The Chelsea High baseball team’s 2014 season begins today (Thursday) with the Red Devils hosting Greater Lawrence at 4:00, despite spring having barely arrived.
Head coach Alan Beausoleil acknowledged the challenges of the abbreviated preseason. “fblikebutton_button” “It’s been a terrible spring training season,” he noted. “It’s always short enough as it is before the season gets underway, but with the bad weather, it’s been shorter still.”
Despite the limited preparation time, Beausoleil expressed satisfaction with what he observed during scrimmages against Marblehead and other outdoor work.
“We have a lot of returning players whom we’re counting upon to take us a long way. Last year we had a 6-14 record, but we lost all five of our extra-inning games. Hopefully, with the experienced players we have on this year’s team and the leadership of our captains, those kind of close games will go into the win column for us,” Beausoleil said regarding the squad’s prospects. “We did a lot of things well against a Marblehead team that plays in a tough league (the Northeastern Conference).”
Leading the team are four captains: seniors Carlos Vega and Armando Montes alongside juniors Luis Rodriguez and Carlos Ramos. The roster features returning varsity players Luis Martinez, Francisco Mercedes, Yvad Rosario, Orlando Rodriguez, and George Hernandez. Freshman catcher Thomas Melanson is expected to contribute significantly, particularly when Luis Rodriguez takes the mound.
Following today’s opener against Greater Lawrence, Chelsea travels to face Northeast Regional Vocational tomorrow. The Devils return home next Thursday to play Mystic Valley at Malden Catholic Stadium under the lights at 6:00, then host North Shore Tech the following Friday.