All posts by Joe Muzio, Correspondent

Sports

Knights baseball team loses tough battle

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On Sunday, May 2nd, the Northern Essex Knights had a home game doubleheaderagainst the Uconn Avery Point Pointers.

Prior to these two games, the Knights had matched u pagainst the Pointers on three other occasions, beating them all three times.

Three wins out of thefive total games against each other meant that the Knights had won the season series against the Pointers but were very excited to get out and play for a series sweep and win all five games against them.

Before the doubleheader sophomore Hunter Wilochowski said, “these guys are  here to compete. Something I have picked up is that this team has played better every time we have played them. All of us gotta stay sharp today.”

It seemed that the Knights had the righ tmentality and mindset when they showed up to Haverhill Stadium that morning.

The Knights hitting was very slow throughout the day, only generating a mere four hits and one run throughout both games. As the day went on, the Knights ended up trailing by 3 runs at the end of both games.

After a six game win streak, the Knights dropped two to the Pointers at their homefield to still win the season series but bring their record to 17-10.

“Nobody likes to show up tothe baseball field and lose both games at your home field,” said sophomore Dylan Duval in the huddle with his teammates the next day of practice.

Duval also said,“we all talked about how we all believed we would win these games. That is the mistakewe made. We underestimated a team that has fought with us in games all year. Theyshowed up and wanted it more than us. We need to carry the right mindset we have before the game onto the field and with every single of us everytime we step on the fiel dor into the batter’s box. We need to stay focused for a whole day of baseball because onc ewe lose focus as a team, we allow ourselves to be beaten.”

The Knight’s plan is to focus on this part of their game for the rest of the year. They all feel tha tis what the last piece of the puzzle they need to complete to make them the best team they can be as they get ready to enter their regional tournament.

Maintaining focus throughout your entire time at the field is a must as a team that wants to succeed.

It seems that the Knights have had this problem when it comes to them occasionally losing games throughout the year.

Sophomore Levi Burrill said, “we are the best team on the field every time we step out for a game. We have theskill taken care of. Our main focus is learning how to become great players and work together asa team to win games.”

It seems that this mindset is everyone’s main focus so hopefully theseguys are onto something and can carry this mentality to their regional games.

Due to thepandemic throughout the past year, many of these players have not played consistent games likethis since 2019.

Getting a feel back into the game and away from the training aspect of the sportis a major adjustment. Now that these guys have 30 games under their belt, they should be ready  to leave the losses behind them as they strive for a College World Series.

Editor’s Note: Joe Muzio is a member of the NECC Knights baseball team.

 

 

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NECC Knights baseball players embrace hard work, team spirit

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The Northern Essex Knights baseball team has really stepped up over the past few weeks ,bringing their record to 17-8 after starting the season off 3-6 after the first nine games.

The baseball team here at NECC is well known for not only constantly winning their region, but heading to the college world series. However, with COVID, this season was not set up for such.

Before the season began, every other team in the Knight’s region and conference decided to not thave a 2021 season. This led to not only the Knights having to find dozens of other teams to play, but leaving them with no choice but to switch their district for the year so they could place in an NJCAA tournament in order to possibly make another trip to the College World Series.

Not only has their district changed, but their entire regular season schedule was filled with top division 3 schools in New England along with some of the best NJCAA teams in the country.

However, none of the players have seen this as an obstacle. Catcher Dylan Duval said,“We have clicked. What was going on at the start of the season was not our game. We have grown so much as a team there is no stopping us when we play our game. Our chemistry as teammates and friends has skyrocketed. Anyone can see when we step on the field how much each of us want to be there in the World Series together.”

It is great to hear how these young men have come together in such a short span of time all so they can reach this specific goal of theirs. In fact, the Knights have made it a ritual to run a mile and a half after every practice and every game no matter the conditions or the time of day.

Outfielder Kam Levesque said,“The runs are a game changer. We will beat a team at home and when they are walking back to their bus they see us running around the track and that to me is just the best feeling in the world. Now every team we play knows that when we step out on the field we are willing to work harder than them. Even on away games when we get back to the school at 9 or 10 p.m., we immediately head over to the track and get busy.”

Being there with this group of guys everyday has changed everything. Every player on the team is so focused on simply the classroom and winning a national championship.

It does not seemlike anything else goes through their head other than making sure their work is completed andgetting in their extra work on the field or in the weightroom.

Outfielder Logan Burril stated,“This school brings out the best in all of us. The team chemistry cannot be beat. On the day weare helping our teammates in practice and finishing laps while later on we are in the gym together which is followed by us making sure we have our assignments completed in the best quality. We all feed off of each other which is why I think we are the best team in the nation.”

Every player is devoted to making themselves a better person, a better student, and a better ballplayer in their time here. It is great to see and observe the fact that every player on the Knights baseball team here at Northern Essex has bought into the process and putting in the work to be great at whatever they are doing in that very moment.

Editor’s Note: Joe Muzio is a member of the NECC baseball team.

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Baseball team members praise college’s efforts to keep sports going

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The officials of the NJCAA, along with college athletes, have adjusted in special ways to continue to play out sports seasons through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past year,everyone’s lives have altered in some form. College athletes lost a part of themselves throughout this pandemic, and what these NJCAA advisers have done for kids all over the nation is nothing short of spectacular.

In addition, these coaches and head officials common goal is to help thei rplayers get back to the game they fell in love with as a child.

Throughout the nation, manyc oaches have struggled throughout this process of having a season during this pandemic. It hasgotten to a point where having a season is viewed as a luxury.

Many coaches and NJCAA members throughout the United States have risen to the occasion and really stepped up for their players so they will have just as much of an opportunity to succeed and live out their dream.

What Northern Essex has done regarding the public involvement of the baseball teams has been truly amazing.

Several student-athletes from NECC recently shared their experiences and thoughts of the NJCAA sports world throughout the pandemic and shared what Northern Essex has done to help them keep playing.

For instance, freshman Kam Levesque said, “I think the NJCAA has done agood job at trying to give students athletes the opportunity to compete while maintaining safe operations.”

What these officials are going through is no joke.

One mistake can end a season fora team.

Caution is taken into consideration with every game so these kids can play.

When speaking with NECC sophomore Logan Burrill, it is clear how many team members here at Northern Essex and NJCAA officials are stepping up and playing a great role in the college athletic system system.

Burrill expressed his experience so far with college baseball during the pandemic when he said,“NECC coaches and our athletic director have made it so I can play ball and achieve my dreams. NECC has one of the busiest schedules for baseball in the Northeast and I think that speaks for itself that they’re doing everything they can to make it so this season is the best that itpossibly could.”

Burrill then went on to say how members of the athletic department have really taken on the hardest challenge to face and are dealing with it head on.

The fact that NECC has not had an issue with baseball has been great for the program and a life-changing experience for theseplayers.

Sophomore baseball player Nick White made it clear how he felt towards the topic when he said “What NECC is doing is revolutionary for every program. Instead of sitting back and letting the cards unfold too long, the members of the athletic program saddled up and did whatever they could so we can step on the field everyday. Everyday I am lucky to call myself a Knight because of how hard everyone in the program has fought for this to happen.”

This is what happens when a group of people come together and focus on the big picture. The weekly testing,the social distancing, the caution of it all is clearly worth it so these players can continue to do what they love.

Note: Joe Muzio is a member of the NECC Knights baseball team. 

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Students, and teachers continue to adjust to online formats

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College students have adjusted in profound ways to continue to retain information through the COVID-19 pandemic. It is no secret that the past year has been a culture change to the world, especially college students.

Everything that was planned to happen in the great four or five years of the college experience is now an abandoned thought. In addition, the teacher’s goal to help their students and get the info for the class out is now twice as important as well as twice as hard. Throughout the nation, many teachers have struggled throughout this process of online school.

For many students this format is difficult and they find it hard to retain their information to a point where many students are just teaching themselves. However, many teachers throughout the United States have risen to the occasion and really stepped up for their students so they will have just as much of an opportunity to succeed whether the class is online or in-person.

These are the teachers that have turned into role models with their profound work ethic and determination to help others.

After speaking with numerous students from Northern Essex, it seems that there are some teachers that really look after the students of this college and truly care about these students’ education in such a dire need of it.

For instance, after speaking to sophomore Clay Campbell on this matter, he stated that he indeed has experienced a great class through the pandemic semester.

He shared his experience when he said, “My English class has been so effective because to get better we just have to keep writing. I think the teacher has helped tons of students. It is a class that allows the teacher to facilitate learning more which makes it just as effective as remote as it is in-person.”

This is a great example of a teacher taking the class and working on what they can control to continue to remain effective through this remote process of learning.

Even though it is stressed throughout the media that it must be very hard for college students right now, it is even harder for these teachers to not only provide a curriculum, but to make sure their students can take in as much info as they can.

After speaking with NECC sophomore Logan Burrill, it is clear how many teachers here at Northern Essex are stepping up and playing a great role in the school system.

Burrill expressed his experience so far with remote classes regarding the pandemic when he said, “I would say public speaking because even though I didn’t speak in front of a class I had to speak in front of a camera and prepare just like I was speaking to people in-person. I learned a lot about my weaknesses in this class which helped me become a better leader and communicator. It also even though online translated into real life scenarios.”

Burrill then went on to say how other classes such as statistics were useful this semester because both these teachers were just as invested in the students as the students were invested in the class itself.

That is what students all over the country are looking for at a time like this. Even though there have been great examples throughout the classroom. Sophomore Nick White thought elsewise saying, “I have always enjoyed the academic side of school, but since remote learning has become a way of life, I am yet to connect with a teacher like i could in the classroom. A lot of it is teaching yourself due to teachers not being there when you are in need of assistance.”

Now, this is the other side of the spectrum that needs to be heard as well. It is just as important to not let yourself fall behind, leaving the students to learn for themselves. This is honestly the popular side over the past few months. Teachers need to take the process just as seriously as the students, if not more. There are always two sides to every story. What everyone in the school industry, teacher and student, needs to work on is being consistent with themselves and controlling what you can. Nobody has ever experienced a pandemic like this before. As long as everyone does what they are supposed to do and try their best, there should be no problem within the schooling industry.