By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Familiar faces in new places. Bedford North Lawrence returns the bulk of its seven-player rotation from last season, but most of them will play different roles when the 2023 season gets started.
With five returning veterans, the Stars will have some valuable experience. Exactly where they will fit into the lineup, and who will join them, remains to be determined as BNL continues the shuffling and scrimmaging process prior to – and even past – the campaign opener.
“At this point I don’t know what the lineup will look like,” BNL coach Chris Kurtz said. “But we have some guys returning with varsity experience who will figure into the mix. We had a good summer with a lot of guys out working on their games, developing their strokes, and in some cases developing new ones.“
There’s no uncertainty at the top of the lineup. That spot has been won by Jayden Kemp, a former fixture in doubles.
“Jayden’s our best player and I know he is excited to play singles this year after spending most of his career in the one doubles spot,” Kurtz said. “He’s a very steady player with a lot of skill, and will be a great leader there at the top.”
Isaac Bridges and Orion Hill were slotted into the bottom of the singles at the end of last season (which concluded with a 5-16 team record). Returning seniors Gavin Baker and Drew Stephenson, both with doubles time, will also be vying for a position. The lineup card will depend on how each player can benefit the team the most. And that could change several times over the course of the year.
“We have a group of players who are very close in ability,” Kurtz said. “We’ll spend the next few weeks figuring out who is most ready and gives us the best chance to win.”
BNL will start the regular season on Aug. 12 in the Linton Invitational.
