Pitching for success
March 18, 2017
After the Brahmas’ strong start, the Diamond Bar High School baseball team has hit a slump, suffering five consecutive preseason losses.
The Brahmas are now 4-6 after losing the last four games of the Chino Tournament and the contest against Walnut. The team also lost their first league match against Glendora 3-1, losing steam in the end.
The Chino Tournament was a warm-up for the team before the season started. It was also the first time the Brahmas participated in the Chino Tournament, as the team usually competes in the Don Lugo Tournament. Although the Brahmas had a 6-1 win against the Duarte Falcons, they could not maintain their four win streak against the other four schools they competed against.
“I don’t think we did as well as we thought we would. I actually think we took a step back a little bit,” head coach Jonathan Hurst said. “But we learned a lot about ourselves which is going to allow us to progress moving forward.”
Compared to last season, the team is comprised of more upperclassmen. However, Hurst sees sophomore outfielder and infielder William Lombard as one of the team’s top players. Hurst also anticipates senior captains pitcher Riley Dabich and first baseman Eric Winchester to help lead the team. Junior infielder Fabian Moran is another of the team’s top players, according to Hurst.
Winchester is currently one of the team’s top hitters, with a batting average of .478 in the eight games he has played. Moran follows Winchesters closely, with a .462 average. Senior Kyle Damasco and Winchester hold the two lowest ERAs at 0.89 and 1.17, respectively.
“We are much more athletic. We are a more cohesive unit and we are more fundamentally sound,” Hurst said.
A new addition to the staff has also helped the team’s pitching skills. Coach Jeff Walter has previously worked with several of the Brahmas through his involvement in youth baseball in the area. Hurst hopes that the addition of an experienced coach will help the team.
The team has another league match today against Ayala. The team will compete against the school Hurst considers the toughest challenge, South Hills, on March 24.
