Douglas Hoping & Preparing To Make Team History

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Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of luck to go your way. Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald laments that his team just wasn’t very lucky last season, having come very close to advancing to the state Final Four. From that loss the team is hoping to return as unrelenting as ever, and write a new history for the program.

“We were one out away from having an opportunity to get there, but you learn from it,” Fitz-Gerald said. “The kids that come back are thinking about it and it’s something they talk about every day. They don’t want to allow that to happen and their focus has been a lot better in practice. Their attention to detail is more business like.”

This is the first class that came in four years ago when Fitz-Gerald took over as Manager of the program. They will be his first graduating class, and they are his guys. They understand what they want to do, and when they go out to practice everyday they get what the coaches are doing.

“We are driven by the desire to win a state championship,” senior Yorvis Torrealba said. “Every day in practice we are just working hard and trying to make it to states and win a state ring. We are like a family here, and every single day we are hanging out together and going over each other’s houses and hanging out in school. It is a great atmosphere here and we are always picking each other up between innings and being more as a team.”

There is not a whole lot of teaching at practice now, as more so it is preparation. It is about paying attention to the little things and adjusting to some new wrinkles. Everybody has been going about things with a very business-like approach, and the coaches are excited about their chances.

Pitching and defense has been the strength of the club, and that trend figures to continue. Junior Jesus Luzardo will return to anchor the pitching staff, with Alex Ginn and newcomer Ricky Miranda competing for the number two position. Veteran Alec Duffy returns to bolster the relief corps.

Luzardo has been the ace since his freshman year, and he has performed remarkably well in big games throughout his career. Even as he understands that it is just natural to give a little bit more against great competition, the left-hander is focused on bringing that same mentality into every game.

“It’s definitely a big responsibility, but it doesn’t feel like it,” Luzardo said. “We have a bunch of guys behind me that can throw the ball and we have a great staff in general. Our defense really helps us out so anyone out there is really going to succeed. It’s a big role for me, but I enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun having the ball in big games.”

Offensively The Eagles have a good mix of speed and power up and down the lineup. Speedsters Pemron Burrows, Kyle Shay and Torrealba hit near the top, ahead of power bats like Devin Conn, Dominic Dicaprio and Colton Welker. The team also has some younger guys at the bottom of the order with Ivan Nunez and Brandon Auerbach.

The newcomer Pemron Burrows anchors the outfield, and Fitz-Gerald says he is a lot of fun to be around. Burows is a very dynamic player who can handle the bat and use all fields, who can get on base and wreck havoc on the base paths, and who covers a lot of ground in the outfield. The team is going to count on him heavily, and his role will increase as he comes along learning the new system. All in all Burrows has been a welcome addition to a group with great chemistry.

“Most of our guys are junors and seniors and we are a really close knit team,” Luzardo said. “I hang out with them actually more than I see my parents and my sister. We’re close, and all these guys work hard. We all know the goal and it is going to be a good year for us.”

Douglas has depth to adjust to any changes they might have to make. The team is two-deep at nearly every position, which helps to keep starters being pushed to keep working hard. Fitz-Gerald does not care what grade a guy is in; if you can play, you will play. Evidence of this comes this season with the new freshman second base, Brandon Auerbach. Fitz-Gerald is letting him get his feet wet with big-boy baseball, and he admits he doesn’t really care if he hits, as long as Auerbach plays good defense.

The veterans embrace having the younger guys in the mix. During action in the HSBN Preseason Challenge, the entire team went ballistic cheering on Ivan Nunez after he speared a liner to him at third base. It only adds to the excitement and chemistry this squad enjoys together.

“They get to learn a little more from us and we get to teach them and walk them through,” Torrealba said. “We give them tips to improve so they can get better and keep moving forward.”

The bottom line is just to be prepared at the end of the year going into the playoffs. Fitz-Gerald wants to be hitting on all cylinders by then, even as he admits that the team is not there yet. There are still a lot of things the Eagles need to do to get better. But as long as they come to work everyday and put the time and work in, the sky is the limit.

The team has all the guys that can do it. On top of a talented roster is also an experienced coaching staff. Returning to the staff are Elliot Bonner, Danny Core, Joe Hoey, Drew Medina, Von Stertzbach and Tony Stravino. Also coming aboard this season is legendary coach Rich Hofman.

“We have great coaching experience on staff,” Fitz-Gerald said. “Coach Hofman has been a blessing to have with us and he is very knowledgeable and we compliment each other well. It has worked out better than I thought it would. It has been a great, great help having Coach Hofman join the staff this year with all the other coaches we have here. We just have really good chemistry right now.”

The Eagles are talented and capable, but Fitz-Gerald does not see any reason to get complacent. In his eyes they have not done anything yet, and he is pretty sure this is how the players all feel too. Right now it is about taking things one game at a time and earning the right to celebrate in the end. This group is mature and focused, and represents the type of players the program produces.

“I think we have changed the culture a little bit,” Fitz-Gerald said. “I think they are tougher mentally, obviously they are stronger physically and they do a great job in the weight room, and last year was a tough one to swallow when we were right there knocking on the door. Make one mistake and you get sent home. It left a nasty taste in our mouth, which is good because they came back hungrier.”

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