The Huntington varsity softball team observed Senior Day on Wednesday afternoon, celebrating the careers of five players who have meant so much to the program over the years.
Coach John Walsh addressed a crowd of family and friends, speaking about each of the seniors during a touching pregame ceremony during which the teenagers were given flowers as their underclassmen teammates stood nearby.
Captain Maddy Bavaro along with Cynthia Contreras, Victoria Mangan, Kathryn Sanseviro and Sophia Toscano were all honored. Walsh offered sentimental tributes about each of the seniors and noted that he taught four of the five in elementary school.
“It’s been a wild ride,” Bavaro said. “From COVID my sophomore year to being injured my junior year, I have been able to track my progression not only as an athlete, but as an individual on varsity softball. I was a completely different person when I joined this team five years ago then I am today. I truly grew up on this team and became someone who can rise to the occasion and take on leadership. We, as a program, have had some ups and downs, like all teams have, yet I do not regret a thing. We went from not winning any games my eighth grade year to being competitive my senior year, which shows the effort that my teammates and I and the coaches have put into the program. I am so thankful to Coach Walsh, Coach Mininni and Coach [Jim] Byrnes for helping me grow as a player both on and off the field. I wish my teammates the best of luck next year and I cannot wait to see how much this team prospers in the future!”
Posters celebrating the careers of all five seniors were affixed to the dugout fence. Lovingly created by their teammates, they featured an assortment of photos of each of the players.
“Wearing a Blue Devil Softball uniform for the past four years has been very enjoyable,” Sanseviro said. “Especially the past couple of years since we’ve improved drastically. Huntington softball provided me with a lot of great friendships and memories.”
Huntington topped visiting Bellport, 5-4 in the Senior Day game. It was a sweet victory considering the Blue Devils fell to the Clippers earlier in the season, 8-6.
“It’s been such an amazing experience being able to grow with everyone as a team and more importantly as a family,” Contreras said. “It’s been an honor to have been able to be a part of the team for so long.”
While it is sad that the Blue Devil seniors will be ending their careers in Huntington uniforms, they are all excited to be moving on with their lives and opening new chapters, but they will always remember their alma mater and the team they played for.
“Wearing a Blue Devil uniform made me proud because my siblings, father and aunt, along with my grandparents all wore Blue Devil uniforms, so for me, it’s a family tradition,” Toscano said.
