By Amanda Kovak | Blue Jays baseball is now in full swing. After a tough start, due to having only two returning position players, the team is back on their feet.
“We started out a little slow. We had a lot of new players so it took us some time to gel as a team,” assistant coach Vince Armilio said. “We have been playing better lately, especially against some very good teams and pitchers.”
Despite the team’s rocky start, they pushed through to success.
“We just won a northland tournament,” sophomore Ethan Griswold said. “And that was pretty exciting.”
This year was not the first win in the tournament for the Jays.
“[We won] the Northland tournament for a third consecutive year,” Armilio said. “It has never been done in the tournament, so it was a great thing for our players to be a part of.”
Even with the achievement of the team’s third win, other moments stick out to junior Zach Hoeflicker.
“[Our most successful moment was] probably our win against Winnetonka, because most of our guys that hit and play the field got a lot of hits and we ended up winning 17 to 1, which allowed us to see our potential with what we can do at the plate.”
His most exciting moment was a big recovery.
“We had a huge comeback after like, two innings of being down,” Hoeflicker said. “It just showed that we’re able to accomplish things when we need to, and that in the crunch time we can beat almost anybody.”
The group uses moments like these to motivate them until they reach state.
“We are following the same process we have had for the last two years,” Armilio said. “Prepare to win every game, give maximum effort and see what the scoreboard says at the end of the game.”
“We have been in every game we have played and that is all you can ask for,” Armilio said.
Some players go above and beyond to be the best.
“I practice everyday. I’ll go home and hit my cage in my backyard if I have time,” senior Nathan Winfrey said.
The season may have had a rough start with so many new players, but now that they are familiarized with each other, things have improved.
“Our team has very good chemistry with each other,” Armilio said. “You get a sense that they are all friends and enjoy being around each other. This makes coaching a lot more enjoyable because we have not had to deal with issues between players. They all work well with each other.”
With all the team spirit they have a great season ahead.
“We’re getting better every game,” Winfrey said.
