Written by Kaelyn Spickler
Our RC baseball team ended the month of March undefeated to further their winning streak to 15 games and upping their ranking to fourth in the nation and first in the ODAC. Their streak ended in a nail-biter Tuesday night that lasted four hours and five minutes with the Maroons scoring 7 runs and the Ferrum Panthers 8.
Their winning streak was to be expected, as they spend countless hours pushing each other at practice and in the weight room. Because of the hard work going into each practice and game, their winning streak “is definitely something that’s cool to be recognized for. I’m not going to say it was unanticipated because we expect the best out of ourselves whenever we play, but it is cool, especially in baseball, because anyone can beat anyone on any given day,” according to senior Sean Guida.
Ferrum was able to prove that anyone can beat anyone on a given day, but the Maroons understand that the baseball season is long, which provides plenty of time for redemption, which is what they hope for.
Junior Cam Eck explains, “We understand that losses happen. It’s a long season with 40 regular season games, so you can’t win them all. We will bounce back with no issue.”
With the season going into its final stretch before post season, the Maroons are remembering their third place outcome in the national championship last year.
For seniors like Guida, nothing would be sweeter than that national title. “When we finished the season as close as we did last year, it kind of hurts. Finishing third is cool and all, but it’s nothing like winning the entire thing,” said Guida. The guys have been using last season as momentum throughout this season, but aren’t getting too comfortable. Eck believes the team is using last season “more as confidence because when you win a lot, you can get too comfortable and let your guard down, or you can work that much harder to get better which is what he thinks the team has done.”
Both Guida and Eck, along with the rest of the team, have the national championship in their line of sight and are making sure they lead the team to success in the postseason. As a senior, Guida has tried to lead the team by “keeping the guys loose. I like to mess around with the guys while maintaining a serious persona. I pick my times to be joking around, but when I need to be hard on someone, I am.”
The leadership from upperclassmen has been crucial as the Maroons’ roster consists of 19 freshmen. Because of the leadership from the upperclassmen, the freshmen understand the reputation the Maroons have and are working hard to make sure their reputation is upheld. Freshman Josh Dawson has “embraced the pressure.”
“Since the beginning of the season we have believed, without a doubt, we are the best team in the nation. As an underclassman, the upperclassmen have helped us develop and understand not to take anything for granted,” Dawson said.
April is a month packed with action for the Maroons baseball team, and there are many chances for you to head over to Kiwanis Field to support and cheer them on. The Maroons are hosting Virginia Wesleyan for a double header this Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m
