By Jiselle Lpoez
Hood’s athletic department ranges from an array of sports teams for both men and women. From soccer to volleyball, the students at Hood participate in all kinds of sports-related activities with their teammates and fellow fans. With the introduction of the first and much-anticipated baseball team at Hood, students and staff have been more than welcoming to the incoming recruits.
“I’m not from around here, but from what I’ve been told, this is an area known for some good baseball. And the coaches are exactly what every baseball player wants,” said freshman Tyler Erney.
This year, over 42 students went out for Hood’s baseball team and the final roster is still pending. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this history-making sports team is ready for the hard work ahead of them.
“We should be competing on the field, in the classroom, and in the weight room. It takes a lot of hard work and improvement to get there. If we are working hard, improving every day, and playing the game the right way, the results will speak for themselves,” said head coach Cory Beddick.
Because the starting of a baseball team here at Hood was such a hit, almost anywhere someone goes on campus, a player, or group of players, can be seen together. In other words, the team has already bonded both on and off the field.
“It is incredible to see how interested people are in the new baseball program. It seems almost everywhere you go you see a baseball player in one of your classes or in the hallways,” said freshman Cameron Fitzgerald.
The team consists mainly of freshman and they have already had a dose of their three-hour practices for five days a week since the semester began. Most players were recruited to play here, even students who were considered “non-freshman.” However, the age of the players is not the only thing that brings them together.
“The fact that we’re pretty much all freshman impacts us in an extremely positive way,” said sophomore Zach Scheuerman, “My teammates may be freshman, but plenty of them carry themselves as upperclassmen on and off the field. Critics may say that the majority and experience isn’t here, but I would beg to differ.”
Attracting baseball players to Hood brought interest on both sides of the recruitment process.
“The process began with an interest in the school itself. Next, I shot coach Beddick an email saying that I was interested in Hood, and also the baseball program. For me, the decision was clear; I felt most comfortable at Hood, and I would also be given the opportunity to play college baseball,” said Fitzgerald.
Along with the athletic director Tom Dickman and head coach Cory Beddick, they were both able to recruit and design Hood’s baseball team for its first year. The recruiting process for both the players and the coaches was especially important to make the team’s schedule run smoothly. Coach Beddick along with assistant coaches Mike Landis, Jimmy King, and Michal Paker were able to recruit players they believed to be hardworking and talented.
Most of the players and coaches have played baseball since High School or earlier. Baseball, being a clear commitment for some of them, brings them closer in their ability to grow as players and people together.
“Hood’s baseball team is different than my high school team because almost none of us had grown up playing together, but what will help us be successful is how close we’ve become already. We haven’t been here that long and there is not a time you won’t see a huge group of baseball players walking around with each other,” said Erney.
Players, coaches, and students are all looking forward to seeing what this year’s first team has to offer Hood with their ability to work hard and play hard as many have already seen. For some, this team will become a part of our history and for others; it will build an undeniable legacy that the entire Hood community can be proud of.
“We have an opportunity to leave our fingerprints on a baseball program for decades to come,” said Coach Beddick, “We have a great group of guys that are going to work hard every single day to achieve our goals.”
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