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VYPE U: Porter Baseball Hopes to Reach the Post Season
Jan 27, 2021
Baseball culture has changed over the years at Porter. While being one of the most successful programs time after time, it has proven itself. The season was cut short due to COVID last year, but no one will forget the 2019 season. The Spartans made a huge impact on the community and put P-Town on the map. The boys went three rounds deep in the playoffs but, unfortunately, lost to Georgetown in a crazy nail-biting 14 inning game.
"The 2021 Porter Spartans take the field this year with desire, passion, and enthusiasm," Head Coach Wayne Ralph said. "We have lost some key players and leaders from last year's squad but have eager players ready to prove themselves and fill those roles. This year's team has a lot of talented athletes which will make us competitive every time we take the field."
<p> With a solid group of returning players, it will be a great season and may even be on the road to State. Key players who will contribute to the season are Conner Westenberg, Seth Sherlock, Jake Tatom, and Zane Adams. According to Coach Ralph, every member of the squad will play a vital role in this season. With young talent and with a lot of returning players with varsity experience, it will definitely be a season to remember.</p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p> Westenberg announced his commitment to play Division I baseball at McNeese this past summer. In his sophomore and junior season, he had one error in the outfield and has been the Porter Baseball Defensive Player of the Year both years. Make sure to keep an eye out for him in the outfield.</p><p> Another player behind the plate will be catcher Seth Sherlock. He announced his commitment to Alvin Community College this summer as well. He has been on the varsity team as a catcher for Porter since his freshman season. While it may be his last season as a Spartan, he will definitely be someone to keep an eye out for.</p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>Next, we have junior Jake Tatom. He made his first-ever appearance during the playoffs in the 2019 season for Zane Russell at shortstop. We didn't get to see much of Tatom last season, due to COVID. However, he announced his commitment to play Division I baseball at Sam Houston State University, where previous teammate Coltin Atkinson is currently playing. </p><p> Lastly, Sophomore Zane Adams will be making his appearance this season. As the only freshman joining the team last season, he's definitely been putting in the work. The pitcher verbally committed to the University of Alabama. As his freshman season was cut short, we'll be able to watch the Alabama commit grow. </p><p> The seniors have been leading by example in the offseason. They are always trying to e better and find room for improvement in every area to be the best in their ability.</p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>"They want to leave their legacy in the program like teams in the past have," said Coach Ralph.</p><p>Head Coach Ralph is definitely excited for the start of the season. He tries to focus on the players and the program to try and create an environment where they can grow as individuals and most importantly as a team. With a new district, it will be challenging but they are ready to take and prepare for every game. The Porter Spartans will be taking on West Side High School at their very own Spartan Yard on March 2nd to kick off the start of the season. This will also be the first home game. The boys are eager to finally get the ball rolling, so make sure to come out and support them as they make history this season.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUzNjI2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDUzOTQ0M30.-VlRc_lVLAw_Bojf98ZK2w2HTV2iTodlpQq0BQ0GRJA/img.jpg?width=980" id="4d90e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="897b82c64707c524f941566285934212" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="1280" />
<p>Catcher Seth Sherlock, throws the ball in a scrimmage last season.</p>
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SJ Baseball Seniors pose in front of their home dugout.
MC Walker Photography
VYPE U: Strake Jesuit Baseball looks to start 2021 with a bang
Jan 26, 2021
On March 13th, 2020, The UIL, the governing body for hundreds of school-sponsored athletic competitions, let out a statement that changed the lives of so many young athletes. The statement originally postponed athletic events until March 29, 2020, but as we know, the true volume and risk of COVID-19 was severely underestimated. While most sports were able to play full seasons, the Strake Jesuit Baseball team only played a handful of games.
When asked what their first reaction was to the cancellation of games by the UIL, current SJ players all look back on that time wondering what could have been. Senior Cameron Holy said that he was disappointed because "we believed we would make it far into the playoffs and be one of the best teams Strake ever had.".
<p>Holy had a reason to believe that the 2020 team had a chance to go down as an all-time great team in SJ Athletics history. At the time that games were originally canceled, the Crusaders were looking to keep their hot streak going with a win in an afternoon game against Clear Brook at Markle Steel Baseball Field. At that point, The Crusaders were dominating every single one of their games, outscoring their first five opponents 51-4. The squad was led by pitcher Drew Leach, who now plays for the University of Baylor, as well as dual-sport standout Dylan Campbell, who is expected to start at the collegiate level as an infielder for the Texas Longhorns alongside another former Crusader, Zach Zubia '16. Both Drew and Dylan, as well as the rest of the seniors on the team, played their last high school game just days before in a tournament game against Edinburg on March 6th.</p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>To say that it was a difficult offseason would be an understatement; countless postponements, Zoom meetings, home practices, and a whole lot of waiting is what the Crusaders had to deal with over the course of the last 10 months. Senior Connor Bartlett said "The biggest difficulty was definitely staying active. It was hard to go out and work because a lot of places were closed for a while…", referring to city and state-mandated shutdowns related to COVID-19. </p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>While Strake Jesuit started their school year in August with fully online classes, and then eventually to a hybrid model weeks later, offseason programs for sports like baseball were still postponed until further notice. Junior Nick Sullo recalls the first time he remembered meeting with the entire team in person since March, saying "I believe it was a few days or maybe the day that Strake [Jesuit administrators] said it was okay to go to school fully", that was in late October.</p><p> Flash forward to now, January 2021, the Crusaders have hit the ground running with team workouts, lifts, and full practices. The team is optimistic that they can keep up the momentum that they had nearly a year ago, even with some fresh faces. One of those fresh faces is Junior Jake Vobbe, a Long Beach State commit who recently transferred from Episcopal High School. Right when he joined the team, Jake realized how great of a group he was joining, especially the teammates that are also in the Class of 2022, as he said "Our junior class at Jesuit is extremely exciting. We have guys all over the board. We already have 3 Division I commits and others going through the recruiting process right now.".</p><p><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-9787720712654893" data-ad-slot="8738871937" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
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</script></p><p>As Jake noted, he is not the only college committed player on the team. Both Garrett Stratton and Trey Duffield will play for the Rice Owls after they graduate from SJ in 2022. Just like many of his teammates, Garrett has extremely high expectations for the Crusaders this year, as he said "We think we have what it takes to compete for a district title.". He also recognizes that the recent UIL realignment changes who they play during the season, but he says that it "...doesn't change our process. We're excited to see some new teams, but the goal is the same.".</p><p>The Crusaders will start their season off with a scrimmage against Cy Fair on Saturday, February 6th at Markle Steel Baseball Field in front of a socially distanced crowd. If you are unable to attend SJ athletic games this year, but would still like to catch the games from the comfort of your home, make sure to subscribe to SJET News on YouTube for all of the streams presented by student-led Crusader Sports Network.</p>
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