Baseball previewWilcox, Hernandez lead Bulldogs' bright path
Seniors Eric Wilcox(left) and Leo Hernandez, members of the Morrisville High School baseball team, at Williamson Park in Morrisville Monday.
Posted: Friday, March 23, 2012 5:25 am | Updated: 7:30 am, Fri Mar 23, 2012.
MORRISVILLE — Williamson Park was splashed in sunshine as Morrisville’s Bulldogs took the field for an early spring practice.
The future looked just as bright for the team, and senior Eric Wilcox made note of that.
“I’m confident in all these kids, because I grew up playing baseball with them,” Wilcox said. “We’re going to be young, but we’re going to be good because we’ve all played together before.”
Morrisville, which lost six seniors, is coming off a 13-8 season that didn’t end until a loss to Calvary Christian in the District One Class A championship game. The Bulldogs are building for what they think can be a strong 2012 season, and Wilcox and fellow senior Leo Hernandez are two of the primary reasons.
Two of Morrisville’s four senior players — along with Juwan Russell and Jack Wallace — Hernandez and Wilcox will be the main leaders, dangerous hitters and the top pitchers for first-year coach Stephen Cavin.
Wilcox, a pitcher, shortstop and outfielder, was the 2011 Bicentennial Athletic League Player of the Year, hitting .533 with two homers, 20 RBIs, an .844 slugging percentage and sporting a 3-1 record with a 3.07 ERA. A three-sport athlete who was an all-conference running back and defensive back, Wilcox is leaning toward attending King’s College in Wilkes-Barre and playing both baseball and football.
“He’s a really good athlete and a really smart player, too, who makes it easy to coach,” Cavin said.
“I just want to come out and play for my team, whether there’s a guy on second and bunt him over — whatever it takes to get a win,” Wilcox said. “It’s not about me, it’s about the team.”
Hernandez, the team captain and a sharp, well-rounded player, batted .417 as a junior. Together, he and Wilcox scored 41 runs. Hernandez is moving from the No. 2 spot in the batting order to No. 3, providing protection for cleanup hitter Wilcox.
“It’s going to be harder for pitchers to deal with, because if they pitch around me, they’re going to have to deal with him with me on base,” Hernandez said. “It’s going to be a little different, because (pitchers) have information on both of us now, and they know how we hit, so we’re not going to get that much to hit. We have to capitalize on the pitches we get.”
Hernandez also will be counted upon on the mound. He was eager to get his arm loose last winter after being an all-conference soccer player.
“Leo was on me in January to start throwing,” Cavin said, smiling. “He was ready to go.”
The district championship defeat is a big driving force for these seniors.
“After being so close last year,” Hernandez said, “we want to get back there and win it, and not be left with that bitter taste.”
Delaware County Christian and Bristol figure to be Morrisville’s main competition in the BAL this year, as is often the case.
“We expect to make the playoffs and have a deep run,” Cavin said, “while also developing our younger players for the seasons to come.”
And for Hernandez and Wilcox, two talented and determined seniors, the future is now. It’s a thing called senior urgency.
“You have to play every game like it’s your last,” Wilcox said.
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