First inning and the Sto Rox pitcher winds up. The ball leaves his hand at a speed of roughly 75 miles per hour and it flies smoothly to the bat of Riley Schwertz. With as much force as he can muster, Schwertz launches the ball into center field, where it settles in front of the fence. That’s a double for Schwertz. The team’s excitement begins to build. They finish off the game strong, beating Sto Rox 15 to nothing. Riley Schwertz isn’t the only one inspiring the team. While playing against South Fayette, Senior Francis O’Connor nails a ball over the fence, not only getting a home run, but a grand slam. “Hitting a grand slam was the best feeling ever because it turned out to be the game winner, which makes it that much more special,” O’Connor said. This was the first of the season, reminding the team of Junior Sam Beckey’s last year. After five months of preparation and practice, the boys’ baseball team is back and hitting hard. With Coach Dan O’Leary back again for his second year as the head coach, after seven years of being the assistant coach, the boys are ready to dominate. The team is no stranger to playoffs. Unfortunately they lost in the first round last year, but they won’t let history repeat itself. The nine seniors have made it their goal to make playoffs and go all the way to win their section. The team has been preparing since November, and “absolutely” is the only answer the team gave when asked about making it to states. Senior Zeke Stroupe says that it’s expected for them to make playoffs; that’s how they were raised. “[Playoffs are] a big deal,” Junior Zach Keller said. The underclassmen are dedicated to winning sections for the seniors this year. “They’ve [the seniors] worked really hard and they deserve it. They have the talent to do it, and there is no reason why they can’t,” Freshman Andrew Baker said. Before every game, the boys take a knee and listen to a brief pep talk from their coaches. Immediately after, the coaches also take a knee and together they recite the Lord’s Prayer. “1, 2, 3 Win” and “1, 2, 3, Run,” are famous count offs the team will do together first before the game and then while the opposing team’s pitcher is warming up. The boys are determined to make it all the way this year, and they hope to see everyone out, rooting them on to victory.