Injuries are an unfortunate, yet common part of athletics. Sports teams constantly presented with injuries are forced to adjust without their key players. The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ baseball team was not excused from the proverbial injury bug this year. Their top pitcher, junior JJ Katzman, went down with a right arm injury; however, with the pitching of veteran seniors and rising freshman, the team rallied to win its first playoff game in school history.
Katzman’s injury was a result of fatigue and arm discomfort that prohibited him from taking the mound for the majority of the season. Coach David Schieman was forced to place him in centerfield for the rest of the season, as he was unable to pitch.
“My arm isn’t fully strained so I can play most games,” Katzman said. “However, I still cannot throw at full strength. It can be frustrating sometimes, but I’m working through it.”
In addition to his fielding, Katzman was also limited in the batter’s box. Prior to the injury, he had the one of the highest batting averages on the team. Due to the injury, his bat speed became much slower than normal.
“My swing is a bit weaker than usual because I'm not able to use all of my muscles as some tendons are stressed,” Katzman admitted. “But, I'm still able to make solid contact and get on base, so I tend not to worry about it.”
In Katzman’s absence on the mound, the rest of the team’s pitchers have carried the load. Coach Schieman is very impressed at how the team has performed without Katzman pitching. He credits the team for not missing a beat and playing hard throughout every game.
“I think the team has performed very well considering the circumstances,” Schieman said. "The injury to JJ was a tough blow. He’s got a great arm and great understanding of the game. Adam [Greenberg] and Maxwell [Hines] picked up the pitching load along with Tej [Telymonde]. It was great to see us still win games.”
Coach’s decision to spread out the pitching rotation paid imminent dividends. Four-year veteran Hines has a 1.16 ERA in over 12 innings pitched this season. Greenberg, another four-year veteran, has a perfect 7-0 record with an ERA below 1.00.
The freshman Telymonde has not given up a run in his nine innings on the mound, and his play has given the team optimism about next year. Katzman will also be able to return to the mound next season, as a rising senior. He is focused on getting his arm back to full strength and dedicating his free time to making a full recovery.
“I plan to strengthen my arm's injured area as well as my shoulder and tricep over the summer so I can make up for my current weakness,” Katzman said. “Currently I continue to ice after every game and rest my arm as much as possible when I'm not playing in a game.”
While Katzman will be ready to pitch next spring, he still has high expectations for the team this year. Along with Coach Schieman, he is confident in his teammates’ ability to produce on the field and on the scoreboard.
“Baseball is a team sport so if one man goes down everyone else will fill the void.” Katzman said. “I am extremely satisfied in how the team has played with and without me. It shows how deep we are as a ballclub.”
The team finished with a 10-6 record, four of those wins coming with Katzman on the mound. With the 12th seed, they defeated Ice High School 3-1 at Randall’s Island, with Greenberg pitching another great game. Nevertheless, Katzman is certain that a second round berth is not the ceiling for this team.
“I think this team is capable of winning it all,” Katzman declared. “We just need to be intense from the first pitch to the last pitch of the playoffs, My injury shouldn't be an reason for our great team to lose. We are a championship team, regardless of whether or not I’m pitching.”
Showing posts with label HSMSE boys' baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HSMSE boys' baseball. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
HSMSE baseball team reaches playoffs for first time in school history
The HSMSE baseball team returned to divisional play in 2016 with authority, recording an 11-5 record and making the playoffs for the first time in school history.
After a winless 2014 season, the Dragons were demoted to the SSAL Developmental League for 2015. The boys had a strong showing with a 5-2 record. Team captain and senior Henry Schoenfeld cited determination to get back to divisional play as a main reason for their success.
“We were motivated to move our way back up [to the A League],” he said.
The team's maturation was a large factor towards their improvement. As the players have become mentally and physically stronger, they have contributed more offensively, helping the team win games.
“We had strong leadership, and we were also older this year,” Scheiman said. “When we did divisional play two years ago, the players who were freshmen and sophomores are now juniors and seniors, and they had better team spirit and a more of a meaning for our team.”
Throughout the year the team got significant contributions from their freshmen, most notably Andre Alexander and Gabriel Culian. Alexander batted .350 as the starting first baseman, while Culian batted .294 while serving as the catcher for most of the season. Scheiman realized the impact the freshmen had on the team.
“They were very meaningful to the team,” he said. “They helped us win games.”
The freshmen were helped by the strong leadership of the Dragons, who have eight upperclassmen on the team. With experienced players on the team, it was easier for the freshmen to play well.
“[The upperclassmen] really helped them develop,” he said. "They took them under their wing and showed them they did have a lot of skill and [how] to be confident in themselves.”
Although the Dragons had a great season, they are not satisfied with their accomplishments. The team would like to get back to where they were this year and advance further into the postseason going forward.
“We want to get back to the playoffs,” Scheiman said. “And we want to win a playoff game.”
After a winless 2014 season, the Dragons were demoted to the SSAL Developmental League for 2015. The boys had a strong showing with a 5-2 record. Team captain and senior Henry Schoenfeld cited determination to get back to divisional play as a main reason for their success.
“We were motivated to move our way back up [to the A League],” he said.
The team's maturation was a large factor towards their improvement. As the players have become mentally and physically stronger, they have contributed more offensively, helping the team win games.
“We had strong leadership, and we were also older this year,” Scheiman said. “When we did divisional play two years ago, the players who were freshmen and sophomores are now juniors and seniors, and they had better team spirit and a more of a meaning for our team.”
Throughout the year the team got significant contributions from their freshmen, most notably Andre Alexander and Gabriel Culian. Alexander batted .350 as the starting first baseman, while Culian batted .294 while serving as the catcher for most of the season. Scheiman realized the impact the freshmen had on the team.
“They were very meaningful to the team,” he said. “They helped us win games.”
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| HSMSE Baseball Team / Facebook |
The freshmen were helped by the strong leadership of the Dragons, who have eight upperclassmen on the team. With experienced players on the team, it was easier for the freshmen to play well.
“[The upperclassmen] really helped them develop,” he said. "They took them under their wing and showed them they did have a lot of skill and [how] to be confident in themselves.”
Although the Dragons had a great season, they are not satisfied with their accomplishments. The team would like to get back to where they were this year and advance further into the postseason going forward.
“We want to get back to the playoffs,” Scheiman said. “And we want to win a playoff game.”
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Dragons shutout in first season
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| Baseball / Wikimedia Commons |
This season the team had half the amount of seniors compared to last years roster. The seven seniors that played in the 2012 season had important positions on the field. The team lost most of their starting infield and outfield players. As a result they needed players to step up in order to have the necessary amount of athletes.
“Since we lost a lot of seniors last year, we had to get a lot of people who either haven't played baseball or weren't used to the game so getting to know each other and getting to work together with new players was pretty difficult,” said senior outfielder Kyle Grasing.
The baseball team also struggled this season because the players lacked motivation and the skills required at this level of competition. This was due to the fact that players found the early morning practices very inconvenient. These sessions affected the productivity level of the team and limited the team’s improvement to the few who dedicated their time.
“If someone really wants to play and if someone really wants to work hard, they’ll come no matter what time it is to improve himself,” said coach David Scheiman.
With a higher level of competition, the baseball team had trouble adjusting to the difficulty of the B-Division. They weren’t able to hit against the better pitchers and they weren't able to field the ball well during important situations in the games.
“I think we can definitely improve in our fielding, situational hitting, and in general hitting,” said Scheiman.
The baseball team will need to continue to improve and develop their skills in order to elevate their performance level to meet the demands of their league. They will need to show their commitment and dedication towards the team and attend practices so that they can improve between games. Players should also take the initiative to practice on their own time and go above and beyond league requirements. They have to find a way to navigate through the upcoming season and motivate each other in order to do better next season.
Contributed By Anya Batista and Din Islam
HSMSE freshmen brighten the future for baseball and softball
The best way to make a name for yourself in sports is to start off strong. Many professional athletes began their careers with outstanding play that made them household names. From then on they continued to improve and help their teams win. Recent examples include Mike Trout and Justin Verlander. The High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering’s boys’ baseball and girls’ softball teams both have that talented young player.
Henry Schoenfeld is a freshman catcher that has added much needed experience to the team. With the loss of many veteran seniors, the Dragons had to find players quickly in time for the season. Schoenfeld played for various teams outside of school and came to the team with advanced baseball knowledge and skill. His experience might one day help the team with newer players that aren’t too familiar with baseball. He played three different positions and contributed as much as he could to the team.
“Henry tried out for catcher day one, but I had him at shortstop and third base and he did well. Pretty much wherever I put Henry, he is good as gold!” said coach David Scheiman.
Taylor Faulds, a freshman pitcher for the HSMSE girls’ softball team has the been the player they needed to help compete at a higher level. She brought much needed pitching and hitting to the team. They needed her background knowledge of the game because of the influx of inexperienced freshmen. With her passion for the game, she was able to help the other freshmen get into the game.
"She helped get the girls to practice and want to win games," said coach Crystal Downey.
With experience and skill, these two players will definitely impact the team greatly when all of the seniors graduate. As they get older, their leadership will make them even greater assets.
Henry Schoenfeld is a freshman catcher that has added much needed experience to the team. With the loss of many veteran seniors, the Dragons had to find players quickly in time for the season. Schoenfeld played for various teams outside of school and came to the team with advanced baseball knowledge and skill. His experience might one day help the team with newer players that aren’t too familiar with baseball. He played three different positions and contributed as much as he could to the team.
“Henry tried out for catcher day one, but I had him at shortstop and third base and he did well. Pretty much wherever I put Henry, he is good as gold!” said coach David Scheiman.
Taylor Faulds, a freshman pitcher for the HSMSE girls’ softball team has the been the player they needed to help compete at a higher level. She brought much needed pitching and hitting to the team. They needed her background knowledge of the game because of the influx of inexperienced freshmen. With her passion for the game, she was able to help the other freshmen get into the game.
"She helped get the girls to practice and want to win games," said coach Crystal Downey.
With experience and skill, these two players will definitely impact the team greatly when all of the seniors graduate. As they get older, their leadership will make them even greater assets.
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