Royals ready to rumble, build up to more in 2024
Details will be key to Delmarva Christian’s baseball team cracking the .500 mark for the first time since 2021.
“We have a good group of kids who work real hard,” coach Jeff Bell said. “Some of them are learning new roles. For us to have a good season, we have to do the little things.”
Bell referenced the late, great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who said small things matter.
“We preach that so that we’ll be successful by doing the small things,” Bell said.
The Royals have a tremendous amount of faith in their pitching and think the defense will provide reliable backup for the outs that don’t end up in the catcher’s mitt. The staff features a mix of young and seasoned players, such as senior Xavier Efford, juniors Kasey Bell and Malakai Jones, and sophomore Tyler Hutt.
“A big thing will be throwing first-pitch strikes, getting ahead and not walking as many people,” Jones said.
Dealing with a young Sts. Peter & Paul squad March 12, the Royals pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts while limiting free passes and hits.
“I think we have a lot of potential this year,” Efford said. “We have a lot of speed and quality fielding. Defense and pitching are what we’re going to have to rely on the most.”
Bell agrees with his senior leader and noted they might not have a flamethrower, but they have guys who throw strikes. Efford and Kasey will be the primary starters. Both play shortstop, so the two will alternate between that position and pitching. Delmarva Christian is hoping runs will be at a premium during their games.
“We’re going to be more of a line-drive singles type of team,” Bell said. “We have a few kids who do have some power, but we lost a lot from graduation and transfers.”
Bell said the Royals will be approaching the game a bit differently, hence the emphasis on small things.
“I just say we go with a lot of base hits and keep things simple,” senior Mason Bohinski said. “Just be smart with how we play. There’s no need to go for everything with a home run swing.”
Efford flashed some power in the team's March 12 scrimmage, going 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and a double en route to scoring three times. Fellow senior Garret Rogers followed Efford in the lineup and produced four RBIs against the Sabres.
Leading things off for the Royals this season will be Kasey Bell followed by Jones. Both have been on the team since their freshman year, and Bell believes they’ve gained valuable experience. He thinks his team has what it takes to do the small things and possibly get into the state playoffs.
“As long as we stick with the process, we should be fine,” Bell said.
The Royals will open their season against a tough James M. Bennett squad at 4:15 p.m., Thursday, March 21, at home.
