Baseball hits it big
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Emily Light
May 26, 2010
Filed under Sports, Student Life
Ha hoo weah hee hah ho ho ho! Ha hoo wah hee hah ho ho ho! Anyone who has seen “Finding Nemo” will recognize this as the chant from the Ring of Fire scene. The East Meck baseball team has its own Ring of Fire. Its purpose? To bring the bats alive, and help the team hit better.
This ritual was performed before the Providence game when the teams was 0-4 in conference. It was something to focus and excite the team.
“Since then the team has been able to score,” said Coach Clinton Koppe.
The fire was lit and the team was 6-6 in the toughest conference in the state.
Besides the Ring of Fire, the coaching staff has also been big part of the team’s success. In addition to being coaches, Andrew Carpenter, John Reisterer, Wendell Robertson and Koppe all served as mentors for the team.
“Coach Koppe is a great role model for us idiots on the team,” joked junior Louis Trosch.
During practice, coaches work on individual problems so that the players can work better as a team. The team had two main goals: to “hit the ground running,” and to become State Champions. The team definitely hit the ground running, as it is quickly climbed to the Sweet Sixteen.
“I stay positive, push them when needed, practice what is needed, and I try not to kill them,” said Koppe.
The team has gotten older, stronger, smarter and more experienced throughout the years. Many of the players have been lettermen since their freshman year.
“We have grown in skill level, we understand the game more, and we play better as a team,” said senior Nick Harding.
Last season’s record was 10-14-2. The team entered this year with a goal of a 20 win season. Only 5 games from their original goal, the team leaves the season with a record of 15-8.
The team lost in the first round of playoffs with a 5-3 loss to Hopewell. Key players in the game were senior Olen Little, who had a double, and junior David Daniels, who had two homeruns.
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