The season for High School North Boys Baseball has began and recently The Lion’s Roar caught up with head baseball coach Mr. Justin Nathanson to discuss the upcoming season.

The Lion’s Roar: Coming off of two appearances in the championship for JV, are you expecting the same results if not better for your varsity team?

Justin Nathanson: Yes.  The reason we put all hard work, time, and energy into practice every day and in the off-season, is so we could give ourselves a shot at getting to, and winning a championship.

 LR: Describe the team you have right now in one word.

JN: Determined

LR: How do you prepare for an upcoming season?

JN: Summer baseball, off-season workout programs, throwing programs, winter baseball workouts, intense practices that challenge the players both physically and mentally, tough scrimmages, and lots of collaboration with the coaching staff.

 LR: What is the routine the team does before a game?

JN: We will usually have a team meeting to go over the scouting report and then we will move on up to the field to go through a warm-up. After the team warms up, the players will usually take part in hitting stations that involve both hitting and bunting drills.  About 10 minutes before pre-game, the team will then get their arms loose and then move on to take their “Infield/Outfield”.  Usually, while the other team is taking infield/outfield we will meet once again as a team and go over any plays, signals, or situations that we may need to go over again.  I also encourage the players to stay loose until the start of the game.

LR: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard was it to pick the players for your team (one being very easy and ten being the hardest thing in your life)?

JN: Great question, although there are always a few tough decisions, for the most part it was easy due to the fact that I know a lot about the player’s skill level, character, work ethic, and attitude before tryouts even begin.  So my answer to the question is 3.

 LR: Will you be using the hockey team’s success as motivation for your players (I.E, if they can do it, so can we)?

JN: Absolutely.  One of the first things I did when the hockey team won, was send a message to my team encouraging them to remember what they experienced as a fan watching the hockey team’s dream season, and that they have the opportunity to make it a reality.

 LR:If you could leave one thing with your players after they leave you, what would it be?

JN: I want the players to look back and simply say they had a great experience playing for the Middletown North baseball program.

 LR: Lastly, what do you want to say to all of the parents and fans who come to support you?

JN: The parents and fans are without a doubt a huge part of the baseball family and their support is truly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.