Photos: Northern Valley HS Baseball Team Hits Florida For Spring Training

DEMAREST, N.J. — Northern Valley Regional High School baseball players from Old Tappan and Demarest prepared for their upcoming season with some genuine Florida spring training last week.

The Northern Valley Regional High School baseball team spent last week in Cocoa Beach, Florida at spring training.
Photo Credit: *Alissa Latner*

The NVHS baseball team grabs lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings during their spring training trip.
Photo Credit: *Alissa Latner*

Matt Speiser

03/22/2016 5:30 a.m.

The district sent 22 players to the "Cocoa Beach Expo," at which high school and college teams from around the country scrimmage.

The Vikings went 3-1 in their exhibition games against competition from two different Canadian high schools and a Miami private school. The team left Florida with something more valuable than wins, third-year Head Coach March Houser said.

"Trips like this build team chemistry and mental toughness," Houser said. "The team had to work together a lot for this trip to work -- and it wasn't just on the field."

Houser is trying to build on his team's 13-13-1 record from last season. He hopes a trip to the Sunshine State might help his team become a contender.

"The team played very well," he said. "They made mistakes but not mental mistakes and that shows me a lot.

"We need to carry that focus over into the regular season."

Opening Day is April 1.

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