Now that spring has begun, it is now officially baseball season. That means that the baseball team here at Schreiber is ready to kick off their season. The boys have championship aspirations this season, especially after coming off a heartbreaking county championship loss last spring. The boys are looking to be even better this season and take their season even farther than the last.
The Vikings season ended in heartbreak last year, but that came after a great unexpected playoff run. Port came into the playoffs as a four seed last season, and they had to play Syosset in the first round. They were able to handle Syosset in three games, and pulled out the win or go home game 5-3.
The Vikings then had to take on the number one seed in the bracket, Massapequa. After the boys dropped the first game in Massapequa, they came back and won game two. In another win or go home game, Port prevailed, taking down Massapequa to clinch a spot in the County Championship against three seed Farmingdale.
However, Farmingdale could not be stopped, as they took the championship series easily. This loss in the County Championship will definitely be a motivating factor for the Vikings this season, as they look to avenge their loss.
“I really think that the Vikings will have a great shot at the County Championship this season. I think they can compete with some of the top schools like Massapequa and Farmingdale,” said freshman David Nasello.
However, the boys certainly do not have a cakewalk back to the championship, as their schedule is littered with tough opponents throughout the season. The challenge begins on opening day when they play an away game at Garden City. This game is out of conference for the Vikings, and it will be a great test to start the season.
After their opening day in Garden City, the boys will play their home opener against Syosset. This game will also be their first game in conference play this season. After the home opener, the Vikings will take the road once again for a two game road trip. They will start by finishing the series versus Syosset before heading to Freeport in another conference matchup. Freeport will then come to Port to finish up the series.
The Vikings will then play their two game in-conference series with Hicksville before another non-conference match, this one against Manhasset on April 19.
Schreiber will then continue their conference schedule when they go to Massapequa, and then host them for the second game of the series. The Vikings will then make the journey to Farmingdale for a highly anticipated conference clash. This game will be a rematch of last season’s County Championship. The boys will definitely be looking for revenge this season against Farmingdale.
“The Farmingdale game is one we are looking forward to. It will be a strong test for us, but I think we can get the job done,” said junior catcher Mark Itzikowitz.
The Vikings will then take on Mineola at home in the Coaches vs. Cancer game on April 26. Following this, Port will reenter league play at home against Farmingdale, and then they will clash with Oceanside in a pivotal two game set. On May 3, the team will square off in one more out of conference game against Rosyln for senior day. The Vikings will wrap up the season with two game sets against Plainview-Old Bethpage and Herricks.
If the Vikings want to make another deep playoff run, they will need some players to really step up and be standouts for them this year. One player that could be a star for Port this year is sophomore catcher Jake Wilber. Now that Wilber has a year of experience behind the plate for the Vikings, he could really blossom into a star. Wilber was also regarded as a top underclassmen on Long Island by Axcess Baseball. This is his second year on the team and he could be a major part of another deep run in this year’s playoffs.
Another key bat in the Vikings lineup is senior Derek Fine, who was named a Top 100 player on Long Island by Newsday. Last season, Fine boasted a .397 batting average with 10 RBIs, so he will undoubtedly be a key part of the team this year. On the pitching side of things, the Vikings will look to lean on their stars, junior Koki Maezawa and senior Jake Scharlat. These two were both important parts of the Vikings run last year and will look to make a big impact on the mound for the Vikings this season. If all their stars are able to come through, the Vikings could be in for another great season.
“With the experience on this pitching staff and Maezawa and Scharlat leading the way, I think the Vikings are looking unstoppable this season,” said freshman Parker Perceval.
With spring being upon us, baseball is back, and so are the Vikings. This team has a ton of real talent, and has a great chance to do what last year’s team did, and even go above and beyond that.