Irvington HS baseball team bounces back strong this season; future is bright

The Irvington High School varsity baseball team finished in third place in the Super Essex Conference-Independence Division this season.
Irvington High’s Nikoa Nieves takes a pitch during a game this season. Photo by Steve Ellmore.

IRVINGTON, NJ – The Irvington High School varsity baseball team enjoyed a strong turnaround season.

After going winless in 2017, the Blue Knights finished in third place in the Super Essex Conference-Independence Division with a 7-4 divisional record, and 7-8 overall.

Indeed, interim head coach Anthony Veiga and his coaching staff were proud of the Blue Knights’ significant improvement.

“Looking back on the 2018 season, we, as a coaching staff, are more than pleased to acknowledge the success of this year’s varsity baseball program,” said Veiga. “This season’s goal was to build a team that could compete against experienced programs, and our student-athletes delivered.”

The Blue Knights are looking to build upon this year’s success, next spring.

“The returning squad, with the help of a few key additions in the outfield and behind the plate, put Irvington baseball on the map to be a real threat in the upcoming years,” Veiga said. “We pride our players on their dedication to the game and their competitive nature to win. Their sportsmanship towards other players, coaches, and officials make us proud to represent this town.

“As we say goodbye to our senior class, we would like to say thank you for all your hard work, and good luck on your future endeavors,” continued Veiga. “We are excited to start working towards the next season with our upperclassmen and eight-grade prospects transitioning to high school. As coaches, we always see room for improvement among players and we expect them to perform at a high caliber, in and out of the classroom. It is this potential that can only drive Irvington Athletics towards continued success.”

NOTE – Troy Bowers, who was the IHS head coach since last season, was injured in a practice midway in the season and missed the rest of the season.