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Sports

Arundel Baseball Season Roundup

With the Wildcats eliminated from the baseball playoffs, here's a look at the season that was.

The Arundel baseball team’s season ended on Monday with a disappointing 9-1 loss to North Point in Waldorf. 

The team finished with a 12-9 record, and nearly all of those losses were of the close and gut-wrenching type. (Remember ?)

Take away the North Point loss, and the team ‘s eight remaining losses were by a total of 11 runs.

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This was an experienced team that showed grit throughout the season as it battled tough county foes and injuries to some key players. 

Here’s a rundown of the team and the season:

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Top Performers:

Rob Warwick- the senior was one of the team’s best pitchers, and also one of the biggest power threats. He pitched well and hit a homer in the team’s

Dalton Durocher – Like Warwick, one of the team’s strongest all-around players. His was a highlight, and he was a consistent threat for an extra-base hit when at the plate. The soft-spoken transfer from Georgia will be viewed as a team leader next season,

Mike Williams- A couple of his moonshot homers are just now landing.  Williams showed great power, but was also arguably the most unselfish Wildcat, taking a base on balls whenever necessary. He played a mistake-free centerfield and was also a threat to steal.

Unsung Hero:

Cooper Hibbs – the sophomore got inserted at shortstop early in the year and was nearly perfect there, digging out numerous grounders in the hole and showing tremendous arm strength. Injuries to other teammates gave him the chance to pitch, and he was often stellar, pitching a shutout against Southern in a key late-season game.

Guts Award:

It was hard not to feel sorry for Chris Vazquez, who began the season as the team’s opening day starter but struggled with arm trouble all year. But he remained a factor at the plate, and came through with He'll play at Coppin State next year.

Most Disappointing Moment:

The playoff loss clearly tops the list, but there were a few other games that Arundel surely wishes it had back. The team was poised to take the lead in an April 7 game against Chesapeake, but fell victim to a crazy There were also two close losses to South River, and a grueling extra-inning loss to Broadneck.

Best Moment:

Teams simply don’t win twice against Severna Park, historically one of the strongest teams in Anne Arundel County. But that’s what the Wildcats did, keeping the Falcons mighty offense in check in a season sweep.

Outlook for next season:

Next year’s team will look very different, due to the losses of several steady seniors including Vazquez, Williams, Warwic and catcher Boomer Coombs. But Durocher will return, along with two of the team’s best athletes, Hibbs and speedy leadoff man Keith Grassel. Most importantly, the team will get an injection of talent from a junior varsity squad that lost just a single game this year.

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