By Derrick Smith

The grass is beginning to grow back and there is warmth in the air. Spring is here and that means baseball season is upon us. The new season brings new hopes and expectations, and for the Dibble Demons it brings a new head coach. Sam Hayden takes over a team that went 12-16 last season, but he has high expectations for his players.

“I expect every player on the baseball team, junior high or high school, to play the game with the utmost passion,” coach Hayden stated. “Dibble baseball will play the game as hard as possible, with great sportsmanship, and the desire to win on and off the baseball field.”

Trey Ott, who is a freshman member of the Demons, says that while last season did not end the way they wanted, the team is ready to bounce back after putting in a lot of work in the offseason.

“Last season was tough for Dibble baseball,” he said. “But we just hired a new coach that has a lot of experience with baseball so I think we should be a lot better this year. We have prepared ourselves this off-season by hitting and fielding every day and by getting our arms in shape for this season.”

Senior Eli Rimer knows that successful seasons don’t just fall into place, but they are earned and he says he has done his part to be his best.

“We are never guaranteed a good season, but with the right work ethic and a good attitude, we have the opportunity to make this new season great and memorable,” Rimer said. “Last year I really struggled with my pitching and it was a major setback that I worked hard to overcome. All of my hard work has paid off.”

The changes that the team has made will make a big difference this season according to freshman Austin Maddox.

“We have a new coach and we also got a couple of new players with experience as far as the talent. We’re good but we always have to show up to play on the field.”