After winning back-to-back state championships the past two years, the baseball team is facing some high expectations this year. And, even with the loss of nearly the entire starting lineup of last year due to graduation, the Tigers boast a 7-2 record as of April 21, thanks in large part to a pitching staff that has only given up 25 earned runs in 9 games.

At the top of this rotation is Robert Gross '10, or as his teammates call him, “Bobby G,” who currently leads the team in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts. Hitters are batting a mere .226 against him, and he has 23 strikeouts and only eight walks. Despite his success, he tries to stay humble.

“I don’t spend much time focused on my position among the pitchers,” Gross said. “I just do what it takes to win games.”

Gross started playing baseball when he was eight years old. He found baseball enjoyable and continued to practice despite initial struggles. He has worked hard over the years to improve his mechanics. As the years passed and the competition increased, he has developed a variety of pitches, such as a cutter, slider and even a change up, to get batters out.

“I don’t throw as fast as some of the pitchers in the section, so I must put movement on the ball, hit my spots, and keep the batters off balance,” Gross said.

To maintain his stellar performance, Gross spends a lot of time in the off-season working out in the gym lifting weights. He also continued to throw once a week during the winter to keep his arm in shape. He also tried to maintain his cardio workout, but his ankle, which will likely need surgery following the season, prevented him from doing so. His hard work and dedication during the off-season has showed this spring, as Gross has truly blossomed into the ace of Coach Chiapparelli's pitching rotation.

  “He's a tough kid to hit,” teammate Scott Hagan '11 said. “He's got a great fastball and he mixes in great off-speed pitches that mess with hitters. He gets in the hitter's minds.”

 In order for the Tigers to three-peat as State and Section champs, they will need Gross to be in top form all season. If he does, we can expect to see the Tigers dancing in June.

“Although many doubt our ability to perform on the field, I believe we are in a position to return to States this year,” Gross said. “We don’t have many superstars like last year, but we work hard on the field and find ways to win. Being the underdog motivates us to try harder and silence those who doubt us.”