I have been a part of the L&M family since the fall of my freshman year in high school. I remember the first time I met Coach E. It was a rainy day and I was throwing a bullpen in All About Sports with my dad. Being the great coach he is, Coach E approached me and made some corrections to the way I pitched. Although he only spent about ten minutes with me that day, the advice he gave me was better than a lot of the pitching advice I received in my life. When I heard that my best friend was playing for L&M that fall, I, being the shy freshman that I was, wanted to play with him. When I went to my first practice with Coach E I did not know what I was getting myself into. I was definitely not expecting a 4 hour long practice on a Wednesday night that went until it was dark outside, but this was something that I became accustomed to very fast. When I first joined the program I was a short, uncoordinated kid with size 12 feet who couldn’t run in a straight line. Coach E saw this as potential and room to grow, saying that I had a “high ceiling” as a ballplayer. Thanks to this program and his guidance I feel like I have come a lot closer to this “ceiling.”

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Before playing for L&M I thought I knew how to play the game the right way. I thought I knew what it meant to work hard and push my limits, but Coach E showed me what it really meant to grind and work hard. Fall practices, winter workouts, and summer ball were times when I had to work harder than I ever have in my life. The way L and M baseball works to make each guy a better player, and a better version of themselves is like no other. Coach E and his coaching staff know that there is no cookie cutter mold for each player, and each player’s development is different than the guy before them. I for one was someone who was undersized for most of my career before I hit a big growth spurt before Junior year. I went from a small disproportional freshman to a tall lanky junior, and Coach E saw this as a great opportunity for me to develop my game even further. He worked with me all winter and summer of my junior year to perfect my mechanics. I knew I was someone who wouldn’t be blowing any hitter away with my power because I had yet to add any size to my body, but Coach E knew how successful I could be as a pitcher if I located well. The success that I’ve had in past summers would not have been possible without the help of Coach E and this program.

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When it came to the college recruiting process I really didn’t know much, but the process was made a lot easier with the help of Coach E. He made a point to have our team do multiple showcases together and do pro-style workouts during practice to get us accustomed to “showing out” in front of coaches. He taught me how to catch a coach’s eye during a showcase and stand out among a crowd. He also taught me the best way to communicate with coaches and even reached out to coaches on my behalf. This spoke volumes to me because it showed me how much Coach E cares about every player in his program. Whenever I needed advice about this hard process, Coach E was always there to answer my questions.

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If anyone is lucky enough to have the opportunity to play for Coach E and be a part of the L and M program I suggest they take advantage of the opportunity. If you have what it takes to work at the high level that is L and M Baseball, I promise you will be blessed with some of the best times of your life with some of the greatest guys you will ever meet. L and M Baseball and Coach E have not only made me the distinguished baseball player that I am today, they have also made me the hard working man that I’ll be for the rest of my life. 

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 Ben Aleixo

 L&M Baseball Fall 2013-2015 Winter 2014- 2017 Summer 2015-2016

 Committed to Babson