The Marshfield High School baseball preseason is over and they are climbing up the the top. The team is practicing every weekday, working hard to improve–and they are ranked 15th out of 31 teams, with 10 wins and only 7 losses.
“I wanna get far in the playoffs,” said senior player Ryder Easton. “We haven’t really gotten far in the playoffs in a long time in baseball, and so my goal is to get at least two rounds in the playoffs.”
At MHS, teams that make it into the coveted state competitions get to hang a banner in the main gym, marking their success for future generations of pirates to see.
“I wanna try winning a league championship,” said senior player Joseph Herbert. “And make it pretty deep into the playoffs and see if we go get a state championship.”
As senior players, Easton and Herbert set the tone for the team. Easton plays third base and pitcher; Herbert plays second base and outfield. They have both been playing baseball since they were in kindergarten, and hope to continue playing after high school. Herbert has already committed to Simpson University in Redding, Calif.
”I’m trying to find a college to play for, and see where I can go from there,” said Easton.
The Marshfield baseball team’s coach is Toby Ridenour, who graduated from North Bend High School in 2008. He returned to the area after serving in the armed forces.
“He’s pretty chill,” said Easton. “We’ve had him for two years; he’s a really cool guy. He knows baseball, so I like him as a coach.”
Ridenour played baseball on the bulldog’s team when he was younger. He knows what it is like to play on a team, and knows how to spot good players.
“ He just plays whoever is the best so it doesn’t matter who you are,” said Herbert. “If you are good, you get to play.”
Easton and Herbert are both extremely athletic, and run on the MHS track team simultaneously with playing baseball in the springtime. Both sports practice at different times, so it allows for multi-sport athletes to hone their skills.
“It’s kind of a lot, but it’s been fun,” said Herbert on playing two sports at once. “I like track and baseball. The people are awesome.”
Like all sports, baseball is not a stranger to challenges. Unlike indoor sports, baseball is dependent on the weather. It’s difficult to play when the field is muddy, and everything gets slippery when it is moist outside.
”It’s based on the weather,” said Herbert. “In basketball you can play anytime. It’s also really long [baseball]. You can strike out and have to wait another three innings. If you miss a shot in basketball you can go play defense, but in baseball you can’t really do that”.
The MHS baseball team is fighting to earn all of their wins and will continue to fight. Coach Ridenour tries his best to keep the excitement in the game, so players don’t get burned out.
”It’s slow in a way but it’s also really mental,” said Easton. “There’s no sports that are completely like baseball; there’s something about it that is so fun to play.”
