Like all high school baseball team in Connecticut, New Britain never got to take the field this season. Parents, coaches and alumni came together to give the seniors one more special memory before graduation.
Like all high school baseball team in Connecticut, New Britain never got to take the field this season. Parents, coaches and alumni came together to give the seniors one more special memory before graduation.
“Oh man, it’s a blessing to see the support from the community, all the people I grew up with,” said senior infielder Justin Adorno.
A parade of cars honked their horns and held up signs to recognize the seniors in front of Beehive Stadium.
“All five seniors have been in the program for all four years and all five are moving on to higher education which is awesome,” said New Britain Baseball Head Coach Roberto Mercado. “They’ve represented New Britain High School and the program in a great way so we want to honor them.”
The players received a personalized bat, hat, backpack, sign and flowers. Mercado also spoke about what each player has meant to the program. Adorno and Michael Gajda, who are both planning to play baseball in college, received scholarships in memory of New Britain alum John Carroll.
“I’ll remember these bonds for the rest of my life, Coach Mercado and all of my teammates,” said Gajda, senior catcher.
“Part of our philosophy here at the high school with baseball is that you’re a Hurricane for life,” said Mercado.
Sports
“I’ve already been in contact with my coaches about coming back next year and helping out when I can,” said senior pitcher Daniel Costa.
Even though they didn’t get to have a senior season, the Golden Hurricanes are closer then ever and they gained some valuable perspective.
“I’m type-one diabetic so it’s kind of beneficial for me to not play because if I get sick, the chance of me dying is much higher,” said Costa. “So I’ve kind of grown up in the last couple months and really accepted it for what it is.”
“We talk about, in baseball, dealing with adversity and being mentally strong and dealing with things that come to us,” said Mercado. “This is just another example and I think this will be something they’ll take as a positive even though it’s been tough for everybody.”
A strong show of support on senior day confirms that they are all in this together.
“We have a great family here and I’m very proud of the community for supporting New Britain High School and our baseball program,” said Mercado.
