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06/01/2020 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook baseball squad had a strong 2019 season as the Rams reached the Shoreline Conference and Class S State Tournament with an overall record of 12-10. Old Saybrook received significant contributions from its senior leaders, and in 2020, Head Coach Nick Hahn’s squad needed some players step into larger roles. Unfortunately, the Rams never got the opportunity to see a 2020 campaign due to the season’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coach Hahn thought that last year’s squad had plenty to be proud about. From its preseason trip to Disney World to the postseason, the Rams made a lot of memories in its victories as well as its losses.
“I thought last year was a great experience for the program. At the beginning of the year we took a trip to Disney World, which was one of the better experiences I’ve had as a coach. It allowed our kids to bond,” said Hahn. “At the end of the year, we fell short of our goals of making a run in the Shoreline Conference Tournament. We ran into a great team in Coginchaug in the conference tournament and a great pitcher with Old Lyme in states. I was proud of the way our team came together last year, and I was proud of our results.”
Coach Hahn believed that his team had the potential to improve upon the results of last year. Even though the Rams graduated several key contributors, they had plenty of talent available to be a competitor in the Shoreline Conference.
“I thought this year we had a chance to be even better than last year. We had a ton of talent last year, but this year’s seniors had been playing baseball with last year’s seniors, and all that leadership was passed down,” said Hahn. “We had good turn out at our winter workouts. They were ready, and I was looking forward to it.”
The Rams were primed to be a dynamic and athletic team that could wreak havoc on the base paths. Coach Hahn believed Old Saybrook would have been effective with a small-ball offense.
“The reason why I was excited to coach the team this year was that we had a lot of athletes. Last year, we had a lot of grown men able to hit the ball with power. This year we had guys with power and speed. We would have been able to pressure teams defenses by running a lot,” Hahn said. “Last year, we could pick our spots in terms of stealing and hit and run, this year we had a lot of true baseball players.”
Even though there will be lots of talent available to Coach Hahn, not everyone had ample varsity experience. Still, Coach Hahn had faith in his players to develop as the year progressed.
“We had to replace a lot with eight seniors last year. We had to replace some pitching and five or six everyday players in the lineup. The biggest hurdle we had to climb was a lack of experience at a varsity level,” Hahn said. “I was confident in our pitching, and I liked our offense, but I thought our defense might struggle early on. Once we got over that experience hurdle, I thought we were going to be in pretty good shape.”
Coach Hahn knew that the team’s leadership would have been in sure hands with senior captains Jack Colella, Davis Brown, and Cooper Pavlovich. Each player offers their own methods of leading that Coach Hahn thought would mesh well together.
Colella had the type of pedigree expected from a captain according to Hahn. Colella earned All-State honors last year, and as able to put the team on his back if necessary.
“Jack is one of the more talented players in the state. There was a 10-game stretch where pitchers couldn’t get him out,” said Hahn. “Jack would have played middle infield and batted in the middle of the lineup. Jack’s work ethic, calm demeanor, and quiet confidence, made for a great captain.”
Brown would have been taking a big step up in the pitching rotation for the Rams. Hahn hoped that Brown would be able to build on his strong junior year where he earned All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors.
“We were looking for Davis to be a top of the line pitcher, and he plays an excellent shortstop and third base. He does a great job of leading by example. Davis is very respectful, works extremely hard, and pushes his teammates,” Hahn said. “I saw him as batting lead off as a great contact hitter, or even in the two-hole getting a bunt down or doing a hit-and-run.”
Pavlovich is the epitome of a student-athlete according to Hahn, and his teammates had a deep respect for their captain.
“Cooper’s beloved by his teammates, and one of the hardest working students at Old Saybrook. He’s one of the strongest hitters on the team. He can change the game with one swing. He’s the anchor in our line up,” Hahn said. “He pitched and caught for us in the past, but he probably would have found a home at first base or in the outfield this year.”
Hahn was also looking for a big year out of senior pitcher Toby Marineau. Coach Hahn was disappointed that Marineau didn’t get the chacne to finish up his high school career this season.
“Toby eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. He was a monster on the mound last year. He pitched in countless big spots and came up huge in them,” Hahn said. “The last regular season game at Coginchaug, he was lights out and threw a two-hitter. That was a big game.”
As for the future, Coach Hahn believes his team will be ready whenever it is able to take the field once again. Last year’s sophomores will be next year’s seniors without the benefit of developing on the diamond as juniors, but Coach Hahn has faith that the Rams will rise to the occasion.
“Moving forward, we will have a team with a lack of experience, but every team will be in the exact same boat. Next year will be a testament to the players. This will be one of the most important off seasons they’ll have as high school athletes,” said Hahn. “The biggest thing for me is that my heart goes out to the senior. They’ve done a lot of me as a coach, and they’ve done so much for the town. They deserved a better send off than this. The connection to the community will never go away they deserved a final chance in the spotlight.”