The Hawks launched their 2022 season with a 7-1 start, including two series sweeps over Seneca Sting and Sheridan Bruins. The Sept. 16 home-opener against the Bruins included a thrilling comeback.
Hawks infielder Jaykob Turner credits the team’s comeback to a close bond as they seek to erase the bitterness of last season’s finals loss against the St. Clair Saints.
“We’re able to battle back because we don’t get down on ourselves because we’re such a good team community,” he said.
The Bruins celebrated early with a 8-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Instead of hanging their heads, the Hawks got locked in and worked together to score six runs and complete the comeback, scraping out a 9-8 victory.
“Everybody got behind every at-bat, everybody was invested and we were able to pull it out,” Turner said.
The Hawks’ impressive 7-1 record shows they’re looking to maintain their status as a title contender through key players like NCAA-transfer Brandon Leans, second-year infielder Turner and recent athlete of the week Aidan Murphy.
Jack St. Louis walked, stole a base and batted in a run in Sheridan doubleheader sweep. Photo credit: Jordan Griffith
Murphy earned the award in an impressive Shohei Ohtani-esque performance on Sept. 10 throwing a no-hitter, striking out 10 batters over five innings of work and collecting two hits and an RBI on the offensive side of the ball.
“It feels nice getting [the award] for pitching,” Murphy said.
“I’m just an emergency guy, but maybe I’ll be used more after performing well,” he said.
The team has momentum after an impactful series against the Saints last Sunday, where the Hawks lost the series opener but bounced back to split the doubleheader and show that they’re not a team to be pushed around.
“I think we showed ourselves as well as the rest of the league that Humber is still here to compete and we still have a team that can take the gold medal,” Turner said.
Turner credits his sizzling offensive start to a very simple approach at the plate. One that can often get clichéd — but it works.
“I hunt that fastball,” Turner said.
Head coach Troy Black wasn’t shy when praising his team.
“Turner is doing a great job so far, providing a lot of offensive spark, Brandon was a huge pickup for us and is exactly what we expected him to be,” he said.
This is a young team with many first-year players looking to step up in a big way, Turner said.
First-year pitcher Ronan Hayes made an immediate impact with two wins, 11 strikeouts and a zero ERA in five innings of work. Another first-year shortstop, Caleb Eguren, helped elevate the Hawks to a 11-1 win over the Bruins in the series opener with three RBIs.
The ceiling is high for this team and Black is confident that they can meet the expectations they’ve set for themselves.
“We’re capable of winning a championship and anything less than that would be a disappointment to the guys,” he said.