baseball story

This year the baseball team is facing a challenge they have not faced in a few years. That is trying to compete in the Lake conference with very little experience in the field. As the season is starting to come to a close they are starting to peak at the right time.
“This team has had a few setbacks this season due to injuries with numerous players and others not being able to play because of weekend activities” says pitcher Nick Dolsky. Guys have stepped up and filled those roles in nicely and they include Taylor Brandstad and Matt Galoway. “Taylor Brandstad has just been on a tear since he came up to varsity midway through the season” says Mike Barry. He plays a really steady outfield for a sophomore and his bat fits nicely in the five hole. He already has two home runs this season and one of them was a grand slam.
Key injuries this season were Mike Barry who broke his thumb trying to rob a foul ball in practice. He has been out the entire season and was just cleared to play last weekend. Nick Dolsky was another loss to are team in the second half of our season. He was diagnosed with an inflamed collar bone. He was soon declared out for the rest of the season. “Having those two guys out for part of the season at the same time has been a challenge, but players have persevered through it” says Peter Zukanoff.
Sections are coming up and this team is showing they will be able to compete heavily has the competition gets harder. One challenge this team is up against is the lack of experience. Only two other guys on the team played varsity last year so their leadership is huge. Nick Dolsky says “our team chemistry is extremely good and we play very well together.” That is what this team will need as they try to make moves deeper into playoffs.
“This team is really looking forward to section play and hopefully moving on to the state tournament” stated Peter Zukonoff. Last year they were one game away from making it to state but they fell just short to Rosemount. This team is working hard to try and not let that happen this season. This season the team that is favored in our section is Lakeville North. They have proven they are one of the best teams in the state and will try to prove that in the state tournament unless Eastview has something to do with it.
One of the catalysts on this team is Pat Oneill. He has played several positions this season to fill in spots and has done a great job. His above average arm has helped him out a lot. His bat is one of the best on the teams and has shown it with his average. Cody Groskreutz has played a huge second base for us this season as only a junior. He bats in the three hole and his bat has just been steady. For a three hitter he doesn’t have much power but he consistently hits singles.
As most of the seniors approach the end of their baseball careers they are looking to go out with a bang. In order to make that happen they are going to have to maintain the mentality they had at the beginning of the season because it is a long season and it is hard to stay focused. Sections start this Friday and everyone is looking forward to a great playoff.