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07/16/2018 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook baseball team proved a formidable foe during Nick Hahn’s first season as head coach. The Rams turned in an overall record of 17-7 this spring, earning berths in both the Shoreline Conference Tournament and the Class S State tournament. After going 15-5 for the regular season, Old Saybrook lost to Valley Regional in the Shoreline quarterfinals. In states, the 4th-seeded Rams advanced to the quarterfinals after posting wins against Kolbe Cathedral (15-1) and Windsor Locks (4-0) in the first two rounds. Old Saybrook was ultimately defeated by No. 5 seed Coventry in the quarters.
Coach Hahn feels fortunate to have signed on to take the helm of a strong contender whose athletes already had the mindset that they needed to go far.
“I think it was a great first season in the program for me. I walked into a team full of talent and hard-working individuals,” said Hahn. “They came together well as a unit. We tried to get these players to jell and work toward common goals, and they worked to do that every day. The leadership in this group was unbelievable this year and it was a great experience.”
Hahn said the Rams showed the type of cohesive unit they were early in the season, when they defeated Coginchaug with a 1-0 walk-off victory on April 16. Dan Cote pitched a complete game for the win and Patrick Kelley had the big hit to drive in the winning run for Old Saybrook.
“It was our fifth game of the year. We opened up with a loss at H-K. Then all of the sudden, we went on a winning streak,” Hahn said. “The Coginchaug game was an absolute pitcher’s duel. My players never wavered. It was the first time they started to buy in that they belonged, and it gave them confidence. Patrick had a walk-off RBI, and players were running out of the dug out to mob him. That pushed us throughout the remainder of the year.”
Hahn added that Old Saybrook displayed one of the team’s biggest strengths—its pitching staff—during the Coginchaug victory. While some teams feature one ace pitcher at the top of their rotation, Coach Hahn believes that Old Saybrook has a few guys who fit that description.
“One of our strengths this year was our pitching staff. We had 1. A, 1. B, and 1. C on the mound this year,” said Hahn. “For high-school baseball, a lot of teams are lucky to have one ace. We feel like we can roll anyone out there any day of the week.”
Old Saybrook’s success on the mound was bolstered by the player on the receiving end of its battery: senior captain Haydon Lockhart. Lockhart, a catcher, earned All-State and All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors for his spectacular season behind the dish and in the batter’s box. Lockhart posted a .395 batting average with 21 runs scored and 17 RBI, but Coach Hahn said that he was just as valuable with his leadership as he was with his statistics.
“Haydon was a huge member of the team. He was our emotional leader,” Hahn said. “As catcher, he was very visible, and he’s one of the few players who touches the ball every play. He really controlled the game out there this year and was a big help for the pitching staff.”
On the hill, the Rams enjoyed an outstanding year from senior captain Ryan DuBord, who also took home All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors. DuBord recorded five wins with a 1.50 ERA to go with 69 strikeouts in 51.1 innings pitched. He also led the team with a .410 batting average to complement his 17 runs and 15 RBI. According to Coach Hahn, DuBord was a relentless worker who set the pace at practice for Old Saybrook.
“As much as Haydon was the emotional leader, Ryan led by example. He was a workhorse on the mound,” said Hahn. “He faced the top teams and got wins on the mound against them. His presence in the batter’s box was also huge. He had a monster year for us.”
Third baseman Robbie Holt was also a senior captain for the Rams. Holt finished the year hitting .282 with 10 RBI and nine runs scored, with several of hits coming in big spots.
“Robbie was another lead-by-example guy. He won the job at third base. It was wide open going into the season,” said Hahn. “He also had a great playoffs. He got hot at the right time and came through with clutch hits throughout the playoffs.”
The Rams will bring back their fair share of talent next season. Their pitching staff will still include Jaden Rolon, who finished with four wins and 54 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched this year; along with fellow soon-to-be-senior Dan Cote, who totaled four wins to go with 32 K’s in 35 innings. Additionally, All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honoree Jack Colella will return after notching a .384 average with 20 RBI and 16 runs scored from the No. 3 spot in the batting order during his sophomore season.
Coach Hahn is excited to see what his returning athletes can achieve now that they have another year of experience under their belts.
“To have Jaden and Cote come back and lead the rotation is going to be an absolute strength. Plus, there’s a couple of arms down at JV that we’re looking forward to helping us next year,” said Hahn. “Jack was a talented sophomore. He batted third for us and played a great middle infield, as well. We have a lot of talent coming back next year.”
Hahn said that he appreciates the support his program received Athletic Director Michael Cunningham and Principal Sheila Riffle. Hahn also thanked the members of the Old Saybrook community who came out to support a special group of ballplayers this season.
“It was a real honor to coach this group of young men. Showing up every single day, they made my life easier. It was a great first year and the administration was great at getting me prepared,” said Hahn. “The community in Old Saybrook is just such a strong sports community. When we were hosting our State Tournament game, there was a real buzz throughout the community. We put Old Saybrook baseball at the forefront this spring, and that was fun to be a part of.”
From the Sidelines
The Old Saybrook baseball team’s varsity roster included senior captains Ryan DuBord, Robbie Holt, and Haydon Lockhart; seniors Justin Gargano and Sebby Gallitto; juniors Jordan Butler, Gabriel Castro, Nicholas Condulis, Dan Cote, Patrick Kelley, Jaden Rolon, and Mason Wilcox; sophomores Jack Colella and Cooper Pavlovich; and freshmen Joseph Bradley and Gabe Kaar.
Nick Hahn completed his first season as the Rams’ head coach. His coaching staff included assistant coaches Jon Reinecke and coach Jake Battipaglia.
Old Saybrook’s wins during the regular season came against Valley Regional (8-5), Creed (12-1 and 6-1), Westbrook (14-3 and 10-1), Coginchaug (1-0), Hale-Ray (12-8), Morgan (16-7), Cromwell (4-3), North Branford (14-8), Portland (5-2 and 9-1), East Hampton (5-4 and 12-2), and Old Lyme (8-6).
The Rams also lost games against Haddam-Killingworth (12-7), Old Lyme (8-1), Hale-Ray (15-1), New London (8-2), and Coginchaug (1-0) in the regular season.
In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, Old Saybrook lost a 11-0 contest against Valley Regional in the quarterfinals.
The No. 4 seed Rams notched a 15-1 win against 29th-seeded Kolbe Cathedral in the opening round of the Class S State Tournament, followed by 4-0 win against No. 20 seed Windsor Locks in the second round. In the quarterfinals, the Rams took a 10-0 loss versus 5th-seeded Coventry.