Robert Brown ’25 pitches on the mound.
Andover 7 – 2 St. Sebastian’s
Andover Baseball opened its regular season on a high note Wednesday afternoon with a decisive 7–2 victory over St. Sebastian’s (St. Seb’s). Fueled by dominant pitching, high-level execution, and dugout energy from start to finish, the team showcased its offseason growth and the impact of its Florida preseason training.
Pitcher Andy Du ’25 highlighted the team’s composed performance, noting how well the group executed across the board. He credited both the pitching staff and the offense for rising to the occasion in their first official test of the season.
“The energy from the team was one of our biggest strengths today. You could feel it even before the first pitch, we had great practices this week, we were mentally and physically prepared, and that carried over. Robert Brown [’25] had all his pitches working and threw five no-hit innings, which was huge, and Liam Lennon [’25] came in and held it down too. Offensively, we executed. Micah Krystofolski [’27] had a huge two-RBI single in the third, Luke Gallo [’25] hit the ball hard, ran well, and Caleb Penn [’27] got a safety squeeze down. That kind of situational hitting is something we’ve been drilling all week,” said Du.
On the flip side of the team’s offensive achievements, Du also pointed to the team’s defensive success as a result of recent practice themes, specifically the team’s focus on preventing successful effective bunts and infield communication.
“One of our big focuses this week was bunt defense. Coach [Kevin Graber] G really emphasized making the routine plays look routine. That kind of stuff matters, when the game speeds up, it helps to fall back on the reps we’ve put in. We didn’t need to adjust too much during the game, we just stuck with our approach and trusted it would work,” said Du.
Outfielder Otto Kroeger ’27 reflected on a turning point in the game, crediting a key third-inning at-bat from Krysofolski that helped fuel the team with energy and momentum.
“That moment with Micah’s single really flipped the game. It gave us momentum and changed the energy in the dugout—guys were up, locked in, and supporting each other. Everyone was battling with two strikes, putting balls in play, and making them field. That’s something we’ve focused on as a team—grinding out at-bats and making it hard for opponents to get outs,” said Kroeger.
Though Andover jumped out to a comfortable lead midway through the game, the team remained sharp, especially when it came to communication and signals.
“We missed a few signs and made a couple [of] individual mistakes, but that’s expected in a first game. We’ll clean it up. What I’m excited about is how we supported each other and kept the energy up. We’re building chemistry, and you can feel that on the field,” said Kroeger.
Infielder Miles O’Neil ’28 credited the team’s early intensity as a key factor in the win. From pregame infield and outfield drills to batting practice, he said everyone played with a sense of urgency.
“We always say if we win the pregame, we win the game. We were out there early, executing bunts, spraying line drives, staying sharp, and that carried over. The dugout was loud all game. Every time we scored or shut them down, we were all in, high fives, cheering, just locked in,” said O’Neil.
O’Neil also praised the team’s culture and communication, especially the role older players have taken in guiding the newer players to overcome any pressure.
“There’s a lot of leadership this year. The older guys are stepping up, and the younger players are responding. There’s no hesitation, everyone has bought in. It’s a really cohesive group already, which is rare this early in the season,” said O’Neil.
Behind the scenes, the team’s preseason trip to Florida has played a major role in shaping that cohesion. Players referenced the time spent training, scrimmaging, and bonding off the field as foundational to Saturday’s performance.
“We were together basically every day in Florida, on the field and off. It helped build trust, and it’s clear now that it’s paying off. We’re talking more, backing each other up, and playing as a unit,” said Du.
Andover Baseball will return to Phelps Field this Saturday, hoping to extend its strong start by defeating Marianopolis.
