Devon Prep’s rapid improvement key to PIAA 2A state baseball title

Tredyffrin >> A few minutes after Devon Prep’s victory in the PIAA 2A baseball state championship final, Tide head coach Mark Aquilante said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had a team improve so much during the course of a season.”
On the road to the PIAA 2A state title, Devon Prep relied on a combination of well-placed bunts and smart base running, plus an ability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes.
“At the start of the season, we try to build our team to peak at the end,” said Aquilante. “Early in the season, when a lot of teams focus on batting practice, we [instead] try to get guys to understand game situations. They learn to play fast and think fast.
“We don’t expect too much from our players early in the season – it’s important for them to learn from their mistakes, so it will pay off later in the season.”
One example of Devon Prep’s ability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes was in the state semifinal, when Devon Prep had only one hit through five innings against South Williamsport’s star pitcher Tripp Breen.
“He had a fastball of about 88, 89 MPH; he had a lot of velocity on his pitches, but we noticed around the fifth inning that he was tipping his pitches,” said Aquilante, whose Tide rallied late for a 3-1 win.
Another key to the Tides’ title was their bunting skill, as noted by Aquilante.
“We had a season’s worth of practice in bunting,” said Aquilante. “It helped that we had a bunch of great kids without a lot of ego who were willing to play as a team. In the state final, Eamonn Walsh bunted twice – he did it because it was best for the team.”
Aquilante, who pitched for Devon Prep (Class of 1994) and graduated from West Chester University in 1999, also credited the Tides’ coaching staff for the team’s success this season.
“I have really good coaches,” said Aquilante. “Pat Kane, our third-base coach, calls an aggressive game and that confidence transfers to the kids. He know when to be aggressive, when to play small ball. Alex Pachella, who used to pitch at Devon Prep and then at Hamilton College, works with our pitchers, along with Jack Duffy. Bob Harper works with our outfielders and Tom Graham, who has been with me for all of my 12 years as Devon Prep head coach, handles a lot of the details off the field.”
Playing in the Catholic League, Devon Prep faced many teams from larger schools during the regular season, which Aquilante thinks made the Tide battle-toughened.
“We had a young team this year, with a lot of sophomores, so it was good that we were playing [bigger] teams in the Catholic League,” said Aquilante. “They saw what real baseball was like against those teams, and once you get in the [PIAA 2A] postseason, you face all really good teams. Our postseason schedule was just like playing in the Catholic League, so our players had no fear or anxiety in the playoffs.”