After a summer without playing baseball, the Antioch Community High School baseball team started a creative way to play ball. A ‘pre-season’ before the actual pre-season. The baseball team has set up a new way to get their time on the field.
The Sequoits started their own practices and scrimmages with each other, with the help of varsity head coach, Chris Malec. He allows them to practice two times a week and scrimmage on Saturdays.
“The pre-season is everything,” senior Adain Trusky said. “Your season is the result of your pre-season. It’s gonna be a sprint, short season, so every game is going to be a must-win.”
Due to COVID-19, the Sequoits were not able to be on the field during the spring and summer. During that time, the team had to stay active and in shape for the upcoming season. As surrounding teams relaxed, the Sequoits had other things in mind.
“It would look like workouts every day and skill work several days a week,” Trusky said. “It is going to be everything, we have to come out firing.”
Luckily, due to the space on the field, the team is able to play without close encounters. Baseball is a very stretched out game, allowing the athletes to stay outside of a six-foot distance.
“Players will be allowed to play without masks,” JV coach Robert Hafer said. “However, I am hopeful that our players will do whatever is necessary.
This upcoming season will be crucial to ACHS baseball players. This will be a chance to prove to surrounding teams that the Sequoits are ready at any given time.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is,” Malec said. “I can’t wait to see what kinds of jumps the guys make for this fall season until we begin in 2021.”
With the hard work the baseball team showed through the restrictions of COVID-19, they will hopefully be successful through their season. With set schedules of non-contact baseball and coaches to help, the team has a great desire to win. The baseball team will be more prepared than ever when the season comes in the summer.
