“Moving Forward” Phil. 3:12-14
The 2007 CVCA Royals baseball season was one for the ages! In late March, the team embarked on an annual spring break trip to Cocoa Beach Florida with the theme “Moving Forward”. This theme, named after the current popular business and sports buzz-phrase, also signifies the spirit of the Christian faith, to constantly look ahead, learning from but not dwelling on, past failures and mistakes, to “move forward” for Christ, as He Himself did. The scripture Philippians 3:12-14 embodies this theme.
The Royals “moved forward’ with 11 returning seniors in ’07. The years of experience and familiarity with each other was apparent in the teams outcome. This group of seniors, along with the three juniors on the squad, gave the staff a feeling of confidence and camaraderie as they went on to the best win-loss record in the program’s history. The Royals tore through the PAC-7 Conference at a 10-2 clip, good for first place and a league title. The hustling Royals also saw positive outcomes out of league, and finished with an overall record of 21-5. A demanding schedule against multiple league, district, and regional champs didn’t hinder the Royals record, and nor did it limit the individual performances either.
The team was led by the aforementioned 11 seniors, 6 of which leave the program as 3-year letter-winners. A trio of co-captains (Andrew Patterson, Kyle Silk, Dan Wides) provided a tremendous structure of Godly leaders. On the field, the incredible seasons of PAC-7 Player of the Year, Team MVP and shortstop Andrew Patterson (.512 avg) and Pitcher of the Year David Fox (8-0, 1.61 ERA) stand out. Senior outfielders Josh Kopcsik, Robert Pecchio, and Brad Lynn as well as senior infielders Dan Wides, Todd Pence, and Ben Miller combined with senior pitchers Kyle Silk, Daniel Halley, Adam Ladouceur and junior catcher Scott Tipton to round out a great lineup bolstered by the utility roles of juniors Justin Beausoliel and Brian Shellhaas. Other team award winners were Most Improved Player Kopcsik and Total Release winner Miller. The team was coached by Jerry Cowley and assistants Dave Pence and Tony Gunder. The JV team (20-4 record) was led by Coach Kevin Gross.
