As we catch the spring air so does the baseball team here at West. 

Senior Ethan Guest has been in baseball throughout all of high school and feels as if this season they’ve been working hard. “So far (the season) is going good; we’ve been working together as teammates and I feel like we are creating that team bond,” Guest stated. 

Offseason plays a big role in preparing for the regular season, which is why the team has been doing during 6 a.m. practice. “We’ve been putting in offseason work  so I feel like we’ve been working pretty hard,” Guest stated.

Other preparations the team has been doing is connecting. “We’ve been trying to create a bond with the seniors and we’ve been trying to take lead and build a new culture behind the team,” Guest said.

Assistant coach Mr. Cruz Rodriguez had his input on the start to the season as it’s his first year of coaching. “The motivation is something I’m struggling with this year but it’s been like a light switch since last year,” Rodriguez said.

He saw an uplift during the pre-season. “Preseason was amazing. We worked all winter and hit the weights all at 6 in the morning,” Rodriguez said.

Connection is key during baseball plays so he had an input on the team’s connection. “That’s one thing as a coach you struggle with, but that’s the whole point of why you’re there, it’s to motivate them,” Rodriguez said.  

Cooper Smith is a senior at West who has played on the team since his junior year. “We’ve been practicing better, longer, and been hitting more,” Smith stated.

As West is predicted to finish last in their division, Smith had something to say on that. “We should not be last. If anything we should be second to last, But it just makes me angry we aren’t,” Smith said. 

This year the team is more hungry for the wins this season. “ The connection is better than last year. We actually feel like winning,” Cooper said.