Most coaches would have fired off an angry e-mail as soon as they saw Environmental Studies’ crossover slate this season. The Eagles have defending champion James Madison, Queens power Francis Lewis and Bronx stalwart Clinton filling out its schedule – one of the tougher roads in the PSAL.
Jose Ferrer, though, is actually pumped thinking about those games.
“I’m really, really happy about that,” the coach said. “We’re trying to play the better teams. This is a year where it’s why not do what we can? It’s been a long time that we’ve been together this core group. I have six seniors and all of them can play.”
Leading the way for Environmental Studies, which has won two of the last three PSAL Manhattan A titles, will be the battery that has been together since freshmen year: pitcher Jocelyn Jimenez and catcher Amanda McLean. Jimenez is steady in the circle and a winner and McLean is one of the best defensive catchers around.
“Nobody runs on her in our division,” Ferrer said. “You have to be a really good base runner to run on her. There’s not a lot of teams in the PSAL where you have to respect a catcher.”
The Eagles have Francesca Then back at third base and Destini Torres returns to second. First base is still up in the air, but Ferrer got a surprise when junior Emily Malave came to tryouts. She never played on the team before, but the coach was so impressed that he gave her his shortstop job.
“She’s really, really something else,” Ferrer said. “She can field. She can throw. She can hit. She fits in really nicely with the other players I have on my team.”
Rangy center fielder Elizabeth Desiqueira is also back, as is left fielder Chasity Velez and right fielder Alexa Cortez, who might actually see some time at first base.
Ferrer says this could end up being his best team if everything falls into place. Last season, Environmental Studies, seeded eighth, was upset in the PSAL Class A second round by Petrides. That round of eight is where the Eagles want to be this season.
“This year we have a shot to make the quarterfinals,” Ferrer said. “That would be a goal. … I think why not? I think naturally I’d expect us to go one step farther. We gotta take care of things in the division first.”
That’ll start with avoiding one-run victories – the Eagles squeaked out four of them last year.
“I think this year we have the kind of talent or ability to make other teams feel that we’re gonna take control of the game,” Ferrer said. “Killer instinct has been missing a little bit.”
Perhaps the brutal schedule will improve that.