When a big play at the plate was needed, Niagara Falls couldn’t deliver.
Even with quality pitching, the Wolverines’ offensive struggles led to an early exit against Williamsville North in the Section VI Class AA semifinals last May.
But instead of letting the team spirit that led to the blue-and-gold’s first Niagara Frontier League title since 2015 fade away, head coach Rob Augustino saw an opportunity to create a different award — one a player could wear.
So, in the off-season, Augustino drilled holes, painted a dozen baseballs — half blue, half gold — and created a player of the game necklace with each pick decided by the entire Niagara Falls coaching staff.
The new award and the brotherhood that has formed in the dugout has paid big dividends for the Wolverines through the first half of their 2023 campaign. Entering Wednesday’s game against Kenmore East, the Wolverines are 7-0-1, have gone unbeaten in their last eight contests — a stretch that includes a 4-4 tie at Frontier on April 24 — and are atop the NFL standings (6-0).
It’s the chemistry that made Augustino describe this year’s team as the “closest group of guys I’ve ever been around” in his over 20-plus years coaching in the Niagara Falls program.
“They root for each other,” said Augustino, who has coached the varsity team since 2017. “They’re hoping each other (does well). They don’t care that the guy that might be up at the plate is there in front of them in the depth chart. Great group of kids.”
The team chemistry was on full display again this past Saturday in what turned into an eventual 8-2 victory over Sweet Home. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Wolverines became a hit parade at the plate, scoring seven runs in the frame with senior and NCCC commit Jude Lowry’s moon-shot grand slam to left centerfield as the exclamation point.
Through eight games, the blue-and-gold have a collective .322 batting average, are scoring 7.9 runs per game and have a plus / minus runs differential of +33, currently third best in Class AA.
As Augustino explained, it’s been “next guy up” all season, with nine returnees fueling this offensive surge with different players stepping up each game in a variety of ways.
“At the same time, they have such confidence that they know that, at some point during the game, it’s going to click,” said Augustino, whose Wolverines have driven in 55 runs through eight games. “If we’re behind, we’re gonna get back in the game. If we’re close or up a little, we’re gonna blow it open. The confidence is there for these guys. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first inning or the seventh inning, they’re ready to hit.”
One player who has continued to deliver at the plate is senior Domenic Hickok. The centerfielder and starting pitcher has drilled two of Niagara Falls’ five home runs this season, including this past Saturday against Sweet Home. Currently batting .462 along with nine RBI, Hickok said the team has done a great job picking each other up through the ups and downs of the season.
“I think we get the energy off of each other,” Hickock said. “Once one person gets a hit, we all pick up our heads and we all start getting hit after hit.”
Hickok’s fellow classmates — Lowry and Connor Burkestone — have also delivered quality veteran at-bats. Burkestone is hitting .522 and Lowry is hitting .375 and both have driven in 10 runs apiece.
On top of the veteran production for the Wolverines are the six underclassmen who have stepped up offensively. The group includes freshman Anthony Littere and sophomores Anthony Savino and Aidan Hamilton, who are hitting a combined .296 with 11 RBI at the plate.
Sensing this would be a hitting team at his disposal through the off-season, Augustino has relied on his younger players, who have answered the call thus far.
“They came up, they hit, they produce, they do all those right things that we just didn’t have last year as far as offensively,” Augustino said. “It’s been the offensive makeup of this team that’s been a big change since last year.”
After facing the Bulldogs Wednesday, Niagara Falls is scheduled to continue NFL play with back-to-back home games versus Grand Island and Lockport on Thursday and Friday. Weather permitting, all games are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.