OP Baseball’s Trip to Flordia

During spring break, the returning members of the Oratory Prep Baseball Team traveled to Florida for spring training, which had previously been canceled due to Covid. The Rams had to get up around 3:30 a.m. to make their six o’clock flight to Orlando, and they still had to put in work later that day. We had to put on our baseball gear as soon as we arrived at the hotel and travel about 30 minutes off campus to a field where we practiced during our stay. We practiced fielding for pitches, pickoffs, and steals for two hours on the first day of practice. A good first day of practice would set the tone for the entire trip, as the Rams quickly adjusted to the Florida heat and were ready to work hard the rest of the time. The Rams would have a bright and early practice the next day, beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until 1 p.m. The practice included hitting, fielding, scrimmaging, and having competitive at bats against teammates. After practice, the Rams got to go to Universal Studios and ride all the fun rides, with “The Hulk” being their favorite. Friday practice was from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., giving the team a large chunk of the day to do whatever they wanted. The majority of the team relaxed in the pool or hot tub, talking about practice and what they planned to do later in the day. The JV guys would return to Universal with Coach Sommo, while Varsity would mostly stay at the hotel. The water ride with Coach Sommo, as well as Coach almost having a heart attack coming out of “The Mummy,” were the highlights of the second universal trip. The Rams needed to get some sleep as they rode the wet bus back to the hotel to prepare for the final day of practice. The Rams spent the majority of their final full day of practice either hitting batting practice or pitching a bullpen. A number of the junior varsity players had the opportunity to pitch in front of Coach Blauner, which was a good opportunity for them because the majority of the Varsity players worked on hitting in the cages. That day, the Rams would make their final trip to Universal, where they would ride their favorite rides over and over until they finishing to go out for a steak dinner. The steak dinner would be the best meal of the trip, prompting Coach Blauner to say that we “ate like kings tonight”. We ate until we were completely stuffed, then returned to the hotel to relax with the team. The final day was spent bowling, playing spike-ball, and waiting for the delayed flight. Overall, this trip was memorable because the team grew closer together while honing their baseball skills. Thanks to Mr. Costello, Coach Blauner, and Coach Sommo, this trip was a huge success.