Baseball is back, and this year, the boys baseball team, which was, according to STL Today, was the top ranked team in St. Louis last year, looks to improve on its 22-5 record and 1-1 record in the postseason before falling to St. Charles West in the playoffs. Last year, the baseball team lost two games in a row only once, and had three winning streaks of four or more games. This year, the Spartans are confident in the team they have, and look to go far into the postseason this year.
“Tryouts went really well for us,” senior Roger Robinson said. “Believe it or not, no one got cut,” he added.
With track being the only sport that doesn’t hold tryouts, every other spring sport consists of players fighting for the right to be on the team. Baseball players, unlike in previous years, this year don’t have to worry about getting cut from the team.
Senior Tanner Emring says that no one getting cut actually helps the team overall, and that the team this year has a lot of chemistry with each other.
“Some people really want to get playing time, and we all will earn our starting spots, but overall, we really get along well, and flow nicely,” Emring said.
Last year on defense, the Spartans boasted the best RA (runs allowed) average in the GAC South, only allowing 92 runs while scoring 199, while allowing an average of only 3.3 runs per game (which was tied for first in the GAC South, with Howell North).
Despite the loss of seniors such as Josh Wade, Jayden Lumpa, and Jake Henson, the Spartans will have many returning varsity players. Aside from senior John Wachtel, the rest of the seniors are returning players. With seniors Tanner Emring, Gabe Faron, Ryan Howard, Kennedy Lowe, Clayton Luley, Adam Maxey, Austin Pierce, Roger Robinson, Blake Wellinghoff, the Spartans have a fresh slew of senior leadership on the team.
Along with the returning seniors, there are many juniors who have worked their way onto the varsity roster. Those are juniors Corey Blase, Ben Burns, Cody Calhoun, Tyler Emery, Dillon Hornbuckle, Shane Lovett, Mitch Miller, Troy Newell, Jake Schneider, Ryan Schindler, Jack Webb, and Heriberto Wyatt. Along with the 12 juniors and 10 seniors, sophomore Andy Moats also made it to the varsity level.
With a team that has a lot to live up to based off of last year’s exceptional season, the boys team this year strives to accomplish one main goal: making it as far into the postseason as it can.
