Second-year Queen’s Grant squad becoming factor in area baseball
The 2011 Queen’s Grant baseball team includes (from left) Steven Booksh, Kevin Satink, Austin Aberly, David McGoldrick, J.P. Ketcham and Austin Kegarise.
It doesn’t really bother the Queen’s Grant baseball players that they have played their best season yet in virtual anonymity.
Because their team is just 2 years old – and the high school portion of their school isn’t much older than that – the Stallions don’t yet have a home stadium. So their 2011 schedule has been all road games, meaning classmates and faculty can’t just hang around after school and walk out to the stadium to watch their young-but-inspiring baseball team light up the diamond.
In a way, though, the Stallions have drawn inspiration from their unique situation. After winning just four games last season, they’ve jumped out to a 7-3 record with seven regular-season contests remaining before the Piedmont Athletic Conference tournament.
Led by an energetic young coach, the Stallions play the game – wherever it might be – with vitality. Sure, there are times when their inexperience catches up with them, as was the case when their three losses came in succession to conference opponents Lake Norman Charter, Lincoln Charter and Grace Academy.
But those occurrences have done nothing to douse their collective enthusiasm, nothing to make them forget that they’re in the midst of the school’s first successful campaign.
“They’ve been great,” Queen’s Grant coach Dan Kerr said of his players. “They’re buying into it. This is a program. We’re building. We’re setting the foundation for every other year from here on out, and they really understand that.
“They believe, ‘We’re the trailblazers right now. We’re setting the tone for everybody else, and we’re going to set a mark that (future Stallions) have to live up to.’ They’re trying to set that bar real high right now.”
So the Stallions have ignored the fact that they sit in third place in the conference and focused on improving each time they take the field, be it practice or another road game. That poise has been crucial, as Queen’s Grant has committed just seven errors all season. Plus, there have been too many special moments this year to dissuade them, such as winning a tournament game in South Carolina by 27 runs, 30-3.
Would a home stadium be nice? Absolutely. And the Stallions are excited that their own ballpark is expected to be ready by next season. But being the visiting team each time they take the field has helped keep them focused.
“It’s different, that’s for sure,” junior David McGoldrick said. “We’re playing on different fields, and it’s kind of an adventure each time. It is a negative not having a home field, but it’s not like it poses that big of a problem to us. I guess it’d be more convenient, but we don’t focus on that right now.
“I think we kind of go into every game thinking of ourselves as being the underdog. So I guess that gives us the urge to do even better.”
Dan Kerr
To be clear, though, these Stallions aren’t just a bunch of overachievers; they can play.
McGoldrick leads the team with a .500 batting average and four home runs, in addition to notching four doubles and a triple. Freshman Anthony Campolo bats .480 with eight RBIs and two doubles, while senior Kevin Satink is hitting .400 with a triple, a double and a team-leading eight stolen bases.
Another .400 hitter is the versatile Austin Kegarise, who also has scored 14 runs and posted eight RBIs, three doubles and seven stolen bases. And powerfully built third baseman J.P. Ketcham has hammered six doubles and nine RBIs to go with his .353 average.
Defensively, the Stallions are stout, too, and the big reason for that is towering catcher Austin Aberly. The 6-foot-4 senior has thrown out eight runners and allowed only two passed balls. On the mound, Steven Booksh has led the way, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.00 ERA.
While each of the aforementioned players, other than the rookie Campolo, was a solid player as the team battled through sometimes-trying times last season, Kerr said their improvement was noticeable from the outset this year.
“Having that experience has made a big difference for a lot of our players,” Kerr said. “They know what they’ve got to do in certain situations. And leadership has been key for us. Kevin Satink, David McGoldrick, J.P. Ketcham – they’re all leaders. They come to work every day, and if anybody’s slacking off, they’re going to pick them up.
“We’re coming together as a team. We took a trip to South Carolina a couple weeks ago, and that really solidified what we have as a team. It really brought them together. As we go down the stretch here, I think that’s going to play a big role in our success.”
Enthusiasm oozes from Kerr, who turned 26 on April 13 and celebrated by spending an evening throwing batting practice to his players at the team’s current practice facility, Idlewild Road Park, located across the street from the school. Kerr played two seasons at Division III Cortland State (N.Y.) and landed his first teaching and coaching job at Queen’s Grant last year.
The four-win season in 2010 didn’t discourage him; in fact, he was emboldened. He has conveyed to his players that they should appreciate each moment. Because he certainly does.
“This has been a lot of fun,” Kerr said. “The opportunity to start a program from scratch is something a lot of people don’t get to do. It’s an experience I’m never going to forget.
“All of the accomplishments we get, whether it’s the four wins last year or the seven wins this year, make a difference. Every little stat matters. It’s nice to know that I played a little bit of a role in that.”
So the Stallions entered their April 14 game against Parkwood – at Parkwood, of course – with their typical enthusiasm. Parkwood is the biggest school on their schedule, in terms of enrollment, and they want to embrace the moment. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be content with a loss.
“Our first goal this season was to come together, and we’ve done that,” Satink, the senior captain, said. “But now, the wins count. For me, I’m never going to get to play high school baseball again. I’d like to win every game from here on out, and I’d like to win our conference championship.
“I know that’s a pretty high goal, but that’s the way we’re approaching it. I think that’s what’s helped us succeed as much as we have this season.”
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