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Sarah Roderick, Writer
Sarah Roderick is a senior who has been in newspaper for two years. She loves being in newspaper because she truly enjoys writing about sports. She is...
Playoff race heats up as baseball team ends season
April 17, 2019
The baseball team prepares to step up and finish district in a strong way with four games left before playoffs. The teams who place between first and fourth place in the district standings advance to playoffs.
Currently, the thunderbirds are fourth in the district with a record of 5-6 in district play. However, they have an overall record of 14-14, similar to their statistics last season.
On Tuesday, April 16, the boys won 6-3 against Montwood High School. Essential players for the win include sophomore Paul Coppinger and junior Jorge Cuevas, the latter of whom was 2-4 with a clutch two-run double that got the lead in the game. Coppinger pitched for the team and threw a complete game allowing five hits and three runs to a tough Montwood team.
“I was happy to pitch like that in such an important game,” Coppinger said. “I focused on what I was supposed to do and trusted my skill throughout the whole game.”
Last year, the baseball team advanced to regional playoffs and beat Frenship in the first round making them bi-district champions. However, they lost in the second round ending their season with a 22-15 record and 9-5 in district play.
“I feel like the season could have gone better so far,” senior pitcher Bryce Barajas said. “But we still are playing well and having fun, and I am looking forward to playoffs.”
The baseball team graduated 15 seniors from their varsity roster last year, resulting in a young line up this season with only three returning starters for the team this year. However the team has not let being young stop them when competing against more experienced teams.
“It was really hard to see everyone go last year,” Barajas said. “But the new members of the team really stepped to the plate and made this season fun.”
Despite how well the team does in the upcoming games, Coach Orozco says he will always be proud of the team and their performance.
“The guys did great this season, like they always do,” Orozco said. “No matter how the season ends, we did good and we had fun.”
The Thunderbirds will host Franklin on Thursday, April 18, at 5:45 p.m.