The snow is melting. The grass is turning green. Bats, gloves, baseballs, and the dirt stains are re-appearing. The calendar has flipped to April, which means baseball season has returned for another spring.
Last year Lancer baseball had a 14-8 record, finishing 9th in Division I. As they continued their way into the post-season, they managed to achieve a 13-2 first round victory against the Memorial Crusaders. However, the team ended up losing to the eventual state champions Pinkerton Astros 5-2 in the quarterfinals.
Head coach Mr. Demas said although he was disappointed that his team didn’t defend the title, he plans on taking everything from the past and using it to make this season better.
“Every season,” Demas said, “even the title seasons, has lessons that can be learned from them. Each year is a completely different year with a whole new set of circumstances. I think it’s best to look at the coaching staff decisions in certain situations and evaluate the results with the hope that we can learn for the future.”
Senior captain Tim McEacharn said the team has learned they have to “stay in the game mentally the whole game.”
“We can’t afford to take any pitches off, and we must capitalize on our opportunities,” he said.
Senior captain Jimmy Zimolka agrees that baseball is more of a mental sport, and “not necessarily a physical one like football” and understands how important it is to keep the keep the team focused if they want to end their season on a strong note.
“Bringing energy and life to the field brings up the confidence in teammates and can really do things for a team,” Zimolka said.
Junior captain Jonny Meskell said losing key players like Mike Ryan, Colby Joncas and Geoff Kayo “is going to hurt us, no doubt.”
“They were the heart and soul of last year’s team, and they will be missed,” Meskell said. “But if the younger guys step up and do their job, we should be just fine.”
To help players continue to be successful on his team, Demas sets clear expectations for his players to follow on and off the field. For example, players know that Demas feels it’s important for them to “keep their composure” on and off the field, according to McEacharn.
“If you screw up, you can’t be throwing your helmet and mentally taking yourself out of the game,” McEacharn said. “Own up to your mistake, keep your head in the game and move on.”
Zimolka said “following the rules” is a major part of being on Demas’s team.
“If you respect his authority, listen to what he has to say, and understand that he has more knowledge than you on the sport, then he’ll respect you,” Zimolka said. “He likes when his players are open-minded. Allowing him to help you is the best approach to his team.”
This approach must be working since Demas has three state championships under his belt since he started coaching the varsity team in 2003.
“As a high school baseball coach, my individual goal is to do the utmost to make sure that every LHS baseball player who puts in the work and wants to, can play in college,” Demas said. “That is more important to me than the championship titles, and it’s why I still coach to this day.”
