Isaac Choi
Junior Sports Editor
Statesman Varsity baseball currently has a 8-15 record and is beginning the season with a hope of continuing its recent success and rallying around the leadership of the upperclassmen.
In the 2024 season, Webster was a runner-up in the State final. The coaches and players agreed there was much celebration though it, but now it is the beginning of a new season and time to look forward.
“We play a unique, aggressive style of baseball. We emphasize the [stealing] bases a lot, but the kids are great and have found a way to work it out,” assistant Varsity Coach Jacob Clark said about some struggles of beginning the season.
“Last year we had the State run, and now with the seniors coming back, and they’re bringing leadership, we have a great group of juniors, and like I said before, we play a different style, but these kids know how to work together on that,” Clark said.
The Statesman finish as the State runner up was their best ever, the players use that recent success as a motive.
Head Coach David Wiggins said, “Our current seniors experienced the fight, the intensity, and the joys/heartbreak of finishing as runner up, and it’s led to an insatiable hunger amongst the group to do whatever it takes to return to the playoffs this spring.”
Additionally, the players expressed excitement to begin again with the season.
Senior Shota Ishiyama said, “I like everything about [baseball]. It just feels good, you know, hitting the bat, sliding into bases. I just love it.”
Ishiyama additionally said, “I can do everything at a competitive level.”and said he can balance baseball with his personal life.
The team also has games it has circled on the schedule.
“You know Kirkwood of course. We always want to beat them, and that game is a rivalry. It’s in Ballwin; it’s in the bright lights,” Clark said about the Kirkwood game on May 2.
Clark said he knows that the season schedule is tough, but he likes the challenge it brings.
Baseball has a long season from the end of March to late May, and about the struggles that may arise, Clark said, “We have a great group of kids, and I know that they’re going to communicate any problems to us, and you know we know that we just have to keep going.”
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