Even with an overall winning record through 13 games this season, the Manchester Essex baseball team is still searching for its breakthrough.
Manchester Essex has won more than it has lost in total so far. A pair of non-conference victories over Northeastern Conference foe Marblehead at the start of the season should pair line up with a win over Bishop Fenwick to help the Hornets when it comes to determining playoff seeding based on strength of schedule at the end of the year. The Hornets also reeled off a four-game win streak – including Fenwick, North Reading, Ipswich and Georgetown – to close out April and start this month.
Manchester Essex has also lost it’s last four in a row and struggled a bit within the division, amassing a 4-6 record in the Cape Ann League Baker Division and placing them third among six teams.
“Our division record is not where we want to be, but have nine division games left,” explains Manchester Essex baseball coach BJ Weed. “Our non-division record is good.”
As Weed points out, the opportunity to improve upon that divisional record is right in front of the Hornets. Manchester Essex was slated to host Hamilton-Wenham on May 16, Lynnfield on May 19 and then Ipswich on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. All three are home games, which should give the Hornets a boost. A win over second-place Hamilton-Wenham would allow ME to move one game closer to the Generals, and a win over Ipswich would allow the Hornets to move further ahead of the fourth-place Tigers. A win over Lynnfield would be a measuring stick of how the Hornets fare against a larger school, with Lynnfield part of the CAL Kinney division.
“We haven’t had a turning point yet, but I’m hoping it will come soon,” says Weed.
To do that, the Hornets will rely on some of their major contributors heading into the stretch run of the spring season.
“Ryan Andrews, Mike D’oreo, Colin Coyne, AJ Pallazola and Henry Otterbein have led the offense,” says Weed. “Vaughn O’leary and Ryan Andrews have pitched well.”
Altogether, there are six games left during the regular season. To make it into the postseason, Manchester Essex needs to win at least three out of their last six.
“We are 7-6 and need three wins out of the final six,” explains Weed. “Our strength of schedule has helped us in the power rankings.”
He adds: “This season has been up and down, but we are getting better every day. The boys are working hard.””
