If you enjoy home runs, diving catches, and knee-buckling curveballs, then you are in luck. Baseball at Woodland Regional High School is back.  The cold New England winter is over and the Hawks and the rest of the Naugatuck Valley League are ready to compete once again.

After finishing ninth in the standings last season, just one spot away from a place in the NVL tournament, the team is looking to change that stat.  Although boasting a winning percentage which was above .500 (11-9), the standard that the baseball program at Woodland sets for itself is higher.

Head Coach, Mike Kingsley, stated that his expectations for this year were to at least make the state tournament, win their division, and to be in the NVL tournament.  These expectations were not met during last season, even with strong seniors, Mike Kenney, Sam Merriman, and Matt Spofford.  But last season is behind the team, and Kingsley, along with assistant coaches, Jack DeBiase and Chris Smith, are ready for the upcoming season.

This year there will be several teams making noise in the NVL that could give the Hawks some stiff competition.  Kingsley knows which teams to expect a lot out of and how the team must prepare to play against them.

“We open up with Torrington, who always has a good team,” said Kingsley. “Wolcott will be a tough opponent as well as Watertown, which has one of the top pitching rotations in the NVL.”  

The Hawks will take on Derby at home on April 15th.