Irvington baseball ended their season with a 9-14 record. The season featured many highs and lows, with the team competing against the best teams in the area.

The team was looking to improve from the previous season, which ended on a disappointing 5 game-losing streak. Down the stretch of last season, the team let up a lot of runs with opposing teams averaging nearly 10 runs a game during the losing streak. “ We worked really hard in the weight room during the off-season,” said team captain Lucas Durand (12). “ A big thing was not taking certain days off when we should be in the field. There were a lot of days that were optional, but guys would still show up.”

With the hard-work Irvington put in during the off-season, expectations were high heading into the year. In each of the previous two seasons, Irvington had improved on their win total. “ Heading into the season my expectations were really high,” said head coach Frank Durand. “ We had a lot of seniors and quite a few strong players, and I really hoped it would be our year to bounce back and make it to the playoffs.”

The improvement from last year was reflected right away, with Irvington beating Dublin and Deer Valley to start the season 2-0. “ We started off the season really strong,” said team captain Vishal Venkatraman (12). “ In the league, we definitely performed well. Though there were some close games which we should have won, there were a lot of other games where we played really well as a group and it showed in the results.” 

After the fast start, the season was one of ups and downs. Directly after starting 2-0, Irvington went on a 4-game losing streak featuring a loss to league opponent Mission San Jose. However, displaying the resiliency and comradery of the team, Irvington responded to those losses with a 3-game win streak. In each passing game, whether it be a win or a loss, the team displayed improvements in key areas. “ Early in the season, we knew exactly what things we had to work on based on the games,” said 3rd baseman Kenny Luu (12). “ Thanks to the effort of the coaches, we were to fix a lot of those issues. For example, to start the season I was shaky in the in-field. After a lot of consistent work with the coaches, my play in the in-field improved over time.”

The middle of the season featured some high-scoring and heart-breaking losses, including a 12-11 loss to American and a 15-run thriller vs Moreau Catholic. Those losses were a sign of progress from the early-season hitting struggles. “ There were a lot of guys that started off the season slow,” said Lucas (12). “ They weren’t able to hit very well; however, once everyone started getting more comfortable with the challenge of games, that’s when the team began getting better and meshing together.”

Irvington finished their final four games with a 2-2 record, splitting their series vs Washington and Newark Memorial. Their league record of 6-8 placed them in 4th place. The season-ending marked the departure of many beloved seniors. “ I just want the seniors to continue to grow and be the good people they are inside,” said Coach Frank. “ I am sure they are all going to do big things in life, and I am super proud of the people that they are.”