'Sandlot kids' want to play ball

LAUREN AIKEN

STAFF WRITER

LMA 722@CABRINI.EDU

One ball. One bat. One glove. One dream.

All it takes is one dream and one person to start something great. That is all one Cabrini College student needed to start something that has been talked about for many years but never actually has been accomplished, a Cabrini College baseball team club.

The Cabrini baseball team was started two years ago by sophomore psychology major Adam Poresky. Although the season started out slowly, the 16 players, some whom have never played together t ,.ore, were brought together to play for the squad and overcome many obstacles that were put in front of them.

"Last year was very difficult," Poresky said. "We didn't get a lot accomplished that we wanted to, but this year I have a great support system starting with fellow captain and vice president, Anthony Vellutato, down to the manager, Christina Haurin, and our dedicated players."

The baseball players, who practice three days a week in the Dixon Center and Frank Donio Park in Radnor and who put their sweat and tears into their workouts, are players who either played in high school or are just playing for the love of the game.

Last season, even though they only won three games, they made it to the playoffs, only to suffer a heart-breaking loss in the 14th inning.

Mike Keating, a sophomore political science major and player, took last season as a time for learning. "It was an experience like no other. I never met a group of guys that bonded so well for one cause," Keating said.

Many of the players on the baseball team were waiting for this opportunity to participate in college baseball and were excited to be a part of this new growing family and new increasing program.

"1 was really excited because I decided not to play in high school when I should have, and now I got a second chance to play baseball for Cabrini," Keating said.

"This year we couldn't get into the league we wanted to, but we have a couple scrimmages coming up. We're all really excited about next season."

Next season they are depending on their returning players to play hard and work harder than they did this year, along with their three captains to step it up.

Senior Mark Tripolitsiotis, sophomores Adam Poreski and Anthony Vellutato were all picked by the team to be the captains for this season, and they are more than willing to take the challenge.

The Cabrini College baseball team is having their frrst scrim- mage on April 1, against the Philadelphia A's, at Northeast High School. They will take this scrimmage as a chance to work together, and hopefully bring home another win. This group of hard-working baseball players just proves that hard work and determination can come a long way.

"After all," Keating said. "We're just a couple of sandlot kids who want to play baseball."

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