After a challenging 11–2 loss in last week’s Friday game, the high school varsity baseball team is focusing on learning from the experience and improving as the season continues.
Even though the scoreboard didn’t go their way, players say the game helped them recognize what they need to work on both mentally and physically as they prepare for future matchups.
Sophomore Kai Morales shared that mental preparation plays a huge role in performance.
“You need to have a mindset that you’re the best player on that field, and physically, it doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow,” Morales said. “What matters is if you did your best in what you needed to do.”
He also says the first game of the season sets the tone for what comes next. For Kai, the most difficult part of the game came while pitching.
Kai also reflected on the team’s mindset, saying confidence is something the group needs to build.
“The team’s chemistry is that they always have the mindset that we are going to lose or that we can’t beat them,” he said. “But you can’t have that mentality in anything you do in sports, in school, anywhere.”
Senior Daniel Reyes also shared his perspective on preparation and performance. He said he focused on staying mentally ready before the game.
“I mentally prepared for the first game by maintaining a positive attitude and a strong desire to win,” Reyes explained. “I physically prepared for this game by following a strict pregame warmup to prevent injury.”
Even though the team didn’t get the result they wanted, Daniel believes the game still had value.
“This first game,” Reyes said. “Although, it wasn’t the result we were looking for, it sets a tone of desire to win and will be an inspiration to push ourselves to be the best we can.”
From his perspective, the biggest struggles were on both sides of the game.
“I would say the toughest part of the game was our pitching and batting,” Reyes added. “We were giving up a lot of free bases defensively and were not able to come back, as we were struggling at the plate.”
Reyes also felt the team chemistry wasn’t where it needed to be, especially with missing players.
“I would say our team’s chemistry was not at the level it was supposed to be at,” He said. “We were missing two key players, our starting pitcher and catcher, which caused a lot of changes in positions, which left some people in a different position than where they would normally play.”
Sophomore Oliver Parkinson also shared his thoughts on the team and the season so far. He said he feels ready and motivated to keep playing.
“I feel good,” Parkinson said. “I’m excited to play.”
Oliver believes strong competition helps the team improve.
“Playing against good teams helps our team develop,” he quoted
He also described the team environment as supportive and positive.
“Our team is very encouraging, and having a good environment helps reduce stress.”
For inspiration, Oliver looks up to David Ortiz, also known as “Big Papi.”
“I like watching Big Papi hit nukes,” he said.
And when it comes to staying fueled during games, Oliver keeps it simple with “Cheez-It Snack Mix.”
Even after a tough loss, the team remains focused on learning, improving, and supporting each other. With the season still ahead of them, players say they’re ready to keep working hard and come back stronger in their next game.
