A wise old man once said, “practice makes permanent, not perfect.” In other words, Cape High’s baseball team has an optimistic outlook regarding the “permanent” trajectory of the spring 2024 season. They have devised an efficient game plan and are determined to fight relentlessly, in spite of the unfavorable odds.
The previous 2023 season gave the team a fair winning record of 6-17-2, with a calculated 28.00 percent winning percentage. They placed 6th in the district out of 7 teams, setting them relatively low on the leaderboard.
At the end of the day, the top sports teams are built upon fundamentals. Any experienced student-athlete understands that errors stemming from fundamental mistakes may seem negligible, but could actually cost games. The baseball team may stand a chance against well-seasoned teams if they minimize minor errors.
The team wants to optimize their time by honing their fielding skills. “We’re averaging seven errors a game, which is one per inning,” explained coach Michael Gorton, “which if you’re doing that you’re not going to win too many baseball games.” Coach Gorton believes that fortifying their defensive game would secure the team deserved wins.
In addition to practical skills, the team intends to form a stronger, mutual bond with one another. According to Senior Joshua Hicks, “The goals are to just bond better as a team. Definitely [to] be more uniform with each other.”
The majority of the baseball team is composed of underclassmen with great potential. Coach Gorton clarifies this by stating, “six out of nine players are our sophomores.” This means there are a lot of young players on the starting lineup who are getting sufficient reps and conditioning.
The baseball team strives to earn more wins by fine-tuning their performance in the 2024 season. According to Sophomore Chris Roessner, “we have a lot of games this season, so I’m hoping we can do better than last year.” The team aims to bounce back stronger than the last season.
The most enticing games for people to catch are located within Cape Coral. These games are big for the team, as they shall be challenged proximity schools such as Mariner H.S., Ida Baker H.S., Island Coast H.S., and North Fort Myers HS.
The team has set their sights on a few distinct players. Roessner stated, “Brian Calderon and Justin Czerniak are probably our most essential players.” These players have proven to be valuable assets through their plethora of in-game experiences.
Adopting a growth-mindset, The team foresees future growth as the season progresses. Coach Gorton thinks there will be improvement “Maybe not in the win or loss column, but just for the simple fact of getting a little bit better.”
Although many find winning games to be a delightful reward, the team’s ultimate priority is to have an enjoyable season. Sophomore Moses Castellanos looks forward to “playing my position, short-stop.”
Looking at the 2024 season, the baseball team is off to a rather rough start with their 0-6 record. However, Hicks firmly believes that “it’ll definitely even out as we get better and we know each other more.”
The baseball team refuses to back down from opposition and proceeds to face them head-on. According to Castellanos, “We need to beat them this year.” They will keep their heads held high regardless of what challenges lie ahead.
