The Morgan baseball team has had a great season up to this point, going 16-8 in the regular season, 9-2in their conference, and finishing second in the Shoreline for the season. They unfortunately lost in the first round of the Shoreline playoffs to the 7th seed, Cromwell, in extra innings, led by Jack Henry Palazzo, who pitched 8 innings, allowing only 2 runs. Now, the Huskies move on to play Classical/University.
The season was filled with many highs and lows, including. Hunter Mancini, a senior, said, “The biggest hurdle was losing our coach for maybe 75% of the season. When you come into practice with no coach in it, I think that was the biggest toll of our season. Still, I’m proud of the group of guys we finished with and finishing 2nd in shorelines and getting 4 home games combined.” Two coaches were on paid leave for half the season, which leaves two assistant coaches to coach games until they come back.
Morgan is a 9 seed for the state playoffs. They are looking at playing Classical/University, which is 6-10 for the season and 2-5 in the Hartford Conference, according to MaxPreps. They are ranked 123rd in the state, while Morgan is ranked 45th.
If the team wants to succeed in the playoffs, they may need to make some tweaks and adjustments. Sophomore Benji Brown said, ”The team needs to come together and work together because one player will not win the tournament. The offense has to put together good at-bats, and pitching needs to continue its job. If we put everything together, we will be a hard team to beat.”
The team has made it to the state playoffs 3 other times. In 1968, they made it to the Class M state Championship but were defeated by Waterford with a score of 4-0. In the 2016-17 season, the team achieved an impressive 24-6 record and ranked 14th in the State, and in the 2023-2024 season where the team recorded a 17-9 record. They won their first-round game in the postseason against Wamogo and lost in the second round to North Branford.
For the first game in states, the team is starting Jacoby Brown, a sophomore who has stepped up and delivered for the Huskies throughout the season. Brown has 1 win but has been a dominant relief pitcher, recording a 3.50 ERA over 35 Innings, recording 21 Ks.
A strength in the team’s game is speed. The team has recorded 53 stolen bases while the national average is 61. With speed on their side, it helps to put players in scoring position, allowing for hitters to bat them in.
The Huskies have been working hard all season, from the beginning in March to May. The team has put in endless effort during practices and games, and the record shows it. The teams are going to need to put the bat to the ball if they want to make a run in the Postseason. If they want it to be a season to remember, they’re going to have to dig in.
