Varsity:
OHS Varsity baseball came awfully close to a championship last year, finishing in the semifinals and adding to their unraveling history as a top Arizona team.
They are bringing much of last year’s momentum into their 2023-24 season, with a 12-6 regular season record [at the time this was written].
“For the players, they have a championship mentality… for me, it’s great to come out and coach everyday knowing that these guys care as much or more than I do,” said Jeff Baumgartner, head varsity coach.
Playing baseball at this high and competitive level is nothing new to the historically great team, and an adequate challenge for the well equipped program.
“We’ve seen the highest level of the state of Arizona, and we know we belong… we just have to keep working and see where it takes us at the end of April,” Baumgartner said.
Still, the already solid team recognizes room for improvement.
“Just situational baseball, what we have to do offensively, being better base-runners… all those little things we’ve been known for over the years to be really good at,” Baumgartner said.
However this year the team won’t consider their history as a winning team and stay humble, eyes devoted to the state championship.
“We just want to focus on winning that state championship, play as a team, play for each other, and not really focus on where we’re ranked,” said Aiden Woolwine, junior first-baseman.
The loss in the final four last season left a bit of a sour taste in the mouths of the team, but certainly fueled their ambition for this year.
“This is our year,” Woolwine said.
JV:
JV had a ‘breakout year’ last season, boasting a 17-1 record, and the returning players are carrying that momentum into this year.
“Baseball is wholly a mental sport, so you need to have a positive mind, and you’re sure to do well,” said Abel Garcia, junior.
Like the Varsity team, JV has identified an area for improvement, citing their bond as teammates as a potential weak spot.
“We just need to be more confident, and come together as a team,” Garcia said.
The team is doing a pretty good job at unifying together so far this year. With a 6-3 record [at the time of writing], still great although not as stunning as the 2023 season.
“[We] still definitely need to improve on [our bond], but we’re getting better,” said Michael Leslie, sophomore.
Freshman:
Incoming players on any team need to have a unique mindset as a freshman athlete. Bonding with their teammates“Just show your best to the coaches, and show them that you belong at the next level,” said Dylan Turnquist, freshman pitcher., performing well as a first-year athlete, and keeping in mind their future JV and Varsity aspirations can be a lot, but these players keep it under control and refine their mindset.
The mindset for all players is unique, but they all have their own character to them.
“Be calm, be confident, be cool,” said Quinn Sullivan, freshman pitcher and first-baseman.
It can be hard to generate confidence throughout the whole team, seeing as they are new to each other and the energy of high-school sports.
“In the dugout we’re really quiet,” Sullivan said.
Nevertheless, the team wants to improve, and have a mindset of bolstering their image in the eyes of coaches headed into the next season.
