Warde Baseball Captures State Title

Warde Baseball is the 2022 CIAC Class LL State Champions. 

The Mustangs defeated Southington 7-5 on Saturday afternoon at Palmer Field in Middletown to claim the title. Tremendous season for the Mustangs, capturing both the FCIAC and State title. 

It's the third state title in Fairfield baseball history. The first for the current Fairfield Warde High School. Andrew Warde won the title in 1981 and Fairfield High School (when there was one high school in town) won the title in 2002. 

Warde got on the board in the bottom of the first on a Griffin Polley two-out suicide-squeeze bunt to score Roman DiGiacomo. 

Southington tied it with a suicide-squeeze bunt of their own when Jaden Maia laid one down in the third inning. 

Warde took the lead right back in the bottom half of the third. A ground out and error led to one run to make it 2-1. Later in the inning with the Mustangs up 3-1, Jack Andrews hit a sacrifice fly to right to plate another run and make it 4-1 Warde after three. 

Warde added another in the fifth to go up 5-1. 

In the sixth, John Heitzman and Zach Broderick each had RBI singles to extend the Mustang lead to 7-1. 

Broderick, in his final high school start, was great on the mound once again. He came out with Warde holding a 7-1 lead and two on base and one out in the seventh. 

As has been well documented by the local media, Broderick's father, Mike, was a part of the 1981 Warde championship team. Also on that team was John Swaim, whose son Carson is on the Mustangs squad this year. 

Paddy Galvin came on for the Mustangs, and ran into trouble, but ultimately was able get through the inning and leave the tying run at the plate. 

Final: Warde 7 Southington 5. Mustangs are Class LL State Champions! #ctbase @WardeBaseball @WardeAthletics @FWHSMustangs pic.twitter.com/69wy3aC9pG

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) June 11, 2022

Congrats to all the Mustang coaches and players on the championship and on an overall incredible season. 

Mustang players run over to celebrate with their fans

Warde celebrates with "The Stampede"

Looking Back On 2020 and Forward To What's To Come

I wasn't going to write about 2020. Let's be honest, it wasn't that exciting. There was nothing that specifically stands out, at least from a fun, good, point of view. But then I'm like, if I want to keep writing, I should write something. There's kind of that "I see other friends who blog (Rob Adams and John Nash, specifically) writing end of year posts, maybe I can/should. 

Overall, this has been a boring year, but in the same fate, an Ok year personally. However, plenty of friends have lost family members this year and plenty of others are dealing with tough times. Obviously, COVID-19 has been a big chunk of the year and has impacted all of us in many ways. 

From a local sports perspective, we had the 2019-2020 winter season cut short, no 2020 spring season, and an abbreviated 2020 fall season. At this point, the 2020-2021 winter season is put on hold, so we will see what happens in the coming weeks. There were some sports played over the summer and it was nice to see baseball. I got to see a bunch of Fairfield American Legion games, as well as Fairfield American and Fairfield National little league baseball. In addition, Rob and I broadcasted the CT State Little League baseball State Tournament. 

If I think about some local games and moments from the year that stood out, there aren't that many. More, there are behind the scenes moments that stand out. Those are stories we can tell at later times, or are for others to tell. In terms of games, here are a few that come to mind. 

1) Fairfield Legion walk-off vs Greenwich in the playoffs

Fairfield walks-off on Greenwich 7-6 to advance in the FCBL Playoffs #ctbase pic.twitter.com/tQyTMPDkLu

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) August 9, 2020

2) Hamden defeating Montville in the Little League State Tournament

 

3) Despite it being a Warde loss, the Mustangs boys basketball FCIAC semifinal game was a fun back-and-forth game that came down to the final seconds. https://events.locallive.tv/events/37157 

I'm probably forgetting some games that I should include, but honestly there were not that many. I also tried to find games where I had video or audio. 

Oh, and I really need to learn more music so I can know what people are talking about and be more involved in conversations. That will be one of my New Years resolutions. If I can somehow relate the songs to sports, that would be much easier and much more likely that I will pay attention. 

Here's hoping things get better for everyone and we can enjoy 2021 and beyond. It's not going to change just because it's a new year, but hopefully things change soon. Also, as I wrote a couple blogs ago, hoping for a lot of sports soon. Thankful for many friendships built and those strengthened and looking forward to more of that.  

To better days.....

Missing Sports

I haven't blogged in over two months. I keep saying I want to blog more, but I just don't have much to write about, and don't want to write about news you can get many other places. What's the point? I need to be better at finding topics and just write. Write for myself. It doesn't matter who reads or doesn't read. It doesn't need to be sports (even though, as I say below and everyone knows, sports are my life). I want to continue to keep my journalism passion and sharpen my writing skills. 

I look at what Rob Adams is doing over at his blog, Exit 55, with Project 365+. He's almost at two full years of one blog a day. Or John Nash at The October Weekend, who first challenged Rob to Project 365 in 2019 and continues to blog often. I'm not saying I'm going to be them, but I just see what they are doing and which I would write more. 

Now to my main point of this post. 

I miss sports, especially at the local level. I realize what's going on in the country (and the word) with the COVID pandemic is more important than sports, but I am still holding hope that there is a safe way to have local sports around here. 

Connecticut fall high school sports ended in early November* and as of now, winter sports don't start until January 19th at the earliest. Hopefully we get some sort of winter season in. In addition, no matter what happens with winter sports, the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) has said they will try to give as much of a normal spring season as possible consider the spring athletes lost their entire spring season last year. 

*It was a modified season, but we got a fall sports season in without much disruption and the athletes and teams got to have a fall sports experience, which is the goal. 

I see photos from people in other parts of the country where games are being played. It makes me miss sports even more. 

As I said to someone else, not only is high school sports my job, it's my life. As pathetic as that may sound. I live for HS basketball and HS baseball. 

Between helping out the basketball team at Ludlowe and being on the Ludlowe baseball coaching staff and then of course dealing with all the other Ludlowe and Warde teams as part of my job, there's not much else. There's still work to be done, and I'm able to get ahead on some things, but not as much as I'd like just due to the uncertainty of the seasons. 

I've enjoyed all the professional and college sports we have gotten to watch. From MLB, to the NFL, to college football and college basketball, as well as the NBA and NHL and so much more. I've been home more so I've watched a bunch and it's been great to watch. To those who say it's not real, or it doesn't matter, you're not a real sports fan. 

We will see what happens. Hopefully we have some answers soon. And hopefully there is more from me around here. 

CT School Buildings Closed For School Year

Sorry Warde, of course I have to use a photo of Ludlowe

Schools are not going back to in-person classes for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Distance-learning will continue.  

Governor Ned Lamont officially made the announcement this morning, following announcements from New York and New Jersey over the last few days. It was obviously the correct decision and we knew it was going to happen, but still sad to see it in writing (or in a Tweet). 

Heartbroken for the seniors who won't be able to have a regular end to their senior year with their classmates, teachers and friends and won't be able to have a normal end-of-year experience. Hopefully something is able to be done for them at some point, when safe, to recognize their accomplishments. 

From a sports perspective, the CIAC officially cancelled spring sports following the school announcement. Extremely disappointing for the seniors miss out on their final spring seasons. Memories are made in school, but also in sports. It's not just what happens on the field, it's what happens on the bench, bus rides, team dinners, fundraisers, and so much more. It was unfortunate that winter athletes couldn't finish their season and even more unfortunate that spring athletes can't have a season at all. 

To the Ludlowe baseball seniors, you guys left a remarkable stamp on our program, playing a vital part in the success we had a season ago. So sorry you couldn't have a senior year but thankful for what you did for our program and most importantly getting to know you guys. Sorry you can't go out on your own terms. You are a fantastic group of young men. 

To all the seniors at Ludlowe and Warde, pleasure getting to know you and deal with you. 

Hopefully all the seniors will be able to be recognized in some way.  This is a special class. 

To the Class of 2020, you will go on and to great things in life. We are always here for you. Sorry your high school experience had to end this way.