The Barstow baseball team returns with new players and a new mentality.
With winter sports ending, spring sports are taking off. One of the most exciting examples is the Barstow co-ed baseball team.
The team is coached by Matt Thurman, an Upper School math teacher, and Sean Holmes, the Middle and Upper School video editing and BTVN teacher. Both have coached the squad for many years, demonstrating a strong sense of dedication and passion for the team.
Mr. Thurman has been especially outspoken about his excitement going into this season saying, “Everything about it [the team] is new…so we’ve basically started from scratch to revamp everything with a new attitude, and it’s going to have, hopefully, a very positive result.”
The team has leapt into physical preparation for the season. Michael Yagan ‘24, a freshman on the team, explains that, “We have practices 6 out of 7 days a week, and on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. We have morning workouts as well.”
Eight out of the 14 team members are freshmen, who all made their debut performance at a home game on April 1. Unfortunately, the team suffered a resounding loss against Summit Christian Academy, Barstow losing 0-17. Connor Lucido ‘24, another freshman player, describes Summit as the “team to beat” and hopes to once again face them and win. Yagan continues, saying that they will “bounce back” at the next game and will only improve throughout the quarter.
On top of the myriad of practices this season, many of the freshman players have been on a baseball team together before the start of their Barstow career. The team, called Band of Brothers, is run by Barstow alumnus Sean Hart ‘87, and includes his son Alex Hart ‘24, Lucido, Yagan, and others. “We know each other,” explains Yagan, “And that, I think, will help us.”
The freshmen, however, are not the only people on the team. The squad has six upperclassmen players, quite a few of which have been on the team for multiple years now. Even though a fresh set of players can be beneficial, Yagan adds that, “We will be able to build off of each other and the upperclassmen, so it will be a good mix.”
More important than any win or loss is the sense of fraternity that sports can create, as well as a sportsmanlike attitude, no matter the result of the game. Yagan says that the coaches have been instrumental in creating a “winning mindset,” and the Barstow community only grows more excited to see just how far this baseball team can go.
For more information on how to attend the baseball games, visit the Barstow Athletics website.
