Trying to pinpoint one thing that makes this Amherst team special is difficult.

It could be the Comets’ 10-pitcher rotation, or it could be their 10 left-handed hitters. It could even be the “no fly zone” outfield.

Those qualities make this team special and talented on the field. More than that, their camaraderie and love for each other off the field have turned this season into something great thus far.

“I think the biggest thing is our team chemistry is fantastic,” Amherst coach Matt Rositano said. “We talked about after the loss to Hoban (on May 10), it doesn’t matter who gets the hit, who gets the big strikeout, who makes the big play. They’re all playing for each other, they’re all playing for Amherst and I think we have a chance to do something special here and we’re not done yet.”

Coming off a sweep over North Ridgeville, the Comets finished 14-0 in Southwestern Conference play and are 19-2 overall. They also drew the No. 1 seed in the Division II, Northeast District for postseason play and have been the top-ranked team in the state in D-II for over a month.

Winning 19 games so far against this gauntlet hasn’t been easy. The Rangers were one spot behind Amherst in last week’s Division II poll and have been a top-five team for most of the season. The Comets wrapped up the outright title with a 6-4 home win on May 12. They won the second game on the road on May 13, 5-3.

“It feels great,” Amherst junior Harrison Schneider said. “I had a good feeling at the beginning of the year that we were going to push through and do it. We clinched it and we won so that’s a great feeling.”

As Schneider alluded to, this group was optimistic from the jump. Winning the conference was part of the plan.

The Comets still have six non-conference games left over the next two weeks before tournament play begins against No. 29 John Adams on May 27. However, step one of the mission is complete.

“This is just step one,” Amherst junior Landon Wolf said. “We’ve said all year we have stages to the season. Step one was the conference is step two and step three is to keep going on into the state tournament and our goal is to try and make a run.”

Going back to the quality components of this team, Amherst is a tough out for many reasons. Another key factor is the Comets don’t make many mistakes and they take advantage of their opponents’ mistakes.

For example, after surrendering three runs to North Ridgeville in the first inning of the first game, Amherst responded by scoring four in the bottom half of the inning without registering a hit.

However, when the bats do get going alongside the stellar pitching, watch out. Not only do the Comets have 10 left-handed hitters, they play seven in their normal lineup and have six batters with a .300 average or better.

“It’s been a great start. We’ve had a great year,” Rositano said. “Our pitching has been fantastic. I’ve used nine pitchers and I’ve said that I feel comfortable going 10 deep. I have nine pitchers that have seen the mound this year and every single one of their ERA’s is under three.”

The Comets’ brand of complimentary baseball shows. They not only excel in all phases but play for each other. It has made a big difference for their success.

“This group, we’re just one big family,” Wolf said. “We all love each other. This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball. We’re just a huge family and I love everybody on this team.”