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08/23/2018 12:00 AMWhether he’s at the plate, at first base, or on the mound, Kevin Ciardiello is always focused on accomplishing his task at hand in any given scenario. This approach has proved effective for Kevin throughout his career as a baseball player for Guilford. On the heels of solid year, Kevin is looking forward to a few more successful seasons playing the game in his hometown.
Kevin, who is entering his junior year at Guilford High School, does double duty as both a first baseman and a pitcher for the Indians and the Post 48 Senior American Legion team. This spring, Kevin earned a call-up to the varsity ranks right before Guilford went on its thrilling run to the Class L State Tournament semifinals. Kevin brought that momentum into the summer season, where he posted a .297 batting average with 14 RBI and six stolen bases for Post 48, who won 17 ballgames, including a few in the State Tournament.
“Playing [Senior Legion] as a younger kid is an adjustment, but I tried to not do too much,” says Kevin. “At the plate, I tried to just move runners over and bring runners home. I was just worried about doing my job.”
Kevin embraces the pressure of having the outcome of a game rest on his shoulders whenever he toes the rubber. In terms of playing first base, Kevin always stays alert in order to make sure nothing gets by him—even if it means scuffing up his uniform a bit.
“As a pitcher, I love how you are in control of the game and calling pitches with your catcher. You control the pace of everything. You just have to get the next guy out and give your defense a chance, no matter what happens,” Kevin says. “As a first baseman, I feel like I have to block balls in the dirt, so I always expect the ball to be hit in the dirt, so I’m ready.”
Kevin says it was a blessing to receive his postseason promotion with the high-school team in the spring. The experience gave Kevin the opportunity to learn a lot from his veteran teammates on an Indians’ squad that never relents. Kevin was also pleased to get a taste of the playoffs as a member of Post 48 this summer.
“When I got the call-up, I had the pleasure of being with juniors and seniors during that run. Our team chemistry was great, which is why we went far. We knew we’d come back to win against North Haven [in the Class L state quarterfinals],” says Kevin. “It all carried over perfectly into Legion. We slumped a bit in the regular season, but we got back to where we were at the start. We showed we wouldn’t be a pushover.”
Guilford Senior Legion Head Coach Michael Yates says that Kevin took advantage of every chance he had to improve his skill set this season. Yates praises Kevin for coming through when Post 48 was relying on him during the stretch run.
“Kevin put in the work this summer. He never missed a game, practice, or extra hitting session,” says Yates. “He stepped up when we needed him to. He worked counts, drove the ball, and locked down first for us.”
Kevin gained a lot of knowledge about what it takes for a baseball team to succeed on the field throughout the past year. Heading into the second half of his high-school career, Kevin feels eager to step up even more as an upperclassman and help the Indians continue solidifying themselves as a state-title contender.
“I hope to have a good junior year and lead the team back to states. We have a strong senior class and talented junior class,” Kevin says. “I would like to play college ball in the future, but I’m excited to get back on the field and make another run here.”