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JFK baseball responds for 11-3 record

WARREN — There can be a lot of pressure on a baseball player, and John F. Kennedy coach Tom Elder is well aware of that.

Slumps can weigh on players’ minds. A few bad throws can rattle a pitcher. An error can get in someone’s head.

Elder understands that, and he doesn’t care.

“I’m kind of a no-nonsense person,” said Elder, now in his second year leading the Eagles. “… I put a lot of pressure on these kids, I really do. When they go on that field, they know what I expect, and I won’t accept anything less than that, and the kids are responding to it. They’re doing well with it.”

Elder’s approach is working well, indeed.

JFK is off to an 11-3 start, with wins over Avon (a Division I school), Trinity (the Division IV state runner-up in 2018) and Warren G. Harding (its crosstown rival and another D-I school).

Senior captain Isaac Hadley, also a captain on the football team, is a starting catcher for the Eagles. He said he and his teammates embrace the pressure brought on by their coach and the sport. They’ve been dealing with it for years, and with several standout players, no one feels the onus to do more than what’s asked of them.

“Everyone on this team grew up playing baseball, and they were all put in those positions when they were younger,” Hadley said. “So they’ve always had the pressure on them a little bit, and now that it’s taken off, everyone is playing more relaxed. We play very relaxed against teams. Even when it’s a close game or we’re down, we’re still confident that we can come back.”

Staying cool and collected isn’t their only strength. The Eagles are talented too.

Right-handers AJ Arp, a junior, and sophomore Cameron Hollobaugh lead a strong rotation. Arp has a 1.96 ERA, and Hollobaugh’s is even lower at 1.63. Arp has struck out 46 to just 12 walks, and Hollobaugh has 38 Ks and 14 free passes.

Speedy leadoff hitter Jordan Edmondson leads JFK with a .457 average, and Hollobaugh is close behind at .452. Actually, there’s a large contingency of players close behind. The Eagles have seven players batting over .300 (Peyton Comer, Michael Mauro, Alex DeSalvo, Hadley and Marcus Aulizia).

Maybe the Eagles’ biggest strength is a defense that’s been fundamentally sound most of the season.

“We’re playing solid defense,” Elder said on Tuesday. “In the last two games, I think we turned five double plays. And our pitching has been solid all year round. I can’t say enough about our pitching. These kids come out and battle all the time. They’re throwing two-hitters, three-hitters, one-hitters, and … when you don’t have hitting, the pitching and defense are there. It’s definitely our trademark.”

The last ingredient to the Eagles’ impressive start is camaraderie.

Part of the reason pressure doesn’t mount is because captains like Hadley and first baseman Alex Hernandez, along with other team leaders, don’t allow problems or negativity to fester. If a player makes a mistake, someone picks him up and they move on.

It’s all part of a strong team chemistry.

“I feel a lot more confident with this team,” Hadley said. “I know we all trust each other a lot. These teammates are like brothers to me. We’re all super close.

“We can go far if we play fundamentally sound and keep working as a team because we can’t do this by ourselves. We’ve got to do it together, and we all realize that.”

Elder is leading the charge.

He said the biggest difference from his first year to this one is the players have “bought in” to the coaching staff. While he loves that a quiet confidence has stemmed from that, he isn’t taking a laid-back approach.

The postseason is quickly approaching, and he wants the Eagles peaking at the right time.

“I don’t think we’re playing our best ball right now, and that’s a good thing,” Elder said. “I still think there’s room to grow. As they get to know me, I’m never satisfied. The day I become satisfied is the day I’ve got to give it up. There’s always room for improvement.”

And the Eagles are OK with that.

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