SNHU’s baseball team began their season on March 25 at Stonehill College and finished their weekend with a 4-0 record after beating the Skyhawks 10-2, 3-1, 8-0 and 7-4 to roll out their season.
With new COVID regulations in place, the baseball players are excited to hit the field again after not having a 2020 season.
“I’m pretty excited. Seeing other schools practicing together in the fall and winter hurts, while we haven’t seen each other since last March,” said Joshua Goldstein (’21), captain and infielder. “Not being together has been especially tough on us for the most part because we’re so close. I wouldn’t say I’m nervous; it’s more of a learning experience for everyone. Hopefully, we just do the right thing, stay COVID free, and we’ll be all set for the season.”
Even after their first practice, Goldstein was happy to be back.
“Our first practice went well. It was great to be back out there with the guys, and everyone brought great energy. We met all the new guys and got into a rhythm. We had to wear masks the whole time and we were split up into smaller groups when we went inside to hit, but other than that it was a pretty normal practice,” said Goldstein.
Some players think the team should focus on recreating the bond they had before SNHU closed due to COVID-19 in order to be a cohesive group.
“It’s more about bonding as a team that’s important because we haven’t built a lot of team chemistry yet,” said Idelson Taveras (’21), outfielder. “I feel like team chemistry is something we need to work on, not because we lack it but because there’s a lot of new guys, and we just have to get used to being together again. I think it should be one of the main goals due to the limited time we have.”
With the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA) ranking SNHU’s baseball team as number 11 nationwide and the NE10 Coaches’ Poll ranking the Penmen at number 1, the baseball team has a promising season ahead.
