After last year’s season was cancelled due to the pandemic, Chaminade Baseball has returned. The team began its 26-game regular season on March 20th, where they faced Parkway West in a doubleheader. It was the first game for a Chaminade baseball team since May 14th, 2019, when Varsity fell to Kirkwood in the District Semifinals.

Despite the long pause, the team has been working hard all winter. Senior Captain, Jack Weber, says, “We have guys that have been training all year round. We started working out for this season after the first of the year. We would try to get outside every time the weather allowed for us.” Weber, who committed to SLU for baseball back in June, is the leader of the team, and adds that, “Having a turf field has been beneficial in our off-season training.” The field has allowed the team to get much needed work in preparation for this season.

This year’s team is much younger than in the past, as last year’s cancelled season resulted in guys not getting Varsity playing time. Weber, along with first baseman Carson Glynn, are the only players that have Varsity experience going into this season. “I am excited about our team this year. We have a great group of guys that are ready to get out on the field and play. We have a young team this year because we lost our season last year, but it will be a fun ride and I can’t wait to see what we can do,” says Weber.

The team will be playing a lot of games at home this year, with 17 of the 26 contests being played at the lovely Isaak Field. “Playing at home is very special, as we have one of the nicest fields in all of St. Louis”, says Sam Chiburis, who is another Senior pitcher for the Red Devils. He adds, “Not only is it one of the coolest looking fields, but I feel like our teams have always played better at home, whether cause we are familiar with it or because more people are cheering us on.”

As previously mentioned, the team began their season with a doubleheader against Parkway West. Despite losing both games, Chiburis says, “We didn’t get the results we wanted, but one of the games could have gone either way, while the other was lost due to mental mistakes that can easily be fixed.” Those mistakes were definitely addressed, as the team turned around and beat a talented John Burroughs team just four days later. They defeated the Bombers 3-0, and Senior Will Higgins led the way with a complete game shutout.

As the season progresses, Weber wants the team to have as much fun as possible and play with a lot of passion. “My message to the guys so far has been to always keep a positive attitude. There is no reason for any of us to not get excited for a game, especially since we lost our season last year. Each game is a new opportunity to play a game we all love, and in order to be successful, we are going to need everyone to chip in, which starts with having that passion for the game”, says the captain.

The team begins a stretch of six games in seven days, with the first one coming against MICDS. It will take place on Friday, the 26th of March at home.