Coral Reef Packing More Punch In 2014

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The players decided it was time for a change.

Coming off a tough 2013 campaign, the Barracudas returned this year in search of fresher waters. Players are hungry to taste success, and mature enough to understand what it takes to make that happen. Guys have taken it upon themselves to work as hard as they can this season, to give themselves the best chance they can to win by controlling the most important thing any athlete can control.

“The focus is on preparation. I really feel that games are not won on game day; games are won on the practice field,” said Coral Reef first-year Manager Ernie Padron. “So we try to stress to them that how we prepare is how we’re going to respond. The only thing we can control is the little white ball.”

Padron likes to use an old Japanese saying that translates to saying the battle is won even before it’s fought. This is the preparation the new coaching staff is trying to instill in their players; that they need to prepare the right way because anything can happen in the game. The team chooses to shoot for excellence every time they take the field, and it takes a lot of practice to achieve that goal.

It is a group of strong character and great work ethic that dons the Barracudas colors this year. The team is coming off a tough two-win season in 2013, and already all signs of those days are long gone. Players conduct themselves with class and enthusiasm, and they are pushing themselves as hard as they can to be a part of a winning ballclub.

There is perhaps no member of the team who better exhibits the drive to achieve than that of senior right-handed pitcher Nick Ramirez. Last year Ramirez did not make the squad, and he has been working as hard as he could ever since to ensure he earns a spot on this year’s roster.

“This is my last opportunity and I’m trying to make the best of it,” said Ramirez. “I want to work harder than everybody else, and that makes it more fun. It makes me feel different because everybody has played at least one year or more. Now I have a chance and I am different. It gives me the fire and I am motivated and work harder to be better then everybody else on the staff.”

Outworking everyone on this team is easier said than done. The team spends a lot of time practicing and they have a lot of fun together. They have a good hitting squad and a good core of pitchers, and everything is headed in the right direction. Even with some good veterans, the bulk of the team is young players.

“They are all excited to be here,” said senior Austin Sanders. “They all want to win a spot and there are a lot of guys competing. No one is guaranteed a spot so everyone comes out to practice everyday and goes as hard as they can to gain a starting spot and be the best teammate they can be. I just try to set the right example and put forth my best effort. We only have so many games of high school baseball and you want to compete and win.”

Sanders also enjoys that he is able to help mentor these young guys, so that someday they will understand how to be leaders when they are the veterans on the team.

It is a relatively young squad that only starts two senior position players. Most of the guys will be getting their first varsity experience this season, and Padron admits that he is throwing some guys into the fire right away so they can show what they have.

The team has a good fundamental base, but like most coaches Padron has his own style of doing things that he brings to the program. His focus is on being physically and mentally prepared, and then letting that preparation lead down the road of success. He wants to see his guys succeed both in life and in baseball, and to help those who wish to pursue their playing careers into college. Padron is teaching these guys to play the game the right way, and they have practice shirts that read ‘We is greater than Me’ printed on them as a reminder.

“We always strive to make the right decisions for the program,” said Padron. “I’m just blessed that I have a second chance in coaching and I’m having fun. We just want to be competitive. No matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is, we’re going to come out and compete. Win or lose, we’re going to compete.”

Nothing is the same from last year, and the players have taken notice. It’s a new year, a new team and the guys are motivated. They are a young group of guys but they are ready to surprise some people.

One thing the squad is not short on is leadership, where veterans such as Chris Gullon have taken that role upon themselves. A four-year starting left-handed pitcher, Grullon admits being a leader is a role he is still getting accustomed to.

“I’m not the most vocal guy, but I try to lead by example and hope my teammates follow my lead,” Grullon said. “I always keep the guys positive. If they’re having a bad day, be positive with them and don’t put them down. We want everybody to do well. There are a lot of new varsity guys and they don’t know what to expect yet, but they are willing to learn and trying to get better.”

The team has not made the district playoffs for some time, and that is the goal for this season. These guys want to be the group that starts the turnaround, and it would be a great way for the seniors to go out.

The strength of the squad is on the mound, where a trio of seniors will lead the way in Grullon, Ricky Oursler and Ramirez. They will see the bulk of the innings, and the focus is to change speeds, spot the ball and throw strikes to pitch to contact.

Ramirez also brings an interesting aspect to his game, as he is a submariner who throws over the top. He admits he throws harder this way and it is an approach that works well for him.

“It’s a lot fun so I like to stay as a submariner,” Ramirez said. “No high schooler does it quite like me. They say submariners are different and I enjoy it. Watching guys struggle against it makes you feel like you’re unbeatable, like you’re dominant and no one is ever going to touch the ball.”

Even when the opposition does make contact, they will be putting it against the team’s strong defense. The team believes strongly that outs have to be outs and they can’t make their guys throw extra pitches. The team is solid in the infield, where things have begun to fall into place since the emergence of sophomore Ramon Machado at shortstop. Although Machado is only 5’5”, he plays like he is seven feet tall.

“He makes all the plays and is just a headache at the plate,” Padron said. “He doesn’t swing at bad pitches and he knows how to work a count. He does the little things that don’t show up in the box score and he has solidified up the middle. As the old saying goes, if you’re strong up the middle you have a chance.”

Another area the team is strong is their coaching staff, where Padron has intentionally surrounded himself with assistants young enough to be his sons in Julio Mendoza, Jesse Fernandez and Cali Urrutia. These guys help relate to the young players and they bring energy and baseball savvy, as well as the desire to pass on this baseball information.

The program has also enjoyed a lot of support and assistance from their booster club, who has worked diligently to provide funding and assistance in maintaining the field. Padron admits the boosters have been nothing short of phenomenal in helping build the right culture here at Coral Reef.

This leaves the focus for the team solely on performing on the field and in the classroom.

“With young teams, the biggest thing is to handle the ups and downs,” said Padron. “This game is one of failure and the quicker you learn to stay level, the better chance you have to stay even-keeled with a level head. You have to be humble in this game or else you will be humbled. The younger guys tend to play with a lot of emotion, but can they control it?”

Another Japanese word that Padron has taught his club is Kaezon, which means the continual process of improvement. The new skipper has told the guys that if they believe in it they can achieve it. Now it is their rally cry, to improve through the continual process.

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