Photo by Tyler Buzy

Senior Lucas Sossa is at bat against Poolesville. “Our coaches encourage us to make mistakes because it means we are stepping outside of our comfort zone,” Sossa said.

After the baseball preseason ends, upperclassmen reflect on their previous seasons to be prepared for this year.
Senior Lucas Sossa is one of the most experienced players in the baseball program, having been on the team for four seasons. The coaching staff and his teammates have helped him advance his skill level, and he has become a more well-rounded person as well. “Whenever we fall down, coaches and teammates are there to pick us back up,” Sossa said.

The preseason included a 10-8 loss against Blair, followed by a 6-4 loss against Northwest, a 9-7 win against Walkersville, and finally a 13-2 victory over Seneca Valley. Following the preseason, the team played their first game on Mar. 21, winning 7-3.
Since he is playing in his final season, Sossa is not just looking for a flashy record. “I want to help bring the team together more and make sure we always keep our energy up,” Sossa said.

Throughout the past three seasons, Sherwood has been one of the most successful teams in MCPS, which has caught Sossa’s attention. “I look forward to playing Sherwood most. They’ve been back-to-back-to-back state champs, but we haven’t played them in my previous three years,” Sossa said.

Junior Luke Brunner is also one of the more experienced players in the program, having played his freshman year on junior varsity and his sophomore year on varsity as a pitcher. He enjoys the challenges that come with being a pitcher, arguably the hardest position in the sport. “The reason I play [as a pitcher] is because of the difficulty it takes to become good at it,” Brunner said.

As a pitcher, Brunner seeks to improve his throwing velocity and mechanics. Although he has put a great deal of time and effort into becoming a better pitcher, he also looks forward to spending time building his mental fortitude. “My goal this season on the mental side is to learn how to deal with adversity because we have a very competitive schedule this year,” Brunner said.

Freshman Keon Gray has just begun his journey in the baseball program, having made junior varsity. “Quince Orchard is the game I’m looking forward to [most] because I know the coach and a few players and it will be fun to play against them,” Gray said.

Gray has diversified his abilities, both by playing catcher, and being a third baseman. Even though playing third base is relatively new to him, he already has found a passion for the position. “I’d like to develop more skills as a third baseman. I just started at third and I’m already pretty good. I would like to change my primary position to third after this season,” Gray said.

Although this is Gray’s first season in high school baseball, he is aware of the friendships he has yet to build by playing for the team. “This season I want to develop strong bonds with my teammates. I am excited to have the team as a second family almost,” Gray said.

Gray’s time with the team has been short so far, as the preseason recently ended. However, the coaches have already left an impact on Gray. “The coaches definitely have helped with [my] character development. They are very supportive and give [me] constructive criticism and they help [me] become strong physically and mentally,” Gray said.