, a positive season.”

Brooks’ players echoed the excitement of an opportunity for a fresh start.

“Coach Brooks is new this year. He’s brought a whole new outlook to the program,” Warriors first baseman Nathan Lipinski

“We have a whole new mentality and we’re all as a team buying into his way of playing the game. I think we’re really looking good for the season so far.”

“I think we’re going to get the best team possible out there,” infielder Luke Pascarella said. “We’re just going to compete in every game we’re in. At the end of the season if that’s good enough to make sectionals and hopefully compete for a title then that’s what we’ll do.”

The group with nine seniors, seven juniors and four sophomores, is working hard in spite of limitations caused by the elements of the Northeast.

“They’ve been working super hard. Nobody wants to be in the gym but at the end of the day I keep telling these guys the teams that work hard in the gym are the ones that tend to make it a little bit further, late in the season,” Brooks said. “These guys are excited. I think we’re all excited. Ultimately we’re trying to keep things fresh and keeping people involved throughout the practices is ideal, it’s a long month. You try to limit as much downtime as you can but at the same time baseball’s that kind of a sport, it’s a slower paced sport and you try to fine tune the little things so that you’re ready to go when the games begin, because the first time you get outside might be your first game, so you’ve got to try to simulate the games in the gym.”

Warriors’ third baseman Matthew Romano and UAlbany bound pitcher Anthony Germinerio, reiterated the mantra of hard work in the gym.

“This year, what we’re trying to do is just work as hard as we can every time we go on that field, just work as hard as we can and put our best team out there,” Romano said.

“This year we’re determined to go out there and play as hard as we possibly can,” Germinerio said. “All of the guys have been working hard and we’re looking to compete in the Suburban Council, so it should be a good year.”

“These guys have been doing fantastic,” Brooks said. “Being a first-year coach, I couldn’t be happier with the effort so far, so that part’s exciting.”

It’s the beauty of baseball and springtime, a fresh clean slate.