LAMBERT REFLECTS
Spa Catholic Baseball Head Coach Alphonse Lambert reflects on a missed 2020
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY » The Saratoga Catholic Saints baseball team was planning on going into the 2020 season with five seniors, two of whom are committed to play Division 1 sports. Head Coach Alphonse Lambert was looking forward to seeing what this group would be able to accomplish.
“We had six great practices and I felt at though we were going to be surprising teams. The team chemistry was there, it just felt good. Then, all of a sudden, it was taken away. It’s understandable, a world pandemic is much bigger than the game of baseball, but at the same time it still hurt.” Lambert said.
“When our season ended, I told the guys that I loved them and that they were still a team. Nobody is going to take that away from you and I’ll be honest, I shed a tear. This is important to be, baseball is my life. It’s what I do here and it’s important to the kids. I couldn’t tell you how many texts and emails I had apologizing for the end of the season. But it is what it is and we have to more forward.”
At Saratoga Catholic, it is typical for student-athletes
spend three to five years playing varsity sports, due to the small nature of the school.
“We have some seniors who have put together three to four good years and they wanted to defend their league championship,” Lambert said, who holds a special place for this 2020 group.
“We’re going to take a team picture and that picture is going to go in our trophy case. I’m going to remember this team.”
The seniors this year were Aidan Khoury, Dante Marin, Andrew Macpherson, Jordan Catone and Nick Winslow. Winslow was the captain.
“Nick is a very special kid, in the fact that he trains year-round. There are kids that like baseball and there’s kids that love baseball. Nick really loves baseball. He’s constantly swinging the bat,” Lambert said of his catcher and UAlbany commit.
Dante Marin, a Siena men’s soccer commit would have played centerfield and pitched for the Saints.
“Dante is a heck of a baseball player. Instinctively, he’s probably one of the best centerfielders I’ve ever coached.”
Lambert continued, discussing each senior.
“Nick is tremendous behind the plate. Jordan is a very, very smooth fielding shortstop. He’s a vacuum. Aidan can play all three outfield positions terrifically and is a clutch hitter. Andrew has improved tremendously on the mound for us and would have been the starting right fielder for us this year.”
“These are high character kids and they are going to be missed. They are all very good student-athletes. We had a combined average of over 90%.”
While Saratoga Catholic is by no means the largest school in Section 2, they have their fair share of student-athletes playing sports at the next level.
“I would put us up against anyone’s in the Capital District, the way we run our program here. We’ve done a nice job of competing against the larger school and developing our own talent. Fortunately
for us, we’ve had a string of great ballplayers over the years.”
Along with Winslow and Marin going to UAlbany and Siena, Jordan Catone will be playing Division 3 baseball at Dean College in Franklin, MA.
Something Lambert preaches to his players is to get involved in the community, off the baseball field and outside the classroom. There are multiple organizations that he works with for community service events. While they weren’t able to hold their charity baseball game this year for Kelly’s Angels, the team raised $2,305 by organizing a 5K run.
“You’re a teacher as a coach and one of the things you have to do as a coach is be a positive influence on your players. Not only to get good grades, giving the best effort or being a good person, but you also have to teach them to have empathy and to give back and to understand that we’re all a family, as one, in this country.”
Looking ahead, Lambert is hoping to be able to coach summer baseball for a 13U travel team that he has helped to build up across with players from across Saratoga.
“I have a young group of kids that I coach during the summer time and they’re a great group. There are thirteen right now and they’re from public and private schools. It’s a great group with great parents. I want to help them get ready for next year.”