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Photo: Richard Gregory / Hearst Connecticut Media
Abbott Tech center fielder Jordan O’Brien scoops a grounder during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington June 3, 2017.
Abbott Tech center fielder Jordan O’Brien scoops a grounder during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington June 3, 2017.
Photo: Richard Gregory / Hearst Connecticut Media
Abbott Tech starting pitcher Cody Waterbury fires a pitch during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School June 3, 2017.
Abbott Tech starting pitcher Cody Waterbury fires a pitch during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School June 3, 2017.
Photo: Richard Gregory / Hearst Connecticut Media
Abbott Tech catcher Dan Collinge, left, shows the umpire he held onto the ball after tagging Lewis Mills' Mike Ciccarelli out at the plate during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington June 3, 2017.
lessAbbott Tech catcher Dan Collinge, left, shows the umpire he held onto the ball after tagging Lewis Mills' Mike Ciccarelli out at the plate during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game at Lewis
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Abbott Tech second baseman Stanley Roman gets set to throw to first from his knees after making a diving stop on a grounder during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington June 3, 2017.
lessAbbott Tech second baseman Stanley Roman gets set to throw to first from his knees after making a diving stop on a grounder during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at
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Abbott Tech relief pitcher Derek Taveras delivers a pitch during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington June 3, 2017.
Abbott Tech relief pitcher Derek Taveras delivers a pitch during the Class M state baseball tournament quarterfinal game against Lewis Mills at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington June 3, 2017.
Photo: Richard Gregory / Hearst Connecticut Media
Abbott Tech baseball team determined to build off last year’s success
DANBURY — As the Abbott Tech baseball team warmed up in the gym Friday before heading outside for practice — finally — the Wolverines’ 2017 Connecticut Technical Conference West Division championship banner hung overhead. Nobody seemed to pay it any attention, really, but that banner — more specifically, the thought of winning another one — was on everyone’s mind.
“We won the division last year, so hopefully we win the conference this year,” said senior catcher Dan Collinge, who was a key contributor on last year’s team. “We’re really excited.”
And the Wolverines should be excited. They welcome back a solid group from last year’s team, which not only captured its first division title since it won back-to-back in 2010 and 2011, but it also made a magical run to the Class M state quarterfinals for the first time in as long as anyone could remember, possibly ever.
Along with Collinge, that includes senior center fielder Jordan O’Brien, junior infielder Stanley Roman, junior pitcher Derek Taveras and sophomore pitcher and infielder Cody Waterbury. Waterbury started on the mound in that aforementioned Class M quarterfinal game as a freshman, and took the loss in a 15-4 defeat to Lewis Mills in a game that was a lot closer than the score might indicate. Taveras relieved him. The Wolverines also picked up sophomore pitcher Wyatt Mills, who transferred from Danbury High School.
“We have a lot of interesting pieces,” Abbott Tech coach Dave Simone said. “We have a lot of young guys coming up in the system, so some nice things could happen. I think we have a little more depth this year, and that’s exciting.”
Having had a taste of success last year, the Wolverines are hungry for a second helping.
“I feel like we’re ready to work as a team and go out there again and do something good for our school,” O’Brien said. “We’re glad to be back out here, and we can’t wait to get outside.”
Perhaps what made last year so special, in addition to the division title, was the Wolverines’ victories outside the CTC. Because in certain sports, when a Tech League team beats a team from outside the Tech League, that’s big news. Not only did Abbott defeat crosstown rival Immaculate from the South-West Conference last year for the first time in decades, the Wolverines also stunned fifth-seeded Oxford of the Naugatuck Valley League in the second round of the Class M tournament as the 21st seed. Senior right-hander Brayan Aguilera pitched a complete-game four-hitter in what was easily one of the program’s biggest wins in a long time.
“For us, beating non-league schools turns some heads,” Simone said. “Usually, this program never did that.”
The Wolverines are looking forward to turning more heads this year — and maybe hanging another banner, too.
