As the baseball season finishes up, seniors are attempting to leave the season in a way they will remember forever. Leaving nothing unsaid or undone is important as the team strives to find success heading into sectionals, even though the season has not gone the way they all wished.
This season means a lot to the team for many reasons.
“It really hits home because both my parents graduated from Warren, and just being able to lead a team that my family has been around for so long means a lot,” senior Ethan Hickman said.
The seniors on this year's team have had many years of experience behind themselves. They have played not only in Warren Central uniforms, but many have also played baseball for years prior to their freshman year.
“I have dedicated my life to the game the last few years,” senior John Rivers said. “I have played varsity my junior and senior year.”
Coaches this year have worked with athletes to make sure that their senior year is their breakout year. With early season injuries, though, not every senior will be able to finish the season out. Third baseman Sam Wellman went down with a fractured eye socket after taking a ball to the face in a warm up against North Central. Despite not being able to finish the season out, Wellman has been at every game cheering his teammates on and supporting them in both wins and losses.
Similarly to Wellman’s injury, catcher Xavier Ott collided at the plate with pitcher Anthony Dennison, leaving Ott concussed. However, unlike Wellman, Ott did return back to the field in order to finish the season strong.
With five games left in the season before sectionals, the Warriors look to turn their record around and beat competitive teams like Whiteland and Greenfield Central.
“The team has found success in putting the ball in play at times, but we have failed at timing hits with runners in scoring positions and in the field as well,” senior Keith Jackson said.
Even though the Warriors do realize that these will be tough games, the team has prepared all season and seen the level of competition ahead before. This also helps the team recognize the competition come sectionals.
“The hope when facing tough competition is to go out and give it all we have to have a shot at winning, but so far against tough competition we just have one bad inning and it all goes downhill,” Jackson said.
Despite the struggles during the season, seniors are ready for sectionals and are going into the tournament hopeful for a positive outcome.
“I would like to end the season strong,” Jackson said. “We started off pretty slow, but I feel we are right there to get over onto the winning side.”