VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- Bayside head coach Pat Stafford's goal was to rejuvenate the school's baseball program. Four years into his tenure, he's well on the right track.
Stafford's Marlins have been catching the eyes of the Beach District and beyond in 2023. They're 13-6-1 (their game against First Colonial was called due to darkness) and were unbeaten in their final six games of the regular season. They also picked up big wins over Hickory and Cox to turn some heads.
"A lot of the seniors that we have this year have been here and been varsity players since they were freshmen," pointed out Stafford. "We've kind of put them through the ringer over the past four years where they've been challenged so much that they've almost been forced to get better and now all that stuff has come to fruition."
"Years before weren't very good, COVID year we didn't get a year," added senior outfielder and pitcher Ethan Blakeney. "Seeing all the hard work in practice pay off with the guys, it's worth it."
Last season marked Bayside's first regional appearance in more than two decades. Now the team gets the chance to host a region tournament game for the first time. The Marlins host Hickory in the Region 5A quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon.
"I cannot wait to see what this atmosphere is like," Stafford said. "The alumni base that we have here and the fans and the parents that we have here are absolutely amazing and that's what the players see as well and that gives them a lot of motivation. They're excited to come play."
"It's a big accomplishment," senior first baseman Adam Bailey added. "We really wanted to get to that point and then we really wanted to go beyond that. Really, try to get a state championship is the main goal."
Stability has also helped the team. Stafford says consistency with the coaching staff has helped the program along. His assistant coaches are Bayside products themselves and there has not been much turnover on the staff in coaching the current group of Marlins. Stafford's coaching message is one he picked up as an assistant with the Peninsula Pilots.
"Have fun, get better and respect the way the game is played," he said of the rules he picked up from Pilots' head coach Hank Morgan. "I try to implement that with these guys. They know every day- come out here and have fun, have passion for the game, get better and let's show respect for the game, too. Let's play it the right way."
The message appears to be getting through. Bayside wants to do more than just reach the region tournament this time around. That journey starts when the host the Hawks Wednesday at 4:30 PM.
