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By Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
The Wellesley boys varsity baseball team finished its regular season on a high note on Friday. The Raiders comfortably beat non-league opponents Medfield, 13-3, on May 27. In beating the Warriors, the Raiders moved to 11-11 on the season and punched their ticket to the state tournament. For a team that had been trying to seal its tournament bid over the last few games, it was blessed relief.
To Coach Rob Kane, however, it was simply a symptom of his team’s determination. “I felt like this group wanted to advance to the postseason even when things didn't go our way,” he remarked. “They found a way to score 28 runs over the last three games. Found a way to beat the best pitcher in the league. ‘Determined’ is the word that defines this team.”
The dominant performance was anchored in large part by an ace performance by freshman pitcher Teddy Goss, whose five innings of three-run ball proved more than enough to get his team the win.
“Teddy did his job every game he was our starting pitcher, including against Medfield,” said Coach Rob Kane. “He goes after every hitter up and down the lineup.”
Among Wellesley's highlights on the season so far have been a victory against 2015 tournament winners Norwood and their ace, pitcher Sean Mellen. The Raiders hope to add to their list of accomplishment with a tournament run this year, having been bounced last year in the sectional quarterfinals by top-seeded Mansfield. This will be Wellesley’s tenth postseason appearance in a row - a feat of remarkable consistency, year-in and year-out.
If you ask the coach, though, one gets the sense that the best is hopefully yet to come. “I don't think we, at any time this season, were playing to our potential,” he mused. “Seemed liked we had our moments when things were good. If we had consistency in the middle of the season, we would have won 13-15 games.”
With Wellesley still yet to play its best baseball on the season, it’s tempting to fantasize about the potential for postseason glory. Coach Kane was far more succinct and grounded in his assessment of the Raiders’ immediate goals, however: “Win and advance.”
