Photo by Gurnoor Kaur

Senior Noah Parker pitches at last season’s Apr. 23 varsity game against Churchill.

As baseball season approaches in less than 100 days, senior Arjun Ram is stepping up to the plate one last time. Ram was born in Gaithersburg and was first introduced to baseball when his basketball coach recommended he play for his little league team in fourth grade. Ram said, “It was youth baseball so we mostly rotated around but I primarily played infield and pitcher. It was a great experience and led me to play all this time.”

Ram looks forward to the upcoming season with a promising record ahead and a fun season. Every baseball season is long-awaited and has supporters who come to the games and cheer the team on. Ram said, “I think we can do very well this year and hopefully win games and create lifelong memories.”

Though baseball is a fun sport to watch and play, it requires a lot of skill. Players struggle with confidence issues on the field and perform their best under pressure. Being mentally fit to play is just as important as being physically fit to play, both are essential to success on the field. Ram undergoes harsh conditioning during pre-season on top of weightlifting. This prepares the players for future games and improves their stamina. Ram said, “I would say the hardest part of it is staying in the game not only physically but mentally, players are constantly challenged. But overall being physically fit is also very important, you got to have good stamina to stay on the field and not get tired during the game.”

Injuries are frequent on the team, the most common being shoulder and elbow injuries. These injuries can take away a player’s progress and in the worst cases their entire season. This affects the entire team as a whole and the season could be shifted because of it. Ram has met wonderful friends from the team and made long-lasting friendships and memories that he will remember for years. Ram said, “I’ve met many of my new friends through baseball and the season is always a blast. For my final season, I want to play the best I possibly can, and I want to beat Churchill.”

The team is made up of friendships, inside jokes, and laughter. To raise money the team holds a fundraiser every year before the start of the season. Last year was at Leidos Pizza at the Travilah Square Shopping Center. The team raises money so they can afford to buy different equipment throughout the year and have the traditional end-of-the-season banquet. The goal for this season is to beat Churchill and the record from the previous season, on top of training many of the underclassmen to become varsity athletes to replace the large number of seniors graduating.