As spring is approaching, the baseball team prepares for the upcoming season with extensive practice and scrimmaging. 

“I’m always excited for baseball season. It’s a great time of the year. There is a little buzz in the air with spring training, the big league level and high school all starting up at the same time. I think our squad is different this year. We’re going to be really talented on the mound and we have a lot of senior pitching this year. So, I’m looking forward to our pitching,” said Gaetano Gianni, the varsity baseball coach. 

The team is entering this season aiming to have another winning record after going 18-12-1 last year. With a new roster, the Falcons hope to improve on pitching and hitting to help them win more close games. Coming off a loss to Saguaro in their first game, the team wants to get back on track for the rest of the season. 

“I think we are trying to improve on our offense and just our overall team bonding,” said Connor Benson, a junior and varsity baseball player. 

With a younger team, the Falcons could face some struggles with leadership this year. There are not as many seniors on the team this year, causing some of the younger players to take those leadership roles. At the same time, this could also mean success for the team this year, using new talent and giving younger players more opportunities to prove themselves. 

“I think we will be fine. The seniors help the team a lot as captains, but we will have more opportunities to show leadership to the rest of the team,” said Trace Laudenschlager, a junior and varsity baseball player. 

The Falcons started their preparation early this year, utilizing fall and winter ball season to get a feel for the new team. The team placed third overall in the 5A Northeast division last season and hope to maintain the same energy they had last year.

“We have fall ball. We have winter ball. We have our strength coach that works with our kids. So going into the season, I think we’re pretty prepared in all aspects of our game and I think our kids are ready. Now it’s just a matter of seeing who swings the bat and who’s hot and who’s not. So I can make a roster based on that,” said Gianni. 

The Falcons next game will be on March 16th against Bradshaw Mountain at home. Their final regular season game is scheduled on April 27th at Sunnyslope.