As defending district champions, expectations are high for the Southern Lehigh Spartans baseball team. So far, they have put in time, patience, and perseverance into every game, with an eye on winning leagues, championships, and even going as far as the state title. The team is working hard to rise to the challenge after losing several of last year’s seniors.

“Losing a lot of our key players last year, being seniors, of course, places the team in a position of really relying on each other and finding their rhythm,” assistant coach Mr. Matt Greenawald said.

To fill the shoes of last year’s graduates, this year’s seniors, such as Patrick Laughlin, must take on the leadership roles of their predecessors and inspire the rest of the team to win. However, it’s not just the seniors who pull a team together; baseball takes a collective effort from the team and coaches.

“It requires a strong foundation,” senior Matt Tankred said, “based on the pillars of strong coaching, experience, and leadership.” 

Together, the hard-working coaches and players lock in dominant strategies for success. Trust is essential both on and off the playing field. To win, every player must rely upon the others to do their jobs, be prepared, and have their heads in the game.

“Not one player is more important than the other,” senior Michael Andrews said. “We need a group effort and count on one another to win a championship game.”

Baseball is a team sport, and it is crucial to show up and place maximum effort into each and every practice. As the season is getting into swing the first string lineup includes six seniors, two juniors, and one sophomore: Janssen Brown, at third base. 

“We need to practice hard just as if we are playing a game,” sophomore Hayden Hess said. “The little things will take us far, and you saw that in our last season.”

As the players begin to bond with one another, they work together on the communication of their goals and claim that taking it game by game will lead to victory.  

“Take each practice as an opportunity to grow,” junior Luke Lea said. “We put our hearts into the game, and we will come out on top, and that’s all we can do.”