Misfortune brings varsity team closer together
May 10, 2017
On Feb. 28, the Akins Varsity Baseball team lost one of their own during a tournament at Burger Stadium.
Senior Jason Porter’s father suddenly experienced a condition that caused him to die later that night. The officials stopped the preseason game and both teams came together to pray for the Porter family on the field.
The tragic beginning of the season has helped unify the team as players and their family members have rallied behind it.
The team members said they’re fighting through the tragedy as more than just a team — but as a family.
“We are pulling through by having each others back on and off the field, and we treat each other as a family,” senior Chris Castro said.
The coaches have helped keep the players focused on how they can improve as a team instead of dwelling on the difficult beginning of the season.
“We prepare them mentally and physically,” Salazar said. “We put them in situations that they’re going to see during a ball game. We try not to put anymore pressure on them, we try to relieve that from them putting a positive mind support. We have to be as motivated as they are and more.”
Coach Salazar said there’s good chemistry on this year’s team.
“Our chemistry is great we got guys that are bonding really well,” he said. “I have a great senior class, they’re a close group. They set great examples for lower classmen to follow.”
Salazar said that Jason Porter and Nate Flores have stood out as good examples for the team this year.
“ Those guys have accomplished a lot here at Akins and people see that,” he said.
The Coaches and Players are working really hard taking no time off , having two hours of non stop scripted practice where we do every little thing that we need that is necessary to get ready for games.
“We take everyday at practice as if it’s our last practice and we understand that our practices define how we play, we take no days off ,” Castro said.
Last year’s season wasn’t great for the team, not making it to playoffs, earning five wins out of 16 district games. This season the Varsity Baseball team is 8-5-1 Overall 1-1 District 14-6A.
“We are a solid team who knows how to play together, which I feel that it helps us to come out to do big things” said Senior Ramiro Rodriguez
Knowing it’s going to be a challenge the team’s expectation for this year is to make it to playoffs.
“Our goal is to make the playoffs,”Salazar said.“We haven’t done that here but we are off to a good start, we won our district game against San Marcos. We are heading in that direction taking it a step at a time, we have a really good chance. We are playing well right now. Things are going well.”
Before the end of district, the team will have more games against Del Valle, Anderson, and San Marcos.
