Having lost their first four conference games of the season, the Keene State College baseball team is looking to bounce back from a rocky start. With over ten conference games remaining this season, there is still plenty of time for the Owls to turn things around, but they better start soon.
Keith Simpson, a pitcher for the Owls, thinks a lack of consistency is hurting the team in a major way.
“When we pitch well, we don’t put up runs. When we put up runs, we don’t pitch well,” Simpson stated. “So we just need to be more consistent and pitch well and hit well every game.”
Simpson isn’t afraid to take ownership. Being a pitcher himself, Simpson stated that he believes the pitching staff as a whole could improve tremendously, again citing consistency as the main issue.
While the Owls have struggled so far this season, there are some things the team is proud of.
Matt Boulay, a catcher for the Owls, stated that he believes the team has managed to keep a positive attitude despite the disappointing results of their recent games.
“We haven’t been playing to the best of our ability and we haven’t been coming together as a team,” Boulay said. “We need to start working together in order to get back on track.”
Simpson also praised teammate Joey Libby for his contributions both at bat and in the outfield this season.
“We have had one guy at the top of our lineup who has been very good for us so far this season,”
Brian Cantore / file photo
Simpson stated of Libby. “Whenever he is up you expect him to put the ball in play and, defensively, everything hit his way, you have confidence he is going to make a play.”
All struggles aside, the Owls say they are staying optimistic when thinking about the remainder of their season.
“At this point we cannot afford to dwell on the past games but instead thrive for the opportunity to turn things around,” Tanner Chase, one of two captains of the team, said.
“We can keep a positive attitude and continue to work hard,” Boulay added.
Simpson also showed appreciation for the leadership of his two captains, Chase and Cody Dube, adding that their presence on the field leads the team through example.
“They play the game the right way. So if the younger guys can realize that and follow in their footsteps, I think we will have success,” Simpson stated.
While Chase may be one of the captains of the squad, he stated that he expects players of all ages and levels of experience to step up and lead the team.
“It takes a team full of leaders to accomplish our team goals, not a few individuals,” Chase stated. “We need to believe in our ability and realize that we are a better team than what we are showing right now.” The Owls have a doubleheader this Saturday against the University of Massachusetts Boston, with game one at 12:00 p.m. and game two at 3:30 p.m.
Ed Messer can be contacted at emesser@kscequinox.com