Calvert Hall Ready for El Dorado

By: Ashley Campbell

The Calvert Hall baseball team received their first invitation to the Anderson Bat National Classic, and will travel to the West Coast March 24-27 to compete against some of the nation’s best high school squads.

The Cardinals will open the tournament Monday, March 24 against the host team, El Dorado High School, at 7:15 pm.

“It is a great opportunity for us to be able to open the tournament with a night game,” said head coach Lou Eckerl. “It gives us a chance to play in front of a big crowd, including the Alums in California.”

Although the tournament is fast approaching, the Cardinals have been going about their normal routine to prepare for the classic.

“We’ve been spending the same amount of time practicing and been focusing on the same things. The guys are all aware of the tournament, but they are still focused on the task at hand, and that includes our upcoming regular season games,” said Eckerl.

The Cardinals finished last season 33-0, and snagged their third consecutive MIAA A Conference title and landed fourth on USA Today’s High School baseball list. Calvert Hall brings back eight senior starters, six of which are pitchers.

“Our success last season definitely impacts how we approach this season, but at the same time the guys know that each game is a competition, and we can’t take anything for granted,” Eckerl said.

Returning for the Cardinals are last year’s Baltimore Sun player of the year Kevin Lingerman, as well as pitcher Mike Dillon, who Eckerl said could be the starter for the game against El Dorado.

“It’s pretty amazing that we have six starting pitchers who can go to the mound and give us a great game night after night,” Eckerl said. “Dillon is a workhorse. He went 9-0 last season, and so far everything is looking good. All the guys give the team depth and a lot of options come game time.”

So far this season, the Cardinals have made yet another impressive start. They got their first win against the Avalon School, 10-0, and will take on DeMatha this weekend, in what coach Eckerl calls “a big game.”

Posted March 17, 2008