A Successful Season

After 2.5 months and 56 + games, the season has come to an end. The Marlins locked up the third seed and home field advantage in the first round, but were upended by Edenton Steamers in three games. The first round used to be a "one and done" game, but now each round in the Petitt Cup format is a three game series.

The first game was a back and forth matchup between two good teams. The Marlins ended up on the wrong end in an extra inning affair. The Marlins then proceeded to travel to Edenton and win game two that was played over two days because of inclement weather. Unfortunately, with our travel schedule and constant battles down the stretch, the Marlins probably ran out of steam. The Marlins lost game three and the season came to a close. But, they sure left it all out on the field which is all that the coaching staff asks for.

Upon the Marlins arrival at Big Rock Stadium one last time, most of our host families were waiting (at 12:30 am) to congratulate the boys on a job well done. We are very thankful for the wonderful host families that we had this year. They were just unbelievable. Our organization and players were extremely lucky in the support that was given by each and every host family.

All in all, I think we had a very great season. Our team played really well throughout the season and we drew an average of 1161 fans a game. I was amazed to see the amount of interest in the actual game. Most of the Marlins fans were immersed in the games. I have only been living in Morehead City for six months, but many people have came up and thanked me for bringing this new event to Carteret County. The Bengel family deserve all the praise for that. My response is always the same, "I am just one small part of this like each and every fan is".

As I write this, I am back home where I grew up: New Jersey. After a busy but yet rewarding season, we needed to take a little time for ourselves. I needed to go home to see my dog, Pacey. Unfortunately, I had to leave her with my parents during the season because we were extremely busy. I had her during the baseball season in Thomasville last year, and I promised her I would never do that again. She was happy spending time with my family and running circles in the backyard.

Also, I plan on visiting my brother and his wife in Colorado in a week or so. He has been trying to get me to visit him for about a year now. I have never been to Colorado, but I hear it's amazing. I can't wait. When I get back, we'll start getting ready for Marlins season two!