The Michigan City Wolves baseball team is looking to leave its mark on the Duneland Athletic Conference in 2013. While this may be difficult, considering the conference is arguably one of the toughest in the state, the Wolves are bravely stepping up to the plate.
“We have Lake Central, which is last year’s state champion, and Crown Point, who finished at the top. So to place our mark, our goal is to be top three in the conference,” explained head coach of five years David Ortiz.
The players, and not just the coach, are up to the challenge and set their goals high for the season. The team is young and led by the sole seniors, Daniel Lemon and Andrew Ray, but they are rich in spirit. The team has a close bond that goes beyond the field and is evident just watching the team warm up. Ortiz counts the bond as a team strength.
Ortiz comments, “Their strength is team unity. They play as a team and a unit. These kids are friends outside of school and that is huge when you talking about championship teams.”
The team is comprised of athletes across the board, and Ortiz stressed the need to focus on more playing time and experience on the field. The young team is quickly making strides, both on the field and in studying the game.
As of April 28th, the team had a record of 4-6 and was looking to tip the scales back to winning. The Wolves started the season strong with a 4-1 record. But after a heavy amount of weather cancellations and setbacks, the team entered a five game losing streak that was finally broken with a 14-3 win over Portage.
“We are hitting the ball and I would say we are headed in the right direction,” Ortiz said.
Michigan City baseball usually finishes with a season over .500 but in the bottom half of the conference.
“We always finish around five or six out of eight teams in the conference. That is why it is a big deal to take the next step. Little by little we’ve been getting there,” closed Ortiz.
The Wolves will face off against Lake Central on May 1st and La Porte on May 2nd, and will be looking to take home more conference victories.