By Conor Doherty

After an absence of three years, Broadneck’s journey staff, the Bayside Bears, got here again this summer season. Coached by Bruins varsity coach Matt Skrenchuk and made up of gamers from each the junior varsity and varsity squads, the Bears went 20-8-2, with their greatest event end being sixth out of 58 groups that participated.

Began by Skrenchuk in 2019, the staff stopped taking part in as a result of pandemic. Whereas successful video games and tournaments is essential for the gamers and coaches, the staff has two extra invaluable features. The primary is to provide gamers, particularly those that have been blocked by juniors and seniors, extra taking part in time and permit them to achieve extra expertise. And secondly, as a result of there are gamers from the JV squad on the staff, Skrenchuk can consider gamers who might be the subsequent members of the varsity squad.

“We had a pleasant senior class that has moved on,” Shrenchuk stated. “So, I believed it was essential to construct some cohesion with our underclassmen and permit them to spend extra time with our teaching workers this summer season.”

One such participant is Nate Shilling. Whereas he was on the varsity squad final yr, Shilling had only a handful of at-bats all season lengthy, so this summer season was a possibility for him to show he ought to begin subsequent season, and he delivered. Shilling completed with a .410 common, with 32 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, one residence run and 20 RBIs. Different gamers like Sean Murphy, who Skrenchuk stated was the Bruins’ greatest pitcher final yr, received to point out their abilities. In 33 innings pitched, Murphy had an earned run common (ERA) just below 2.08 and threw 29 strikeouts.

Coach Skrenchuk received the thought for the Bayside Bears from seeing the Bruins soccer and basketball groups get extra apply due to their skill to play in a summer season league, which Anne Arundel County didn’t have for baseball.

“What this allowed us to do, by choosing up video games and tournaments, was apply, which is the place our youngsters actually received higher,” Skrenchuk stated. “Nate had 89 plate appearances this summer season, so it was a full summer season of me getting to judge him and see how he suits into what we’re attempting to do subsequent spring.”

Subsequent spring, with the evaluations he was in a position to do that summer season and the extra taking part in time his gamers received, Skrenchuk and the Bruins will look to advance additional within the playoffs after dropping within the first spherical final yr.





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