SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Already hard at work preparing for the 2013 season, Santa Clara baseball took an evening to reflect on the success of 2012 at the end of the year team banquet held at Schott Stadium on June 14.
Players, coaches, family and friends gathered on the concourse of Schott to celebrate the season. The Bronco baseball family said a final farewell to graduating seniors Andrew Biancardi, Lucas Herbst, Evan Peters, James Smith and Paul Twining and shared some final memories of the first season in a new era of Bronco baseball.
"You guys will never forget this season," Santa Clara head coach Dan O'Brien told the crowd. "The memories, friendships and lessons learned will last a lifetime. This team will never be forgotten for its efforts, accomplishments and, most importantly, for how it started a new tradition for Bronco baseball."
Each Bronco player spoke about one of their teammates, showing the incredible chemistry created by this group.
"It is pretty special to see and hear how much this team cared about one another at the banquet that night," said Peters. "In challenging years similar to this one, you often see teammates turn on one another and you see separation. With this group of guys, you didn't see any of that which shows how special the group was."
The end of the year awards, voted on by the players, were also announced. Greg Harisis won Most Valuable Player as well as the RD Award for Most Improved. The full list of awards is below.
Most Valuable Player: Greg Harisis
Offensive Player of the Year: Lucas Herbst
Most Inspirational Player: Zach Looney
RD Award (Most Improved Player): Greg Harisis
Most Valuable Pitcher: Tommy Nance
Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Viele
Rookie of the Year: T.J. Braff
Coaches Award (voted by the staff): Stephen Takahashi and Andrew Biancardi
With the first year of a new chapter of Bronco baseball in the books, everyone is already eagerly anticipating the first pitch of 2013. Considering the strides the program made in the first season under O'Brien and his staff, the future of Santa Clara baseball is as bright as Schott Stadium on a Sunday afternoon in mid-May.