Photo courtesy of YSM Media.

The baseball team is set for a week of action following their 11-2 win Sunday afternoon after dropping a doubleheader to Vassar College on Saturday. 

With a 10-20 overall and 4-7 conference record, these pioneers still have some work to do. Even while there is certainly much to be optimistic about, there’s a lot to improve. Expectations may be lower now, but this team is capable of jumping these hurdles.

“My biggest takeaway from this season is that hard times will come and go, but it’s important how you handle them.” graduate student Tyler Catalfamo said. “We have had ups and downs and not had the best season. It is crucial that we learn from our struggles and turn them into our positives as we finish the season.” 

Even if the performance on the scoreboard may be lacking, this team has a lot of achievements to be proud of. 

Starting with senior Jason Story. Story earned Empire 8 Player of the Week after the start of a remarkable final season. He went 8-for-15 overall this past week, with four home runs and one triple, and at least one hit in each of Utica’s four games. 

“I aspire to leave behind a standard of excellence on this program. I strive to lead by example and put forth my best effort daily.” Story said. “While I have another year of eligibility that I will be using next season, this season is the culmination of hours of hard work and dedication towards my craft over the offseason. I am ready to continue contributing amidst this late season push.” 

Following an incredible four-game run last week, freshman Jacob Scalise also earned Empire 8 Rookie of the Week. Scalise went 8 for 17 with two doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored this week, with at least one hit in each of Utica’s four games.

The rookie went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored against Alfred on Monday. After that, he had one hit in each of the two games he had against Russell Sage on Sunday, and two hits against SUNY Poly on Wednesday. Scalise has batted in 39 at-bats this season, batting .410 with 16 hits and a .510 on-base percentage. 

Next, on Wednesday, April 24 at 4 p.m, Utica will travel to Marcy, New York to take on the SUNY Poly wildcats. 

“We control our destiny and I believe in myself and the guys around me,” Story said. “I have no doubt about our capabilities to get on a run and make a late playoff push. As a team, we have an uphill battle now but I know we still stay the course and put up a fight.”