First-year head coach Kyle Crossland has sorted through a large group (45) of mostly young candidates and settled on 37 players for varsity and junior varsity rosters.
His charges see-sawed with Falmouth for much of the season opener at Falmouth on Monday, before the Clippers exploded for nine runs in the fifth to put it away 17-6. Crossland was upbeat about the Vineyarder play. “It was back and forth for most of the game. Owen Bresnick had three hits and Sam Cranston, a pair of singles, to open the season. “Yeah it got away from there a little bit. Some walks, hit batters and errors. Falmouth is a very good team and we competed well yesterday,” Crossland said.
Second baseman Bresnick, Cranston and Michael Habekost ( #1 starting pitcher) are the senior captains. Juniors include Jackie Pizzano (catcher), replacing 2018 grad Nick Fiore, Cam Moore (pitcher), Hoffman Hearn (“Maybe DH. We have to get him in there, the way ha’s swinging the bat,” Crossland said). Jeremy and Jared Regan, Myles Sidoti, Ryan Mendes and Kenny Hatt are other veteran returning juniors.They are joined by sophomores Isaac Richards (inf/of/pitching), Leo Neville at third base, Keaton Aliberti (shortstop/pitcher/of) and hitting third, Andrew Marchand, Owen Mettell, and Mike Cosgrave will swing between JV and varsity early on.
“We’ve also got 13 freshmen on the JV team and Everybody is working and competing enthusiastically,” Crossland said.
Crossland volunteered as an assistant last year under former coach Gary Simmons and has a cadre of veterans helping him this year. “Joe Farina is our pitching coach, working with six or seven guys. Olsen Houghton and Matt Gebo work on skills, Pat Moore is our hitting coach. Ernie Chaves is coaching JV and he’s a veteran of the program who has been great during the coaching transition,” 2001 MVRHS grad Crossland said.
“Early on, we’ll mix and match, find the right kids for the right spots. We are focused on a culture of mental awareness. Physical mistakes are gonna happen, part of the game, but situational awareness avoids mental mistakes. I really have drawn on my own experience with coaches here, like Don Herman, Doug Hoehn and Kyle Fiore with a goal to create a well-organized, heads-up, scrappy culture here.” he said.
Crossland, like other MVRHS coaches, is taking a wait-and-see position to competing in the refurbished Cape and Islands League (C&I). “Wish I had more detail for you but we just don’t know,” he said, adding “We do know we’re working hard to prepare for away games at Cape Tech on Thursday and Bourne on Friday. We open at home on Tuesday against Sturgis East,” he said.
The Vineyarders were 3-13 last year and 14-8 the year before in the Eastern Athletic Conference before departing for the C&I this year.
Crossland teaches horticulture at MVRHS and summers working with his family business Crossland Landscaping. Conditioning is a major factor. “Conditioning is important in athletics too. We have a young, upbeat group and lots of coaching and learning opportunity,” he said.