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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Andrew Benson, right, covers the second-base bag as Christian Lombardi scrambles to return safely during an intra-squad scrimmage last week.
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By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
Youth and inexperience did not faze last spring’s varsity baseball playoff team, so with an even younger squad this season, don’t expect any excuses coming from the diamond. The Whalers return with a little more experience, but just as many fresh faces as they look to assemble another solid playoff season.
Last spring, playing under first-year head coach Nick Duarte, Nantucket reeled off 10 straight wins to earn a trip to the postseason. The squad was knocked out in the first round, but finished the season 12-7.
The Whalers’ success came from a roster made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores to go along with three senior leaders. With the graduation of those leaders, the experience the younger players received will be key to this season’s success.
“They got a lot of confidence. Right now we are bringing up some more freshmen so we will be even younger. Hopefully we are trying to click and mesh in as one right now and then we will see as the season goes on if the freshmen that are coming up can pull some of the weight we lost,” Duarte said.
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