The Port Washington varsity boys baseball team’s season is currently underway.  The Vikings are looking towards finishing atop their conference.

The Vikings are off to a rocky start to the season, amounting three wins in ten total games played.  Both of the Vikings’ wins have come recently, two against Hicksville, and one against Syosset who they outscored 9-2 in those matchups.

Port sits ahead of only Syosset and Hicksville in their conference at a record of 3-6-1.  With an important three game stretch upcoming against Syosset, the momentum from their recent victories will surely carry over.

In the early stages of the season, the team is eyeing a turnaround.  They are confident that their young and talented roster can string together a couple of needed victories.  The expectations of the top players on the team remain the same after this rough start.

“We had a lot of expectations and a disappointing season last year, so this season we are taking things one game at a time,” said senior Dexter Jarach. “We are in a more difficult conference, but, with our two hardest opponents out of the way, we feel really good about our second half of our schedule.”

The more experienced players know that when a team is going through a rough stretch during the season, it is up to them to step up.  Players like senior Russell Kindler are among these veteran players who stress that having a short memory is crucial to victory in the future.

“For the season, I feel our goals lie in making the routine plays and putting the ball in play.  With errors come mental obstacles, which can hurt us,” said Kindler.  “We need to make each play before we can move to the next one, and if we do make an error, we have to move past it.”

Schreiber has won two out of their last three games, recently edging out Syosset 2-1 on April 17 in a tight game with excellent pitching from both sides.  Sophomore Jackson Trenaman sparked Port’s offense going 3 for 4 from the plate and drove in two game-winning runs to lead the team.

Also in the game, Jarach pitched beautifully for the Vikings and eventually delivered the win.  Port would like to continue this winning stretch, as each game is just as important as the next to turn their season around.

“The keys to beating Hicksville twice and Syosset were our ability to stay mentally strong from beginning to end and making plays when we needed to,” said senior Mitchell Levine.  “Dexter Jarach displayed great mental toughness on the mound when the umpire behind the plate challenged him with a very tight zone.  He managed to adjust and pump strikes, ultimately coming out with a win.”

Despite these last couple of victories for Port, the leaders on the team are looking for consistency for the rest of their season.  With plenty of games yet to be played in the season, the top players on the team see a lot they can improve on to finish atop their conference.

“I feel we can improve by just having the right mindset and not getting too ahead of ourselves,” said Kindler.  “We need to make the plays and hit the ball, where with this mentality, we can beat any team and rise in the rankings.”

Looking towards the future for Schreiber baseball, it’s most certainly a bright one to say the least. With a core junior class consisting of Jack Stolper, Brian Schorr, and Ryan Meth, the future seniors are set to lead the Vikings for next season and also during this season as well.

The Vikings will also be relying on key underclassmen which includes sophomores Alex Chang Trenaman.  Looking at these younger players, the seniors clearly view Port as a top team in the conference in the future.

“With six seniors leaving, the team does lose number,” said Kindler.  “The amount of returning talent we have on the team right now, combined with the young talent that exists on junior varsity, the 2017-2018 Vikings are in a good position.”

The Schreiber baseball team looks to finish off their season on a strong note. They are heating up just at the right time as the team looks to be the team to beat in their new conference.