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08/15/2021 12:00 AMThe Branford Senior American Legion 19-U baseball team entered the summer season with aspirations of winning a state championship. While Post 83 was unable to accomplish that goal, Head Coach Kyle Heins saw his squad battle hard all summer long and feels that the program going in the right direction.
“Every year, we are trying to win the state title. I thought we had a good team with good players. I thought if we had made the tournament, we could have made a run,” said Heins. “We didn’t play our best baseball in the middle of the season, which impacted our ranking. But that’s baseball.”
Branford finished its campaign with an overall record of 8-16, including a mark of 5-15 in Zone 2 action. Even though his team didn’t reach the postseason, Coach Heins said that players gave their best effort in every game and always came prepared for the challenges ahead of them.
Branford’s roster for the 2021 season featured Jake Bodner, Adam Chasse, Austin Collins, Enrique Diaz, Daniel Farricielli, Michael Farricielli, Bennett Gentile, Tyler Jarvis, Max Liebel, David Loomis, Ryan Nuzzo, TJ Shields, Nicholas Soliwoda, Tucker Sutherland, and Zachary Vandale.
“I think they came every single day and wanted to win. In sports, you’re going to have good days and bad days. But the kids came every day with a good view of what was needed to be done,” Heins said. “They got it done when they needed to. They never gave up. They all had great attitudes. They’re going to do big things in life. They’re great kids. They’re going to accomplish a lot.”
Branford played its final game of the year on July 23 and came away with an 8-1 win over Bristol in a non-zone contest. Gentile turned in a solid outing by pitching 5.2 innings for Post 83, after which Bodner closed it out.
Coach Heins was happy to finish the year with a victory and said that game set a great example for how Branford needs to play in the future.
“Bennett was throwing hard. Jake came in for the save. We hit the ball hard all night. We stole, we put pressure on them. Our catching was great. Everything really clicked that day,” said Heins. “If we played like that all season, I think we could have made a run in the postseason.”
Heins said that Bodner, Gentile, Diaz, and Vandale served as Branford’s leaders throughout the season. Branford’s coach felt proud to see all four players perform well on the field, while providing strong leadership that will benefit the program going forward.
“Those four young men have been nothing but phenomenal. They’re class acts, they play hard, they want to win. They’re all wonderful ballplayers,” Heins said. “If they want to play at the next level, I think they have a good chance. They’ve all impacted us in a positive way and have us going in the right direction.”
In terms of the younger players on the club, Coach Heins was impressed with the performance of Chasse, a catcher who is going into his senior year at Xavier. Heins was also pleased with what Loomis, a rising senior at Branford, brought to the table this year. Heins said the infielder showed the most improvement out of anyone on Branford’s roster and is someone who the Senior Legion team will be relying on next season.
“He was by far our most improved player. That young man has a great work ethic. He has a great attitude. He is going to be one of my leaders next summer,” Heins said of Loomis. “Branford High School has a great, great young man who is going to accomplish a lot. He is going to be a catalyst in the middle infield and will be my shortstop on opening day.”
Coach Heins said that the athletes on this year’s team have great baseball instincts. Branford’s skipper added that everyone’s never- give-up attitude will serve his returning players well during the 2022 campaign.
“They knew what to do with the ball before it was hit. These kids have what it takes to get to the next level,” said Heins. “It’s a short season. We go from June until the end of July, and these kids give everything. They never complained. They took care of business. The culture is right where I want it to be.”
Coach Heins’s assistant coaches this year were Mike Heins, Steve Prota, and Bryan Maturo. Heins said that he wouldn’t have been able to do his job without the help of his assistant coaches, and he appreciates how big of a role they have in the program.
Coach Heins is well-versed in the rich tradition of Branford Legion baseball. Heins believes that the team has a bright future and will soon be back in the sunshine again.
“It’s all about building. Teams go in waves,” Heins said. “From 2007 to 2015, Branford Legion was the best team in the state and a top-10 team in the country. We’re just in a little wave right now. But I see the development in the younger teams. I’m pretty confident we can be back to where we belong.”