During Spring Break each March, the Pride baseball and lacrosse teams travel to Florida for a week to experience a true Spring Training. During their time down south, each team has a number of practices and games to help prepare for the upcoming season. The boys were able to build athletic skills while also being able to bond as a team through time spent together.
Both teams had successful trips. The baseball team played a total of 4 games, going 3-1. They played their games against Canterbury and Governors as well as two Canadian academies. Although it was the first time for most of the boys to see live pitching, they were able to get the bat on the ball and drive in some runs. Seniors Joe Flannigan ’23 and Jaylen Greene ’23 also played well throughout the week, and Nick Hios looked solid on the mound. Peter Link ’23 also hit a home run in one of the games even though contributions came from everyone. Back up north, the team will scrimmage the Frederick Gunn School and Salisbury, before they open up their season against Kingswood Oxford on April 5 and then at Loomis on the 8, both on the road. Although those are two tough teams, the squad is excited following their success down south, and will look to continue that success throughout the season up north.
The lacrosse team played only three games amidst a large slate of practices. With that being said, they won all three games! One was against a formidable opponent in IMG Academy, which is essentially a full-year program. Andrew Tilton ’24 played a big role in the faceoff circle in that game while Landon Whitney ’24 played well on attack and Casey Sodolski ’23 led the way on defense. The three goalies, Landon Whitney ’23, AJ Turner ’25 and Fisher Winslow ’25 also played well in Florida. Both players and coaches are looking forward to continuing that style of play in the Founders League. After a tie to Staples High School on March 29 in a scrimmage, the first home game for the Pride lacrosse team is on Wednesday April 5 against Loomis Chaffee.
We wish the boys the best of luck in their upcoming seasons!