05-02-2012, 09:23 AM
Entering the final month of the season, Highlands High Schoolâs baseball team is finally starting to show signs of consistency.
With three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup, it took some time for the Bluebirds to get comfortable playing at the varsity level. Now, the 9-17-1 Bluebirds are ready to finish the season on a positive note.
âWeâre figuring out our lineup a little more and our guys are getting used to the game at varsity speed,â said head coach Jeremy Baioni.
Changes made to the pitching rotation have helped. Instead of counting on a starting pitcher to toss several innings in a game, the Bluebirds have fortified a deep bullpen. A starting pitcher will be replaced if he struggles, rather than having to labor through a long inning or two.
âWe have guys who can handle getting three outs,â said Baioni. âWe have a much shorter leash (on our pitchers) now than we had a month ago.â
Junior Jake Liggett and senior Grant Duesing have given the team quality innings. Liggett has excelled since moving from the starting rotation to the bullpen.
âHe struggled as a starter, but he has a different mentality coming out of the bullpen,â said Baioni. âWe know we have guys in the bullpen that we can count on.â
As the pitchers go, so go the rest of the Bluebirds. When the pitchers throw strikes, the defense behind them is solid and the innings are quick. When they struggle to find the strike zone, chaos often ensues. According to Baioni, 62 percent of the Bluebirdsâ errors have been committed after two walks have been issued in the inning.
âWhen we start walking guys and our pitch counts go up, we get in trouble,â he said. âWe need to throw strikes and make (opponents) earn it. The guys that score are the guys we walk. We are trying to keep our pitchers efficient.â
The Bluebirds enjoyed a memorable Spring Break, playing in the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., from April 3 to April 5. While the team only won one of its four games at the tournament, it was a positive trip for the program.
âIt was a really great team building experience,â said Baioni. âOur parents did a lot to make sure the kids had a great trip and the facilities there were fantastic.â
Baioni said that he heard from several players that it was the best Spring Break they ever had. He hopes to share more memorable experiences like that with future Highlands teams.
âI think an experience like that helps breed excitement about baseball at Highlands,â said Baioni.
The Bluebirds start the month of May with four straight road games. This late in the season, the excuses of youth and inexperience are gone. Now that the Bluebirds have a consistent lineup, consistent production is expected. It is time for them to step up and make plays with the game on the line.
âThe key for us is to win some of those close games that weâre in,â said Baioni. âLetâs fight back and make plays when the pressureâs on. We want to win every single pitch, now that we have continuity in our lineup and rotation.â
The Bluebirds host Cooper at 5 p.m. Monday, May 7.
http://local.cincinnati.com/community/St...305010009/
With three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup, it took some time for the Bluebirds to get comfortable playing at the varsity level. Now, the 9-17-1 Bluebirds are ready to finish the season on a positive note.
âWeâre figuring out our lineup a little more and our guys are getting used to the game at varsity speed,â said head coach Jeremy Baioni.
Changes made to the pitching rotation have helped. Instead of counting on a starting pitcher to toss several innings in a game, the Bluebirds have fortified a deep bullpen. A starting pitcher will be replaced if he struggles, rather than having to labor through a long inning or two.
âWe have guys who can handle getting three outs,â said Baioni. âWe have a much shorter leash (on our pitchers) now than we had a month ago.â
Junior Jake Liggett and senior Grant Duesing have given the team quality innings. Liggett has excelled since moving from the starting rotation to the bullpen.
âHe struggled as a starter, but he has a different mentality coming out of the bullpen,â said Baioni. âWe know we have guys in the bullpen that we can count on.â
As the pitchers go, so go the rest of the Bluebirds. When the pitchers throw strikes, the defense behind them is solid and the innings are quick. When they struggle to find the strike zone, chaos often ensues. According to Baioni, 62 percent of the Bluebirdsâ errors have been committed after two walks have been issued in the inning.
âWhen we start walking guys and our pitch counts go up, we get in trouble,â he said. âWe need to throw strikes and make (opponents) earn it. The guys that score are the guys we walk. We are trying to keep our pitchers efficient.â
The Bluebirds enjoyed a memorable Spring Break, playing in the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., from April 3 to April 5. While the team only won one of its four games at the tournament, it was a positive trip for the program.
âIt was a really great team building experience,â said Baioni. âOur parents did a lot to make sure the kids had a great trip and the facilities there were fantastic.â
Baioni said that he heard from several players that it was the best Spring Break they ever had. He hopes to share more memorable experiences like that with future Highlands teams.
âI think an experience like that helps breed excitement about baseball at Highlands,â said Baioni.
The Bluebirds start the month of May with four straight road games. This late in the season, the excuses of youth and inexperience are gone. Now that the Bluebirds have a consistent lineup, consistent production is expected. It is time for them to step up and make plays with the game on the line.
âThe key for us is to win some of those close games that weâre in,â said Baioni. âLetâs fight back and make plays when the pressureâs on. We want to win every single pitch, now that we have continuity in our lineup and rotation.â
The Bluebirds host Cooper at 5 p.m. Monday, May 7.
http://local.cincinnati.com/community/St...305010009/