14U Orange 2021 Season Preview

Team Ontario's 14U Orange squad has turned heads across the organization since the team joined together this past August and the young guns continue to take strides as most of the players enter their first season in the CPBL.

The fall season was an early indicator of the youthful talent that fills up the roster and it was evident each time out as the club performed well. The fall season brought the 14U Orange team together and built chemistry that is evident anytime you walk into the facility during one of their practices. 

Head Coach Alex Iliffe has set lofty goals for his team as he's seen what they're capable of over the past six months and he believes this team has the talent it takes to reach the peak. 

"If the team continues to grow and we continue to able to practice together as a group, the team will do very well in the upcoming season and we will be looking to win the CPBL season championship," explains Coach Iliffe, a former Team Ontario player who's now in his first year on the coaching staff. "The team is continuing to get better and become more fundamentally sound which will be key heading into the summer."

Iliffe is focused on creating a team that's fundamentally sound on the defensive side and a team that heads to the dish each time out with a specific approach. He knows the club has the right players in place to accomplish big things which is why he's putting such an emphasis on instilling the proper fundamentals to go along with those skills. 

Offensively the team will rely on Rivers Freckelton, Philip Sephton and Matt Giallo who all have very good bat to ball skills and some power potential to go along with that. Beyond those three, Antonino Spencer-Thompson will be another key contributor who moves well in the outfield and can reach base at a nice clip. Austin Boylan is another bat who will look to do damage every time he steps to the plate and his strength plays all over the diamond as he will look to make a big contribution to the pitching staff as well.

From a pitching standpoint, Tristan Pappas, Chris Troyer and Luke Stoner will all lead the pitching staff as the trio can all throw pitches for strikes and carry themselves well on the bump. Freckelton is another who will look to make a presence on the mound throughout the season. 

Catcher Joe Godfrey will be a leader on the defensive side with his knowledge of the game and his skills behind the dish. Godfrey will make a big impact on the pitching staff as well where he's always done an impressive job of getting the most out of his battery mates. 

The players feel that same excitement the coaching staff does when it comes to playing this season and both are excited to get outdoors in the sunshine and let it fly. 

"With it now being March and with all of the Zoom practices behind us, I think the entire team and even organization is excited to just play some meaningful games and see how our guys are able to compete," says Coach Iliffe. 

The snow has finally melted away and the sun is shining once again as the baseball season looms in the not too distant future. We're all excited to see this young crop of talent compete this summer and even more excited to watch them progress through the program and see how far their hard-work is able to take them over the next 4-5 years.