"Stellar"- Ames baseball on the rise
After starting the season 0-4, many teams would simply try to break even. But Ames baseball has other plans. "We're gonna win every game the rest of the season," junior catcher Toran Shahidi informed TWIST. While he and the others interviewed (Joe Bappe, junior first baseman, and Brian Pierce, senior shortstop) agree this may be a lofty goal, no one can fault their enthusiasm.
Working through a difficult start is no simple task, but there was no one thing that helped the team turn it around. "We just kept working hard at it, and good things happened," said Shahidi.
"We played every team really close for the most part, so we knew we were right there," added Bappe. "We just had to have a few extra things go our way."
Regularly scoring total runs in the double digits, Pierce attributes this to the aggressive mentality of the team at the plate. "Everybody... expects the ball to be there, and puts a good hit on it," which has led to 38 hits in the past three games.
Ames seems to be hitting their stride, though, after recently beating Boone and splitting in a doubleheader with Marshalltown. Part of this may be due to school recently getting out. All three players agreed that, compared to sports played during the school year, summer sports are more relaxed and easier to focus on. "There's less conflicts, and... you can focus on practice a lot more because you're not tired after school," said Pierce.
Added Bappe, "There's more opportunity to practice on your own too, because you're not restricted by school."
As the season continues, staying mentally ready to play is key, no matter the situation. To do so, Pierce said they must "Stay rested, eat food, find a happy place- we can get through anything."
Whether or not Ames achieves the season-long winning streak the plan to end on, they are a "really good team," as Pierce said- or in a word, according to Shahidi, "Stellar." With a team this dedicated, who could disagree?
Working through a difficult start is no simple task, but there was no one thing that helped the team turn it around. "We just kept working hard at it, and good things happened," said Shahidi.
"We played every team really close for the most part, so we knew we were right there," added Bappe. "We just had to have a few extra things go our way."
Regularly scoring total runs in the double digits, Pierce attributes this to the aggressive mentality of the team at the plate. "Everybody... expects the ball to be there, and puts a good hit on it," which has led to 38 hits in the past three games.
Ames seems to be hitting their stride, though, after recently beating Boone and splitting in a doubleheader with Marshalltown. Part of this may be due to school recently getting out. All three players agreed that, compared to sports played during the school year, summer sports are more relaxed and easier to focus on. "There's less conflicts, and... you can focus on practice a lot more because you're not tired after school," said Pierce.
Added Bappe, "There's more opportunity to practice on your own too, because you're not restricted by school."
As the season continues, staying mentally ready to play is key, no matter the situation. To do so, Pierce said they must "Stay rested, eat food, find a happy place- we can get through anything."
Whether or not Ames achieves the season-long winning streak the plan to end on, they are a "really good team," as Pierce said- or in a word, according to Shahidi, "Stellar." With a team this dedicated, who could disagree?
All baseball photo credit to Hannah Mumm