Award-winning trio sparks Baldwin

Even with the loss of six veteran starters, the Baldwin softball team has a Big 3. The Bruins may not be able to equal last season’s 15-7 mark that produced a first-round playoff victory but they will try.

 Their Trio Grande features ace pitcher Kate Heuser and dangerous hitters/sterling defenders in catcher Erin Timmes and shortstop Jayden Culbreath.

 “They’re really off to good starts,’’ coach Tom Llewellyn said.

 Baldwin, however, is off to a 1-3 start after losing, 7-6, last Friday to Hicksville, which it beat in the 2023 postseason.

Baldwin will attempt to compensate from the graduation losses that included Dylan Reyer, - a three-time All-County centerfielder who now plays at Mercy College. The 2023 stacked Baldwin squad finished second in the conference but three five-year starters are gone from that edition.

 This version of the Bruins has speed in the outfield and a star in the circle in Heuser, who can hit too. She’s a returning All-County pitcher who was Top 3 in Nassau County in wins at 15 while also leading the club in RBI with 33.

 “She’s very good with her location,’’ Llewellyn said. “She pitches to weak contact. If we play good defense, she should do really well.’’

 After the first three games, her ERA stood at 2.61. And she makes a great tandem with the catcher, Timmes. “She’s a great catcher who frames the ball really well,’’ Llewelynn said.

A two-time All-County Honorable Mention, Timmes hit .470 with 33 RBIs last season. In the first three games, she was 7 of 11 with 5 RBIs.

In Culbreath, Baldwin has a junior who last season was an All-County Honorable Mention at third base. Considered the infield general, Culbreath is switching to shortstop.

 Last season, Culbreath led the squad in extra-base hits with 11 and recorded 19 RBIs. Already, she has three doubles in three games. “She’s hitting ball really hard and hopefully some of the doubles turn into home runs,’’ Llewelynn said.

 Another notable infielder is senior captain Abby Pascual, taking over at second base in her third year on the varsity. She’s the their most vocal onfield player. “She’s a smart player who knows the game really well,’’ the coach said.

 A team strength, the outfield of Averi Thomas, Amanda Aguilez and Blaine Harding is lightning fast.

 Thomas will move from rightfield to center to take advantage of her range. “She’s a phenomenal athlete who is super fast and really doing a good job on defense,’’ Llewelynn said.

Aguilez is only a sophomore but will start in the outfield, along with Harding, a junior. “We have speed in the outfield,’’ Llewelynn said.

Senior Selena Mitchell will play some designated hitter after learning to hit lefty this season. She had a three-hit game versus Long Beach early in the season, with two stolen bases and three runs scored. She will switch-hit.

 Arguably their fastest player is Akua Bonsu, a pinch-runner and utility infielder.

Baldwin started out with a victory over Port Washington but has losses to Long Beach, Glen Cove and Hicksville. 

 Last season the Bruins were keyed by a plethora of depth. In 2024, they’ll rely on younger legs. There’s only one senior on the team.

“We have a good blend,’’ Llewelynn said. “We’re young in some spots. With that balance, we’re expecting our returning leaders to show the way. Our advantage is it’s a very athletic team, fast, strong. We’re going to catch up as the season goes on and continues to get better as we head into the playoffs.’’