Having a Ball

Dominic Fitzgerald

The varsity baseball team is kicking it into full throttle to prepare for the Bangkok next Thursday.

In front of the gym, you can see Sam Castro (10), Gavin Zimmer (9), Teddy Zimmer (11) and others practicing their throwing and catching while waiting for the coaches, Sasse, Maurin, and Edman. Practice usually starts at 4:30 or 5p depending on the day, and when it’s time for practice, the team loads up in the two vans outside the gym to go to College General.

Once at College General, the vans are unloaded and I, the manager, set up the portable backstop with one of the coaches. As soon as the backstop is set up, I move up to the slope to set up a little “outpost,” so that I can encourage my teammates and retrieve stray balls. While this is happening, the team is warming up by practicing their throws and catches, after jogging for about two minutes.

Coach Sasse usually starts the team off by making stations for them: a batting station where Coach Edman shows how to swing smoothly and with grace; a pitching and catching station where Mr. Sasse shows pitchers how to throw off batters, and he shows catchers how to catch people off guard; and a fielding station where Mr. Maurin hits a ball and the players practice fielding. As soon as all groups have gone once, we work on our plays and base running.

Since there is only one week until the tournament at the International School of Bangkok, the team’s month of development has been a very short one. So the team is kicking it into full throttle and studying the plays and strategies closely. Daniel Kim (11) says "I'm kinda excited and nervous to go to Bangkok to play baseball with the team. I'm happy to get to go with the guys and see interesting things in Thailand, but I have no idea how well we'll do. Gotta pray for the best."

As these heroes prepare for their first ever varsity baseball tournament, they are giving it their all. These boys have earned the right to don the black Dalat baseball cap, knowing that we have full confidence in their skill and sportsmanship. As they make final preparations, let’s wish them good luck and Godspeed—and may the best team win!