The Road to Marlins Stadium – Part One

On March 1st, Marco Island Academy’s Boys varsity baseball team will play ball in LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. LoanDepot Park is home to the major league baseball team, the Miami Marlins.. Built in 2012, it has been played on by Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantra, Multi-MVP winner Mike Trout, as well as many future and current hall of fame players such as Ichiro Suzuki, Carlos Beltran, Albert Pujols, and more.

LoanDepot Park isn’t just an average baseball field. It’s home to many dreams of being a major league baseball player that each one of the Manta Rays have in their heart. Just playing on it for one night can capture all the magic of being a major leaguer.

On February 6th, official tryouts were held for the 2023 winter season team, many tried out, but in the end only 20 made the roster. Practices began the next day, and Coach Laz Ferro believes that “This is the best team ever to take the field at MIA. We have to play up to our potential” with returning players such as Zach Ferro, Chase and Jack Berry, Colby Chute, Shamus Coyle, and many more. The goal for this year’s Manta Rays is to bring home another winning season, with 20 or more wins in all.

But the Manta Rays know they have to take it one day at a time, so throughout weekly practices the players stayed focused on their goal of improving and preparing for upcoming pre-season games. Having the thought in their mind that they would be playing in LoanDepot park made everyone a little antsy, as March 1st was right around the corner. Senior Shamus Coyle says “this is going to be the biggest moment in our baseball program’s history, I can’t wait.”