Sophomores Form Present & Future For Berean Christian

Berean Christian manager Dave Lawler hits infield practice while catcher Ralph Perez watches.

Sophomores Noah Adams, DJ Lawler and Ralph Perez have a special bond, on and off the field.

They are the key components to an up-and-coming Berean Christian team that hopes to make some noise this season. They have been together since seventh grade and are close friends.

“They are the core of the team,” said manager Dave Lawler, who often sees the trio hanging out at his house, either getting in some extra hitting practice in the batting cage dubbed “The Dog Cage” or hanging out poolside. “I think they like the pool better than anything.”

Perez takes over as the starting catcher, while Lawler and Adams should be the top pitchers.

“They love the game of baseball and it’s been their primary sport, even though DJ and Ralph also play basketball,” Lawler said. “They’ve kind of grown up together playing the game and they are looking forward to finishing strong.”

But the trio aren’t all about baseball or sports.

“It’s like a brotherhood,” said Perez, who has been in the same classes as Lawler since they met. “The more we’re together, the more fun we have. We fish together, we practice on our own, we joke around in school, we love to go skating.”

Senior third baseman Josh Stephens is one of the team captains.

“My sophomores are captains, too,” said Stephens. “I look out for them. They’re my little brothers. I’m not worried about them. They’re fantastic. I’m with these guys more than my own family sometimes. They are my family. They look out for me, too.”

The Bulldogs played the last two years as an independent but are now playing in District 12-2A.

Josh Stephens takes some cuts during batting practice for the Bulldogs.

“We’re happy to be back in districts,” said Dave Lawler, who will only have an 11-man roster to start the season. “I think we’re in a district we can be competitive in. The kids are excited. Being back was a big deal for us. Anytime you can play with a post-season carrot in front of you, it gives you something to keep pushing for.”

The players believe they are immediate contenders for the district championship, which also includes Glades Day, Wellington Christian, Community Christian and Atlantic Christian (formerly Summit Christian).

“Winning the district championship, that’s our main goal,” said Adams, who is called a brainiac by DJ Lawler and Perez because he takes honors classes and they do not. The right-hander will take over a middle infield spot when he’s not pitching.

But they know a district title will be tough since they are facing obstacles, missing three key players because of eligibility issues.

“The program has changed a lot since we’ve been in seventh grade,” said DJ Lawler, a left-hander who will handle first-base duties on his off-days. “I’ve been waiting to win a district championship for our team.”

The players and manager acknowledge it will be more difficult to win this season because of the unexpected loss of several players who were expected to make major contributions.

“Our school is committed to following the rules,” said Dave Lawler. “Our school, our athletic director, particularly because we’re a Christian school, believe in a higher calling. We play by the rules. Our school is committed to doing it right.”

DJ Lawler is expected to be the No. 1 starter for the Bulldogs.

Berean Christian finished 10-7 last season and have only two seniors on the team, and no juniors. So although this can be considered a rebuilding year, they believe the future is bright.

“We’ll be disappointed if we don’t play well (this year), but in the big picture, we’re looking forward to the next two seasons,” said Dave Lawler.

Adams, DJ Lawler and Perez have been through the ups and downs of the program, remembering the lopsided losses in their early days.

“We’ve been rebuilding since seventh grade and now it’s only getting better,” said Perez. “I have high hopes for the future and now. We love the game more, and we make sure not to take all this for granted.”

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