The 2010 baseball season at Lehman College is still 10 weeks away, but the anticipation for the campaign grows every day on the Bronx campus because it will be a season of firsts. For example, former Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher and new Lightning head coach John Foster will be in his first season as skipper at Lehman. In addition, this will mark the first year that games will be played under the newly installed lights on the South Field, and finally, this will be the first season that Lehman's home field will have fences. Those three things alone make the upcoming 2010 campaign at Lehman extremely intriguing.
Of course, the arrival of John Foster and how he attempts to turn around Lehman's baseball program is certainly something many Lightning fans are eager to see. One thing is for certain: The hands-on Foster has worked diligently since being hired on November 17th to put together a team that will be sound offensively, defensively, on the mound, and fundamentally. The former major leaguer believes that hard work and dedication go a long way, and those players who show the most progress and interest in making the program a winner will reap the benefits of becoming a vital part to the team.
“For what we're trying to do here – I demand that everybody works hard on and off the field,” Foster said. “Obviously, it's all about baby steps, but I have a vision for what I want with this program, and I want to build a team that has character and direction and a group that can execute. That is the plan.”
The 2010 roster is still unclear, but Foster has made it known that there will be many new faces that will be in the fray looking to make an impact on the program.
As for the games at the South Field, certain home ballgames will take on a different feel in 2010, as there are a number of games that will be scheduled to take place under the Lights, giving the contests extra spice. The only other school in the conference that plays home night contests is the College of Staten Island (They played their home games at the CSI Baseball Complex in Willowbrook). Lehman College Director of Athletics – Dr. Martin L. Zwiren – believes the newly installed lights will not only add another intriguing dimension to Lehman's baseball program, but they will also provide flexibility.
“I feel as though having lights on our South Field will certainly be a terrific experience for our student-athletes, but it also will be very exciting for the Lightning fans,” Zwiren said. “In addition, we have more flexibility with our scheduling, and also, some of those games that would be rained out at 3:00pm won't necessarily be rained out if they start at 6:00pm, so there are many benefits to having lights.”
The installation of outfield fences will add another interesting element to Lehman baseball in 2010. Already a hitter's haven, some of the balls that have been hit over the outfielders' heads in the past have resulted in triples. This season, some of those shots will be homeruns, and rightfully so. Lehman College Sports Information Director Stephen Spagnoli commented on this.
“I have had the opportunity to take in two seasons of baseball at Lehman College, and some of the balls that were hit to left field and center field would sail over the outfielder's head but would eventually be tracked down and sometimes, the batter would only get a triple,” Spagnoli said. “This year, it will be good to see some of those shots be justified when they go over the fence, because some of those balls go a long way. It'll be fun to see.”
In all, the 2010 season at Lehman College will certainly be fun to watch.
