The Summit Jaguar’s pitcher took a deep breath and prepared to throw a fastball to senior center fielder Marcus Perez. As fast as the pitch was thrown Perez sent it flying over the fence, and, as he rounded the diamond, he cheered and smiled while crossing the plate to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The tense game went back and forth, ultimately won 5-3 by the Broncos. With 15 hits in the game, Legacy took a big step toward achieving a district championship.
Senior pitcher Cole Hearrean leads a 3-0 record against Red Oak’s baseball team, as well as Ennis and the, Bronco’s rival, Summit. Senior pitcher Blake Wilson also threw two wins against Waxahachie and Seguin, which brought his record to 2-0 also. The Broncos now have a 6-0 lead in district.
“I have a great defense behind me,” Wilson said. “I just have to focus on throwing strikes and let my defense work.”
During spring break, the Broncos started district with two wins on March 11 against Red Oak and March 14 against Waxahachie. The break didn’t stop the Broncos from practicing and getting better. Junior outfielder Chad Watkins expressed the importance of the extra practice time during spring break.
“We have to take advantage of the extra practice time during the break so we can be ready for district and the playoffs,” Watkins said. “We know that teams tend to lose focus and relax during spring break and we can’t let that happen.”
Head baseball Coach David Walden saw his team’s superior ability during a long offseason, and knew that they could do better than their 8-8 start through 16 games over three pre-season tournaments. Meant as a warmup for district play, the tournaments played in Weatherford, Fort Worth, and Legacy High School gave the Broncos and Coach Walden an idea of what the team needed to improve on. By Preaching relaxation and having fun, Walden spurred a 5-0 season start with 34 total Legacy runs scored through the five games.
“We wouldn’t be doing so good without all of our offseason work,” junior Dalton Dunn said. “The workouts were hard, but it was all worth it.”
More accustomed to 4-0 starts and district championships, the Broncos feel good about their season so far and everything done in preparation for each individual game. With a strong lineup and a great mindset, each player readies himself for the great season ahead and yet another trip to the prestigious playoffs. While an 8-8 record may be fine for some teams, a record like that can’t be accepted among the Broncos, a team with a legacy of winning records and playoff runs.
“When the tournaments started we were playing tight, and we were scared to make a mistake,” senior Sam Mahofski said. “When we relaxed and just let go, we started playing a lot better and winning, which is what’s really fun.”