By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Winter is over and the spring high school sports season is gearing up for another run. Throughout March the varsity programs will begin practicing and scrimmaging other high school throughout the state.
The 2010 HMHS boys varsity baseball team won the Colonial Conference with a conference record of 9–4. Head Coach Bob Bickel said the 2011 team should compete again for the championship and make another run into the NJSIAA tournament. He will be joined again this season by Assistant Coach Frank DeLano.
The Bulldawgs open their season on Friday, April 1 against Overbrook High School at the Russ Spicer Memorial Field. The game will begin at 3:45 p.m.
Bickel took some time out of his schedule to give The Haddonfield Sun a glimpse into what he expects for the 2011 season. The Sun’s questions are in bold.
Last year your record was 12–7 with I believe a conference record of 9–4. Is this going to be attainable this year? Are you expecting it to improve?
I think we should definitely approve on this record. We have nine returning starters, including seven position players and two pitchers.
Any younger kids that you’re looking at to make a big contribution this season?
We also have three other pitchers who saw varsity action last year. We have some talented juniors and even a freshman that may help out this year as well.
We are lead by seniors Chris and Kevin Davis along with senior Alex Reinicker. Also returning are seniors Will Reid and Nick Cavanaugh, juniors Chris Dengler, Matt Bhaya, Matt Binder and Vince DelDuca also return to their starting positions.
What are going to be the keys to the teams success this season?
I feel like our pitching will be the key to our success, as always. We have some quality pitchers who saw a lot of action last year that need to be more constant. We return our entire starting infield, catcher and one outfielder. Our pitchers need to cut down on the number of walks they allow.
What else would you like to say about your team and how you expect them to improve and compete this year?
I really feel that this team has what it takes to win. We have a lot of senior leadership and experience. The Colonial Conference is always very competitive and we need to perform on a daily basis. We are going to host our annual Russ Spicer Memorial Classic on April 23 and are making a trip to play at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown NY on May 1. There is a lot of excitement right now and we are anxious to get started.
