With an up-and-down start to the season, the Newton South boys’ baseball team looks to keep swinging hard and moving forward. Behind the leadership of head coach Paul Williams, the young group is learning from its 3-3 beginning and with some adjustments, eyes a spot in the state tournament.
Before spring break, the team won three straight games, including a gritty 12-9 win over Bedford in which the group clawed back after trailing 6-0. Sophomore shortstop Nathan Feldman said the team felt very good going into the break, but that a week-long hiatus — partly due to the weather— has delayed getting back into the swing of things.
Sophomore pitcher Luke Leger said that much like the team’s season thus far, baseball itself comes with many ups and downs.
“It’s just a game of adjustments. I mean, one tiny thing and you’re slumping at the plate, or you can’t find the strike zone,” Leger said. “So it’s just a game of adjustments and you have to be confident and want the baseball when you’re playing.”
The team is learning from its losses, and Leger said that changing the group’s intensity level is vital for the rest of the season.
“The games that we’ve lost, it’s obvious that the other teams had a more intense mindset. It’s obvious that they wanted to win more and I think that during practice, just going the extra mile and little things like getting foul balls that went over the backstop or that are in the parking lot is important,” Leger said. “And then also being smart and knowing what the situation is, timing the pitcher up. There’s just little things that if you click with those, then it makes the bigger things easier, and it makes the bigger things count more.”
Williams says it’s important for the team to take lessons in a constructive way from the tough games.
“Making sure that we don’t always get down on ourselves, but show that we care,” he said. “Don’t come back to the dugout happy if you struck out but also don’t come out mad at yourself.”
Feldman said staying positive throughout games and keeping a consistent energy level in the way the team reacts are small but impactful steps the players can take going forward.
“In the games we do well, on the bench we’re cheering and much more present,” he said. “But when we’re down and losing no one’s really engaged in the game. So we just need to move forward and stay engaged the whole game.”
With the bulk of the team made up of sophomores and juniors, leadership has been found in the more experienced returning varsity players like Leger and Feldman. Feldman recognizes the importance of his role.
“Even though I’m one of the youngest on the team, I feel like it’s important for me to help [the newer players] and show trust in them,” he said.
Williams says the players’ support for one another is apparent and encouraging to see.
“We have players that want to play well and play together and pick each other up when something bad happens or when we make a mistake and we’ve been good about that,” he said.
Looking toward the team’s aspirations of making the state tournament, Leger feels the group has what it takes.
“I think that this team can make a deep run. We just have to get hot at the right time. We have to have a mindset going into the game and let the other team know that we’re there from the first inning and the whole game.”
Swinging for the postseason, Williams continues to stay focused on his team’s growth.
“The ultimate goal is for players to develop. We’re young so to really build going into the next couple of seasons is important,” Williams said. “But as I tell the team quite often, I coach every game to win and I coach every game like every play matters.”
Newton South scores
Baseball
Newton North: 4 (2-5), Lions: 3 (3-3)
Acton-Boxborough: 13 (2-4), Lions: 1 (3-3)
Lacrosse, Boys
Acton-Boxborough: 16 (6-2), Lions: 7 (3-4)
Lions: 7 (3-4), Weymouth: 6 (6-4)
Lions: 13 (3-4), Cambridge Rindge & Latin: 8 (2-6)
Lacrosse, Girls
Acton-Boxborough: 11 (6-1), Lions: 10 (1-4)
Lions: 15 (1-4), Cambridge Rindge & Latin: 4 (1-4)
Softball
Acton-Boxborough: 25 (3-4), Lions: 3 (2-2)
Tennis, Boys
Lions: 4 (1-2), Melrose: 1 (2-5)
Tennis, Girls
Lions: 5 (4-0), Andover: 0 (3-1)
Volleyball, Boys
St. John’s Prep: 3 (6-2), Lions: 1 (3-5)
Winchester: 3 (7-1), Lions: 0 (3-5)
Lions: 3 (3-5), Waltham: 0 (0-6)
Newton North scores
Baseball
Tigers: 4 (2-5), Lions: 3 (3-3)
TIgers: 8, Natick: 4 (1-7)
Brookline: 5 (9-2), Tigers: 0
Lacrosse, Boys
Tigers: 8 (5-3), Belmont: 7 (4-4)
Tigers: 15, Waltham: 4 (4-6)
Natick: 10 (5-4), Tigers: 4
Tigers: 5, Brookline: 2 (0-4)
Lacrosse, Girls
Wellesley: 15 (6-1), Tigers: 3 (2-7)
Weston: 19 (7-1), Tigers: 7
Belmont: 13 (6-4), Tigers: 7
Natick: 18 (5-4), Tigers: 11
Brookline: 15 (1-6), Tigers: 6
Softball
Tigers: 14 (5-1), Natick: 5 (5-2)
Tigers: 8, Hopkinton: 4 (6-3)
Tigers: 20, Brookline: 1 (0-7)
Tennis, Boys
Tigers: 5 (4-0), Natick: 0 (0-5)
Tigers: 3, Brookline: 2 (5-1)
Tennis, Girls
Tigers: 4 (3-2), Natick: 1 (2-3)
Andover: 5 (4-1), Tigers: 0
Track and Field, Boys
Tigers: 97 (2-0), Braintree: 35 (0-3)
Track and Field, Girls
Tigers: 100 (2-0), Braintree: 27 (1-2)
Ultimate Frisbee, Boys
Tigers: 15 (2-2), Wayland: 8 (0-1)
Tigers: 13, Lincoln-Sudbury: 12 (0-2)
Ultimate Frisbee, Girls
Tigers: 15 (4-0), Brookline: 2 (0-2)
Tigers: 13, Cambridge Rindge & Latin: 4 (4-1)
Volleyball, Boys
Tigers: 3 (6-1), St. John’s: 0 (5-6)
Natick: 3 (7-1), Tigers: 1