My name is Jake Vollen and I’m a senior at Bay. For my senior project I am launching a Bay varsity sports blog to inform readers about the sports community and ideally encourage students to interact more with sports at Bay as fans.
Spring 2013-2014 Recap – Part I
Last year, spring varsity sports teams at Bay accomplished more than ever before. A school record seven-of-eight varsity teams made the playoffs, with two Bay teams—tennis and lacrosse—qualifying for postseason play for the first time ever. The baseball team recorded one of the most successful seasons in Bay Athletics history. Hopes are high this year for all eight teams at The Bay School.
Baseball
Last year the baseball team had its most successful season in school history with a 16-4 record, including an 11-game winning streak from mid-March through the Bay Counties League Central (BCL Central) playoffs. Bay scored a total of 119 runs and allowed only 21 while going undefeated in 10 league games. In the league championship, Bay trounced Pescadero High School 10-0, but the season ended in the first round of the North Coast Section Playoffs (NCS). The 12th-seeded Breakers maintained a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the final inning, but fifth-seed Athenian rallied for a walk-off victory.
Much of the 2013 baseball team’s success can be attributed to the talents of eight All-League players, five of whom are back this spring. The 2014 team is led by four senior captains: Third baseman/pitcher Jason Nemerovski was the BCL Central MVP, while the other three—catcher Jack Jue, third baseman/pitcher Sam Lopez, and first baseman Jake Vollen—were first team All-League selections.
So far this spring the team has struggled against a series of skilled opponents. Its record through March 31st is 2-5, but four of its five defeats were at the hands of teams that qualified for NCS play last year. Bay’s victories have come against league foes Pescadero and Gateway. In league play, the Breakers have outscored their opponents 36-1, leaving the team hopeful about winning another BCL Central championship.
Boys Golf
In the last few years the boys golf team has relied heavily on the successes of its upperclassmen, and in 2013 the results from team leaders carried the team all the way to the league finals. While the golf team came up short in that match, the team’s overall strong play last season against tough Bay Area competition is noteworthy.
The team’s upperclassmen will be key to its performance this year once again. Senior captain Zack Ticktin leads the way on the golf course, with contributions from his fellow captain, junior Harrison Welsh. Coach Tony Pickering is also expecting solid performances from the other seniors on the team: Nick Bennett, Kyle Fowler, Ben Gerstein, and Emmett Greenberg. One more player to watch this season is sophomore Nathan Wang, who was awarded Second Team All-League honors in 2013.
Thus far the team is 1-6, but these losses have come against formidable opponents, including two at the hands of Marin Academy, a team many believe will win this year’s state championship.
Lacrosse
Last year, in only its second season, the Bay varsity lacrosse team made it to the BCL playoffs for the first time. Although Bay was eliminated in the first round by Lick-Wilmerding, reaching the playoffs was an accomplishment in itself. While the team’s overall record was an unimpressive 3-8, 2013 was an important growth year for Bay lacrosse, whose 2014 team boasts 13 seasoned upperclassmen.
The 2014 schedule has already been hampered by rainouts, but the lacrosse team has had a solid season to date, with a 2-2 record through March 31st. The victories against Sonoma Academy and Stuart Hall were decisive, as Bay outscored these opponents by a total of 22-11. The losses came at the hands of Urban and Lick-Wilmerding, two teams that have enjoyed recent success in BCL play. This year’s Breakers team is led by senior captain Miles Kelly and fellow seniors Gibson Buttfield, Stefan Jandreau-Smith, Jack Kissane, and Cyrus Moghadam.
Boys Tennis
In 2013, Bay’s tennis team also made the playoffs for the first time in school history, but also lost in the first round. Last year’s team included a large group of underclassmen who gained valuable experience. With no seniors on the 2014 squad, this year’s young team is hoping to expand on last year’s success and reach the playoffs again.
The 2014 boys tennis team is led by junior captain Brooks Carmen and sophomore captains Arun Desai and Alex Evers, all of whom won their singles matches last Thursday and Friday. As a group, the team has a record of 2-3. In BCL West league games, the Breakers earned one win against Drew and were saddled with two losses by University and Marin Academy. With four more games against league opponents before the playoffs, the tennis team is hoping to improve its record and secure a spot in the tournament.
Next week I will be posting a spring recap for the other four spring varsity teams in boys volleyball, co-ed sailing, girls soccer, and softball.
#SchoolStories 