New Haven Independent

By Malcolm Raiford
New Haven Independent Intern

The Career Panthers clobbered Eli Whitney Tech’s Inventors at Blake Field Monday, 14-2, the latest victory in a winning season. The Career Panthers made the state tournament this year with a 14-7 record, an all-time school record. The regular season ends this week; next week they advance to the Southern Connecticut Conference playoffs.

Taking swings in the soft-toss cage Monday, Otis Brown, junior co-captain and starting centerfielder, aided his team in preparing for the game by easing tensions. His humorous clamor and singing of Bobby Valentino’s “Anonymous” made players almost forget about the fact that they are protecting their state tournament bid.

Other veteran players such as Mike Olszyk, a senior, were not joking around at all. For Olszyk it’s all business — until they take the field. Then Olszyk communicated loudly and often with his teammates. In the dugout, he constantly encouraged teammates to “chatter up” and “get live in here.”

He and Brown have had this ritual role reversal all season; it seems to have worked all season. When asked about qualifying for the state tournament both captains agreed that they have the possibility of going all the way. The main focus for the Panthers is “staying focused and keeping our confidence”, as Olszyk put it. Olszyk said he believes that the tradition of making the playoffs will continue after his graduation because of the squad’s strong crew of sophomores and freshmen.