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Winter conditioning is underway for baseball
The Advocate
MHCC’s baseball program has kicked off it’s winter conditioning, according to Head Coach Bryan Donohue.
Donohue said the pitchers and catchers are throwing in the morning while position players are hitting in the evenings.
“It’s kind of a gradual process, getting back into it after break,” Donohue said.
The conditioning done in January is to prepare for when the members of the program will start working everyday in February. February is also the month that scrimmages typically start, according to Donohue.
“As soon as the weather gets good and we can get on the field, we will,” he said. “But that doesn’t happen until sometime in February.”
There are 30 men in the program, with 19 new players and 11 returning.
Donohue said he recruited everywhere but “we try to stay around the local area.” Donohue said he talks to prospective players on the phone, watches them play, meets with their parents and shows them around the MHCC campus.
“The whole recruiting process is a long one and it starts a year in advance,” he said.
Donohue has been pleased with the progress that has been made. “I’ve been pretty happy with the older guys helping the younger guys out. We’re getting better everyday,” he said.
Of the returning players, there are four all-league players, including sophomore Taylor Ard, the NWAACC player of the year.
“He’s definitely a leader,” Donohue said of Ard. “One of the best hitters we’ve had in the program.”
However, when the season starts, Donohue said the team can only have a roster of 24 players. “We have a few decisions to make as we get closer to March,” he said.
Donohue said the team has one major goal in mind: to win the NWAACC championship.
“That’s always our goal. Everything we do is geared toward winning the championship,” he said.
The program is ranked second in the preseason polls, which doesn’t surprise Donohue.
“It’s good,” he said. “We expect to be up there every year.”
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