Baseball season is now in full swing as the team played Madison on Monday, Mar. 7 and came out with a 5-0 win to start off 1-0(W-L) in district.
The team jumped on the Mavs early, scoring one run in the first inning and two in the second inning. They would keep the pressure on Madison throughout the game as they totalled 10 hits and added even more baserunners off of two Madison errors and three walks. Freshman Jace Jung and sophomore Tyler Vitt are the 2 and 4 batters in the lineup, and both came up with big hits and RBI at bats.
Senior Josh Jung is one of the top players in the state and proved why as he dominated the game on the mound and at the plate. He pitched a complete game shutout, with 9 strikeouts, and only 1 walk. At the plate he went 3 for 4 with two doubles, he constantly put men in scoring position which opened the door for others to capitalize.
The team appeared to be well-prepared for their district opener and Josh explains that their non district schedule got them into a groove that carried over into Monday night.
“In the Round Rock tournament we really settled in as a team,” Jung said. “We came together and started swinging the bats and once we got that first run in the first inning, we settled in and we got confident.”
The team played an almost perfect game in the field as they converted a tough 6-4-3 (SS-2nd-1st) double play to end the 3rd inning that deflated the Mavs even further. Madison was expected to give Mac a tough time because they retained most of their talent from last year, but this resounding win shows that Mac could be playing to their full potential after just one district game.
“We played pretty solid, we can clean up the defense a little bit, we had an error, but we played a pretty solid all around game,” Jung said.
Senior Bobby Lepovitz had an exceptional game of his own with 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 steal and 3 fielding putouts. Josh and Bobby are the only two seniors that play the field and bat for this team. With this in mind, Josh understands that they have a responsibility to mentor and guide the younger players through the tough season.
“We have to get these guys ready for their seasons to come, and it’s important to pick them up when they’re down, it’s a big role that’s easily filled by me and Bob,” Jung said.
The team’s next district game is not until March 15, against Churchill.
