LAFAYETTE — Coach Tim Bordenet does not change the expectations for his Central Catholic baseball program.
If you don't play in the final game of the season, then the Knights fell short of their goal.
Such lofty expectations, which come with added exposure and a series of trophy-raising moments throughout the postseason, stem from nine state championship game appearances in a 13-season span from 2004-16.
By those standards, last year's loss in the sectional championship to Delphi left a lot to be desired.
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This year's Knights team had talent and senior leadership, staples of the program's success for nearly two decades, that could've redeemed the disappointment of the 2019 season.
"I think we would have been really good," said Carson Barrett, who would've been CC's starting first baseman for a fourth year in a row. "We had a really good senior class."
Barrett was one of six returning starters, including three-year starting center field Daniel Roach, left-handed ace Kyle Onken, infielder Jacob Benson and catcher Dakota Skees, all seniors.
Additionally, Bordenet's son, two-year starting shortstop AJ Bordenet, was back.
"Our team had a nice blend of guys with multiple years of varsity starting experience and older guys that were going to step into starting roles for the first time," Tim Bordenet said. "Our guys had a great winter offseason and were hungry to get back to competing for a state championship. Our players definitely prepared with a chip on their shoulders this year after a disappointing finish a year ago."
Senior Noah Wiercioch, a reliever as a junior, was set to join Onken and Benson in the starting rotation. Senior Pete Spencer was expected to see an increased role as a designated hitter and infielder.
Juniors Mark Cramer and Kevin Donahoe were penciled in as first-time starters with classmate Jacob Bunton and freshman Ben Mazur adding depth to the roster.
Early indications, prior to coronavirus pandemic, showed a lot of promise that ultimately went unfulfilled after the spring sports seasons were canceled.
"This baseball season was going to be a special one," Spencer said. "We all knew we had to take it up a notch to make it where we wanted to go.
"The team bond was special and it was helping us perform to our highest capabilities. We didn't have much time together, just a handful of outdoor practices, but we knew the talent was there."
Sam King covers high school sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
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Central Catholic baseball had championship roster makeup - Journal & Courier
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