Emerging talent, learning curves and effective leadership. With a roster full of potential–compromised mostly of freshmen and sophomores–the varsity boys’ baseball team is building the foundation for success, both on and off the field. As the young team continues to grow and develop, their dedication to improvement promises a successful future in the following seasons.
Varsity boys’ baseball head coach Brad Himes acknowledges the challenges that come with leading a young team, including a lack of experience and difficulty in adjusting to the pace of varsity-level competition. Despite the downsides of having younger players, Himes believes the team’s inexperience will be beneficial in the long run, as it allows younger athletes to gain more experience and develop over multiple seasons.
“When you have a younger team, you have to understand that it’s going to be a process,” Himes said. “They’re going to take some bumps along the way, but it will pay off down the road. That’s always tough to see, but as a coach, you have to try to be as positive as possible, while also holding them to a high standard of what’s right. It’s also important to keep your team motivated by shining a light on the more positive side of things and not just making it about fixing their mistakes.”
Having played on the varsity team since he was a freshman, Niko Y. ‘26 highlights the positive aspects of having an ultimately younger roster. He believes having a coach who keeps the team motivated, especially when a game is lost, is essential for the success of a less developed team. He acknowledges that building strong team chemistry now will lead to a more unified team in the future.
“Having a younger team definitely gives us an advantage in the long run because our sophomores and freshmen will have more experience next year,” Niko said. “Right now, it’s tough since a lot of our players are playing varsity or high school baseball for the first time, and we are all still learning how to work together. Overall, I think our chemistry has gotten a lot better as the season has gone on, and I have high hopes for the following seasons.”
Zach C. ‘26 has been on varsity since he was a sophomore and believes losses give the team more motivation for the following season. He feels that, being one of the oldest players on the team, it is his duty to step up and become a leader to show the younger players how to be a good teammate and player. Similarly to Niko, Zach also believes that having a younger team is a long-term advantage, since it gives underclassmen valuable time to develop their skills. He has noticed significant growth in the underclassmen since the start of the season, especially considering it was their first time playing high school-level games.
“We might not have as much experience as other teams, but our sophomores and freshmen have a lot of heart,” Zach said. “They are really vocal and bring great energy both on and off the field. It’s also important not to focus too much on our record. We always take it one game at a time and focus on having fun and playing together as a team. As one of the older players, I feel like it’s my job to step up and use my voice to become a leader.”
Nasir A. ‘27 believes the team connects well because they are closer in age and see each other in class, which helps create a natural bond between the team. He acknowledges that the biggest challenge of having a predominantly younger team is competing against opponents who are often much older and more experienced.
“This season has really reminded me how much of baseball is mental,” Nasir said. “We’re not lacking in talent, I honestly think we’re a very good team. But sometimes, it’s our mindset that holds us back. We tend to beat ourselves more when we get beaten by other teams. A lot of it comes down to experience and learning how to stay composed, especially against strong opponents. Once we figure that out, things will definitely turn around for us.”
While there are only two seniors on the team, Brice E. ‘28 believes they have been great leaders, making the season much more enjoyable for him. He feels that their leadership has made a lasting impact on how he approaches the game and praises their guidance and encouragement for helping him adjust quickly to the pace and expectations of high school baseball.
“We will definitely be stronger in the future,” Brice said. “Even though I’m just a freshman, I can already see the chemistry building. I also really appreciate the seniors and upperclassmen; they have made my first year easy and fun. They have been super welcoming, and overall, it’s just been a great season, no matter the record.”
