The Bison baseball team looks to get back into the swing of things as the 2015 season gets underway. The team had a memorable start when they headed down to Tampa during spring break to play teams from all across the United States.

“Playing in Florida over break was an awesome experience,” junior Joey Pinakidis said. “We had a lot of time to sharpen our baseball skills and there were also a ton of opportunities for team bonding, like when we went to a Yankees spring training game.”

Not only did the trip bolster a good time out of the players, but it also helped them compare their skill levels with teams around the U.S.   “We played teams from Minnesota who were very similar to us in the fact that they have just started their seasons and have not been able to be outside to practice due to weather,” head coach Tim Miller said. “We played a team from Arkansas who played a lot differently than we did because they have had the opportunity to play outside more often and were about 20 games into their season.”

Coming back home, the team looks to redeem themselves this season through teamwork .

“We are not a team that can wow you with talent right away,” Miller said. “We have to play smart, eliminate errors and do the little things to win.”

The team will look to use this tactic to have

a strong season. Last season the team finished

2–14 in the MSL, leaving them with unfinished business.

“In order to be more successful than last season, we need to have the mentality that we can win every game,” Miller said. “Sometimes the team thinks that they are not able to compete with these upper level teams, but they have a coaching staff that believes that they can beat anyone. All they need to do is believe in each other.”

According to senior Dan Levato, the team has a new mindset of winning since last season. This involves the team correcting small mistakes they  made  last season to allow those lost games to become wins.

Since last season, there have been significant changes to the team including the addition of a new coach, younger talent and a new attitude

from players.

“There has been stronger senior leadership this season than in past,” Miller said. “Three sophomores are up, which is due to a smaller varsity team. This allow us to get more individual work with players.”

According to Pinakidis, the team plays a very strong offensive game, but struggles in the defensive position.

“Our team is good at scoring runs and being offensively aggressive, which makes for more exciting games,” Pinakidis said. “We need to improve playing defense in the field because we tend to get a little sloppy.”

Overall, the team is excited to open up the new season and find success together as a team.

“I’m looking forward to having a successful senior season,” Levato said. “I’m also excited to grow together as a team throughout the rest of the season.”