Flanagan Driven To Return To State Tournament

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It would be an insult not to acknowledge how talented the Falcons are.

Even with all the success that this program has enjoyed over the years, there is simply a special feeling being around this year’s squad. It is a special group of players, and a squad of talent like no other. For all their talent and ability, there is no bravado rearing its ugly head alongside it. Players are humble, dedicated and just locked in on executing their jobs.

This is not a team that has anything else on their minds other than winning. Focus is on the face of every man in uniform. There is perhaps no animal more dangerous than the one that knows it. Players are hungry to push themselves to the maximum and see if they are capable of beating the best of the best.

The program has won three state titles in school history, and this group wants to be the ones to bring home number four. They return 10 seniors and have only replaced two starters from last season’s club, as well as bringing back their entire pitching arsenal. There is continuity and there is experience everywhere on the roster, and they bring great baseball minds to go with capable baseball bodies.

Although no one is sitting around lamenting about the past, when the topic surfaces players accept the fact that this same talented group had a bad day in last year’s regional championship. The result was a lopsided loss to Jupiter, which left the Falcons watching another team celebrate a state playoff berth on their field. The experience left its mark, but now the guys are ready to come back and set a new mark.

The drive they exhibit is unmistakable. Guys are pushing one another and challenging each other to give everything they have all the time on every play. They believe in each other so much, and every time they get to watch one of their teammates execute it makes them as excited as the fans in the stands. They inspire one another, and it only makes them want to work harder so they can achieve the same things.

“Every day before practice we talk about how we have to work hard to make it further than last year,” said senior shortstop Andres Rios. “We had a great year last year, but one bad game can kill everything. So we have to focus on every detail at practice. We want to work harder than each other, to keep showing the coaches and ourselves that we can work harder than the guy next to us. That’s what it’s going to be when you face another team because they’ve also been working. We have to work harder so we can out-do them on the field.”

Falcons Manager Ray Evans realizes that it’s not just one ingredient. They want to go out and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. The team knows its strengths are pitching and playing defense, and they just need to go out and play their game.

“We don’t play to our opponents,” said Evans. “We play the same game every single time and sometimes you just have to step it up more. Sometimes you have to have more heart and desire than the other team.”

To play the same way game in and game out requires chemistry and trust. This group has plenty of both. The Falcons spend a lot of time together and are constantly together.

This unity is evident on the field, and perhaps best exemplified by the strong bond between middle infielders Luis Barranco and Andres Rios. With Rios at shortstop and Barranco at second base, the duo has become notorious for turning double plays and killing rallies. This past Halloween the pair went out as ketchup and mustard to further signify their bond together.

“We are real close and have real good chemistry between us. We spin it real well,” said Barranco, who was mustard. “Our pitching staff carried us last season, and we know they are going to do the job. We’re just looking forward to backing them up.”

The two guys let their pitchers know that they always have their backs, to go ahead and just let hitters dare to try and hit a ball past them.

“I love my second baseman, and we turn two great,” said Rios, who was ketchup. “I’m really close with him so it makes it even better up the middle. I always want a ground ball, and I always want to make a play for the team.”

Rios notes that whereas most clubs have to rely on some inexperienced underclassmen to help the team, this group has only one new starter. They are experienced at every position, they know what it takes to be successful and they know how to be mentally prepared for it.

During the fall they also work with a program called Miracle Field that works with handicapped kids. This worked wonders to bring the group together while further humbling them to appreciate the gifts God has given them. If there is any one ingredient that could be the difference, it would be the inspiration the players have taken from their experiences with this fall.

“We helped the Miracle Kids in the fall, and we get inspiration from them,” said Barranco. “Our coaches do a real good job of pushing us and motivating us. We work real hard and we work long hours.”

Evans appreciates the continuity they have in maintaining the same coaching staff for years now. Each is a master of his craft, and the players thrive learning from them. This group includes Howard Stein, Noel Figueroa, Pete Greenwood, and Johnston Hobbs, and Evans knows what great baseball minds they bring to the program.

The players are very coachable, and everyone is very self-aware. They really understand one another and what each one brings to the field. They have been through the battles of some very tough games against some very worthy opponents, and they believe in themselves

Behind the pitching staff that everyone knows is the starting catcher that tends to get overlooked, and who in fact is the anchor of this stellar defensive unit. Miguel Presno returns for his second season at the dish, and the catcher has tremendous feel for every one of his teammates on the field. Presno notes how they all know first baseman Ryan Dodge will get his big body in front of the ball, and how David Sarmiento, Oscar Rodriguez and Eric Rivera gel so well in the outfield. It is a catcher’s dream to call plays to these guys.

“Our defense is phenomenal,” Presno said. “Our middle is flat-out the best in the county. They all have quick hands and they all have cannons for arms.”

Presno has the mind of a coach, the type of depth that sees what it takes to put a winning team together. Someday much further down the line he just may end up as some team’s skipper, but in the meantime he is too busy focusing on the winning formula for this club.

“We have basically the same starting lineup and our pitching staff is exactly the same,” said Presno. “We’re looking to shut them down and not give up much runs. We’ve got speed on the bases and we’re going to hit to contact.”

The lone new guy of the group is freshman David Vazquez, who has earned the starting spot at third base. Age doesn’t matter with Evans, and when a guy shows he can win the job he lets that talent prove it, and lets them prove that they can handle the pressure.

“David Vazquez has shown that he can play and he’s playing with some very experienced guys right now,” Evans said. “They’re taking him under their wing and making sure that he understands what he’s walking into.”

One thing that everyone knows going into this season is that the Falcons pitching staff is as dangerous as it is deep. It is one thing to be able to bring back every guy from the previous season, and it means a whole lot more when those guys throw as well as this group does. This staff had a lot to do with the team’s success last year, and now they all have returned a year stronger and a year better.

Junior Gentry Fortuno and senior Alex Sarmiento provide a lethal 1-2 combination, and lefties Kharlin Sued and newcomer Peter Morforis enact equal damage from the opposite side of the hill. Senior right-hander Chris Rodriguez shores up the back end as the team’s closer.

“I like getting those chances to close games, because it gets me prepared not only for baseball but also for the real world,” Rodriguez said. “It shows me that they depend on me to get the job done. Every time I get the chance I just try to give 100%, and I am just so grateful for the opportunity to play with this team and play baseball on this level.”

The Falcons’ opposition typically feels the same way, which means they tend to see the other team’s best pitcher and best players. They expect everybody’s ‘A’ game, and they appreciate such challenging competition. It is a good thing for them, especially since they already treat every game like it’s a regional final anyway.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, you’re preparing yourself for later,” Evans said. “We are just hoping that everyone can do their job, nothing more and nothing less. If they do what they are capable of doing we are going to be able to play with a lot of teams.”

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