Following the end of tryouts, South’s Varsity Baseball Team is back in full swing. Head Coach Travis Myers said he has been ready to get the boys back on the field after a long offseason and embark on his first year as Head Coach.

Last year, South finished the regular season 18-13-1 and advanced to the playoffs and lost to Lane Tech in the regional championship 5-0, Myers said. After the loss, the baseball program created a new organization called the leadership council, Myers said, which helps inspire the upperclassmen to be leaders and connect with the younger and newer athletes.

“We [have] a group of 30 that are going through our leadership curriculum to develop themselves as leaders and find ways to connect to kids throughout the levels of the program,” Myers said. “[Leadership] is a skill that not only helps them with baseball, but helps them [in other aspects of] their lives.”

In addition to the leadership council, there were changes to the coaching staff for this upcoming season, pitcher, senior Brad Crawford said. One of the new changes was the promotion of Coach Josh Stanton, who will now coach both the catchers and pitchers. Originally, Stanton only coached the catchers, Crawford explained.

“Now that [Stanton] coaches pitchers and catchers, he can develop that bond between [us],” Crawford said.

Team bonds and overcoming tough situations are what separates the team from other schools in the conference, Crawford explained. While some difficult situations are inevitable, preparation helps build athletes for that moment, Crawford said.

“Skill wise we might be a match [to other teams], but we have better [relationships],” Crawford said. “We prepare by putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations. Sometimes you have to put yourself into situations that are uncomfortable [to improve].”

Being put in tough situations results in a strong mentality and, fighting through adversity helps the team keep pushing forward, second baseman, junior Trey Ryno said.

“My mentality this year is [to keep my] head down, fight through everything, and do my best,” Ryno said. “[If we] take our hard work and translate it into games, we [are] going to be really good [this season].”