Coral Springs Looks To Continue Its Winning Ways

The Coral Springs baseball team holds itself to a high standard of success.

For the past 24 years Frank Bumbales has established a program that is notorious not only for its winning ways but also for its gritty style of play. Players give it their all when they play for this team, which has led to winning seasons in all but two years during Bumbales’ tenure. The program is respected by its peers and held in high regard across the baseball community. The team embodies the idea that effort leads to results, and they put everything they have into every play on the field.

“We stress that you don’t give up on any balls. If the ball is going by you then you better be laying out for it or else you’re not playing Colts baseball,” said Bumbales. “We stress to the kids to go out there and play the hardest you can every game. You can’t have a game where you just show up and throw out your hat and gloves. You can’t expect to beat someone unless you outplay them.”

One of the ways that the Colts have always prided themselves is on defense. This staple of play is one manner in which guys have set the tone for the sort of competition their opponents can expect from them.

With the team set to infuse many younger guys into the varsity game plan, the coaches have made it clear and simple to understand how the only way to do things is. The junior varsity program has seen a lot of success in the last few years, and many of those talented youngsters are earning their chances at the next level. The team has graduated 13 seniors over the last two seasons, including six starters from a year ago. The Colts are still finding out who will replace those key guys, and Bumbales is hoping the good young kids will push the starters.

Even though there are nine returning starters from a year ago, there are chances for anyone to work their way on the field. Sophomores Phillip Quinn and DJ Brown and freshman John Lombardi are some of the guys who are making the jump to varsity and fighting for a starting spot.

“These young guys are good and they are making everyone step up their game,” said Bumbales. “It’s up to them to show me, because I am not afraid to do whatever it takes. We’ve got some kids with some experience and we’ll see if they step it up. It’s a matter of them bringing it to the field.”

This club does not have to search far to find leaders. It is a blessing for them the way the leaders have emerged in each unit of the squad. The pitching staff, infield and outfield defenses, and the middle of the lineup have all been blessed with veterans who are showing the way and setting the example. Guys such as Michael Montalvo, Matt Messina and Bryson Connell have taken the team on their shoulders.

Aside from the senior Montalvo, it is a fresh set of arms making up the pitching staff this season. Montalvo tossed 31 frames in 2013, going 3-2 with 29 strikeouts and a 3.16 ERA. He is the workhorse of the staff, who welcomes the toughest opposition and wants the ball in the pressure situations. Messina and fellow senior Wesley Cox are a pair of strike-throwers who are solid at getting outs, and Quinn is the promising young newcomer set to take the torch and continue the legacy of ace pitchers the team has enjoyed for years.

The most recent in that lineage is Jordan Barrett, last year’s ace who has since moved on to play at Polk State. It is this player whom senior left-hander Tyler Horn aims to model himself after. Horn was in line to be the team’s ace last season before a torn labrum forced him to miss the entire season. Now he is working his way back on the mound and learning to embrace the role as a leader on this club. He has always wanted the role as the starting lefty on the pitching staff, and he is grateful for the things he learned from his role models such as Jordan Barrett.

“Everyone listened to him, and that’s what I want to be,” said Horn. “He did his job everyday and the guys listened and responded. He worked hard to get where he needed to be. It’s very exhilarating to finally be back on the mound; it was frustrating to go through the whole process getting back. It’s good we have these young guys on the team and I like the competition. Having someone work hard above them is who they want to play with, and maybe even try to take my spot.”

The chemistry that the pitchers share together makes them stronger and that much more cohesive as a unit. The guys are rooting for one another and anxious to help each other improve to help this team. For the newcomer Quinn, the way the older guys have rooted for him and shared their experience has been a comforting aspect.

“Sometimes I get nervous out there, but Tyler is always there for me cheering me on and helping me fix things as I go,” said Quinn. “I’ve never had a role model like that before. It’s a great honor to be on varsity as a sophomore and I just keep practicing and working with the older kids because they know what they’re talking about. They have done it for years.”

Another settling aspect that gives all of the pitchers confidence is that vaunted Colts defense, a group that may even be stronger this year than in recent seasons. Besides the growth and infusion of the talent cultivated within the club, the team has gotten a welcome boost in Coral Glades transfer Bryson Connell. The senior third baseman has quickly proven that he is a rock in the hot spot, which has solidified the entire infield unit immensely. Senior shortstop Colton Smith enters his second year in the core infield position, where he takes pressure off everyone by making the plays and anchoring this group. Messina and Cox will rotate around the right side on days they do not pitch.

The versatility of the guys is another aspect that makes this ball club that much stronger and more dangerous. Bumbales has long ago learned how high school pitchers work into defensive schemes on days they are not on the mound, and it is important to have guys that can shift around and fill the spots based on where their teammates are set up. Messina is a great example of this added bonus, as he can play any infield position.

With an outfield group that has logged less time together, the strength of the front line creates a ripple of confidence to build off of. Mainstay centerfielder Davis Alessio, DJ Brown and newcomer Raheem Gross may lack the experience that comes with playing together for a while, but they make up for it with speed and raw natural instincts. These guys are looking to establish themselves the same way the infield group has, making the opposition searching to find a hole where they can put the ball.

“I have all the confidence in this defense, and I know these guys will lay out for it,” said Horn. “I have no problem taking some power off of the ball and getting a grounder or a fly ball. I’m not worried about hanging a curveball. I’m not an over-powering pitcher right now so I’m not trying to strike everyone out. I just focus on having minimal walks and knowing my defense is going to play hard on every at bat.”

Bumbales does not waste words when pointing out where the guys have to improve, and cutting down on the walks is one key aspect that he has challenged the pitchers to work on. He also insists they work harder to hold runners on base and cut down on the high number of stolen bases they allowed a season ago. Even with a high-energy defense, the skipper still believes they need to trim the amount of errors they commit and learn to communicate better together.

Of the team’s eight losses a season ago, nearly all of them were on the wrong end of very close contests. The squad has given great attention to tightening up the areas that create extra outs and subsequent extra chances to the opposition. With the talent that is coming together in the Colts clubhouse, players are beginning to see how dangerous they can be should they turn that corner and grab those close victories.

The model for success has never changed at Coral Springs. Players have all the confidence in the world in the system, and in their head coach. Decades of accomplishment speak for themselves, and the players hold a great sense of pride to play for such a great coach.

“Coach Bumbales knows what he is talking about. You’ve got to listen to everything he says; he’s been coaching forever and we don’t disagree with anything he tells us,” said Quinn.

Coral Springs comes off a season in which they went 13-8 and were upset 3-1 by Piper in the opening round of the district tournament. The loss has left a bitter taste in their mouths, and the offense looks to bounce back with a stronger and more aggressive approach that will wipe away the memory of the pop that was missing in that painful loss.

The lineup looks to be stronger in 2014, where the mixed abilities of each piece figure to mesh well together. Four returning veterans hit well above .300 a year ago, with Montalvo leading the way with a .377 average to go along with 20 RBIs and seven doubles. With speedy guys like Alessio and Raheem Gross setting the table at the top of the lineup, these power hitters in the middle of the order should have plenty of chances to move guys along the bases. Bryson Connell is once again a key addition who has added a dangerous stick capable of doing damage on any given swing.

Overall the Colts have every reason to believe they can make waves in a difficult and familiar district that includes local rivals Douglas, Coral Glades and Taravella, as well as regional rival Deerfield Beach. The sum of the parts combine to create a complete and cohesive squad that is every bit as talented as they are eager to prove it. The team takes pride in donning the Colts uniform and taking their turn in the program’s legacy. The guys exhibit the hunger and the drive, and yet remain humble in realizing that they can never allow themselves to be content with where they are.

“Happy enough is never enough,” said Horn. “Making progress is what’s important.”

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