Coach Padilla, HP Dean and first-year baseball coach, and baseball team captains, Julian Orozco and Oscar Lara, feel they are a little behind with their practice compared to other schools. Most schools tend to have consistency from year to year, but with the new coach and new roster, there is plenty of work for the team to do.
However, with hard work , the team leaders believe they could have a much better season than last year.
Last season the team found themselves constantly losing due to not enough practice. The team wasn’t able to get a win, last season their record was 0-13.
To prevent this from happening again, Coach Padilla has plans to have a successful team.
“I want them to be present, to have their head in the game, and learn from the game. As long as my boys enjoy their time on the team, and we just try to improve every single game.” stated Padilla.
Being there is important for yourself and more importantly for your team. Another factor besides being present, is having a steady mindset during the game and how you can learn from the mistakes and improve from them.
Captain Julian Orozco, senior, also believes that he too is a little behind in where he should be at right now, but he does think he is advanced enough to be able to catch up.
“Going to the park, getting a few runs in, being able to practice as if I was in the game.” said Orozco
To catch up and improve, Orozco needs to keep his practice consistent, not only in school but also on his own time. This will benefit him as a player and leader.
As practice being a key element to the sport, another main thing is being mindful on what’s going on in the game.
“If a mistake happens during a game, don’t let it linger, don’t overthink it.” stated Orozco.
Thinking about the mistake or holding onto it for the entire game, can negatively imapct the mindset. No matter what happens, you just have to keep on moving forward with the game.
Oscar Lara, captain, senior, says that more dedication and practice will help himself and his team be at a higher level.
“Last year we were all over the place, and this year so far we are doing good, we just need to keep doing our assignments at practice and if we move that to game days we could do better.”
Staying on track with practice and inputting it to the field will help the players and prepare them for games. Being stable with this can improve and boost their record from last season.
Written by Alyssa Fuentes, Boys Sports Editor