Boys baseball has had an excellent season thus far. With a team record of 16-5 and a league record of 8-2, they have already clinched a spot in the CIF playoffs. Only three more regular season games remain. Two of them are against Providence on April 23 and 25. The final game will be played at Burbank on April 27. With a strong core of seniors led by captains Elliott Rowley, Henry McDonald, Sean Asperger and Luke Kim, the team looks poised for a deep CIF run.
McDonald and Asperger have led the team in batting average this year with 0.490 and 0.463 respectively. McDonald is also the team’s catcher, where he has been invaluable. Asperger, on the other hand, has led the team with an astounding 7 home runs. Rowley is the team’s lead pitcher, with an excellent ERA of 1.70. Underclassmen players have stepped up as well.
Rowley said, “The team is really playing together. Everyone is stepping up. Freshman Caiden Kennedy is having a great freshman season; he is leading the team with the least strikeouts. Harrison has stepped up in a big way at third base. The energy in the dugout is electric and the whole team is playing with passion. This is the best team I’ve been on in high school and a great way to finish my poly career.”
This sentiment of appreciation for young players stepping up has characterized the whole team, not just Rowley. McDonald commented, “Underclassmen have stepped up, we have performed pretty well overall this year. Our pitchers have been a strong point of our team and have consistently thrown a lot of strikes.” Rowley has certainly been a standout pitcher, but other pitchers such as sophomore Ollie Marks, junior Connor Poon and senior Chase Engstrom have contributed as well.
The team’s positive attitude has propelled the team to success. Head coach Wayne Lovett said, “We’re playing for each other and keeping things simple and fun. We’ve reduced the stress level which has led to a more relaxed but focused team. This journey is a player-powered, coach-guided endeavor… and Dr. Chavez has helped with the mental approach we’ve taken as a coaching staff.” The players have been playing loose but playing hard. Their passion and love for the game have set them apart, having allowed them to consistently improve and dominate their competition. Their depth of young players also projects a bright future, and we as the Poly community can not wait to see what is in store for the rest of this year and future years.
