The day is quickly approaching when Pat Adams will arrive to the ballpark and coach this special group of Newman seniors one final time.
He hopes it is on the third weekend of May at MacMurry Park in Sulphur, where the state baseball championships are held each year, but no matter when or where, that final speech will be an emotional moment.
Of course, every group of seniors is special, but Charles Wilson, Christian Sauska, Collier Villere, Jack Falgoust, George Loop and Henry Haber are a bit different. This very well could end up being the best Greenies team in over two decades since they won a state championship in 2003 with Jeremy Bleich on the hill and Billy Fitzgerald was coach.
However, it’s not just because they are good that makes them special. It’s as much the fact they hold a special place in Adams’ heart.
He has thought many times about what he might say in that final postgame huddle, but he really has no idea – and won’t until the words actually come out.
“I have known the four captains (Wilson, Sauska, Villere and Falgoust) and George Loop and coached them since they were 11. And they have been playing together even longer than that,” said Adams, who is in his seventh season leading the Greenies baseball program. “I don’t know what that day is going to feel like, and there will be tears, whether it’s after a loss or a win.
“I don’t have the words now, and I don’t know if I will even have the words then. I will go from seeing them every day to not seeing them anymore. … Each class is special, but this one is really special for me.”
‘HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE’
The Greenies head into the final seven games of the season at 15-6, but more importantly, as of Tuesday afternoon (March 31), they are third in the Select Division III power ratings due to the tough schedule they have played.
If they were to finish in the top two, they would be home in the playoffs as long as they continue winning until a potential state championship series in Sulphur. If they’re in the top four, they would be guaranteed being at home through the quarterfinals.
That alone would give them an advantage, as opposing teams don’t like playing at Avenger Park. It’s quirky, it’s artificial turf and the crowd is right up on the opposition’s backs. The field also sits in front of a heliport for Manning Family Children’s Hospital and next to a train track, where the whistles can jolt you out of your seat.
“We’re playing good baseball, and if we keep this up, we should be able to make a run for it,” said Falgoust, who has played an integral role as the team’s leadoff hitter and on defense at shortstop, third base and as a starting pitcher. “It’s kind of funny to see the other team and their reactions to this place.
“It’s a real homefield advantage, and it is different than any other field I have ever played in. It’s a lot like our football field (Lupin Field); it’s like you’re in the middle of a city playing baseball.”
CLOSE-KNIT GREENIES
The toughest time opponents seem to have come when Sauska is on the mound. At times throughout his three-year run as a starter, he has thoroughly been dominating. He pitched a two-hit shutout on the road at Jesuit on March 3 and held a perfect game into the sixth, and he completed a five-inning no-hitter in a 10-0 win vs. St. Charles last week in a game that was broadcast on VSN.
He cites his time playing together with Wilson as one of the reasons why he feels so comfortable on the mound. The Penn commit is hoping to have one last long run with his battery mate to finish out their prep careers.
“We just love playing the game, and when we’re on the field together, there’s a fluidity about everything we do. It just makes it fun to play,” Sauska said. “That really goes for all of us seniors. With (Wilson), I think that one of the advantages I have as a pitcher is having him behind the plate.
“He saves me a lot back there. He blocks balls in the dirt, frames pitches, throws guys out at second base, and there’s a special connection we have that gives us an advantage over other teams.”
As for Wilson, not only is he one of the top defensive catchers in the metro area in throwing out wannabe base stealers, but he has been fantastic with the bat. He went through a stretch this past week where he reached base 10 times in three games and is on so often that his courtesy runner, Thomas Smallpage, has scored 19 runs in 14 games played, which is second most on the team.
The Amherst (Mass.) College commit says that he is so familiar with his teammates, they seem to know what the other is going to do before they even do it.
“Some of us have been together since 7U, and Christian and I are in our 11th year playing together,” said Wilson, who now solely is a catcher after also spending time on the mound the past two seasons. “We’re very close, and we do everything together. It is so much fun to be with these guys. It kind of sucks this is our last year, but I am really happy how well we are playing together right now.”
And the final drop of glue has been Villere. When the Greenies are winning a tight ballgame, and it comes down to the sixth and seventh, you most likely will see the sidewinding pitcher come in and shut things down.
Last week with one out in a 1-1 game in the fifth against Belle Chasse, he came in and slammed the door on the Cardinals, allowing one baserunner to reach in 3 innings on the way to a five-run victory.
“We play as one. No one thinks they are better than anyone else,” said Villere, who remains unsure about his plans after high school. “It’s great to have that balance with the older guys and the younger guys. Even with the JV squad, we’re all one, the varsity, all of us.
“And I think that really has made a difference.”
CHANGING THE SCRIPT
Less than two weeks remain in the regular season for them to enjoy this final ride, and then they’ll have a chance to do something no Newman baseball team has done in 14 years: Make it to the quarterfinals or beyond.
Although they have had previous opportunities, they continue to get stuck in second gear. And that’s why it’s even more important to have a chance to advance at home.
The Greenies have made the second round in Division III in six straight seasons – all on the road – but have not been able to advance. In fact, they now have won 10 of their last 11 playoff games at Avenger Field, but have lost a whopping 17 consecutive road games in the postseason.
Their last road playoff victory came in the second round of the 2012 Class 2A tournament at French Settlement, which earned them a home quarterfinals game before they bowed to out to eventual state champ Calvary Baptist.
“When you have to go to someone else’s house, it is a different atmosphere,” Adams said. “(Avenger) is a unique field, which gives us an advantage, and I would love to be here as long as we can. …
“I just want to be in this thing as long as possible no matter how it works out. This class is special, and they know it isn’t going to last forever. They’re all just taking it in, and so am I.”