Pennridge High School’s baseball team has started the new season off with a new coach. Last year, the Rams Baseball Team was coached by Pennridge’s gym teacher, Mr. Nuneviller. This year, Mr. Craig Whitten is taking over the role of head coach. With Whitten, the team will be lifting and practicing multiple days a week to prepare themselves for the upcoming season.

The team has already set goals for the season; goals that are attainable with the hard work that they are putting in and planning to work on throughout the off-season. Goals are important when a team wants to improve, a team needs a set achievement to aim for. Sean Lerro, senior on the baseball team said, “Making playoffs is the end goal for us.” He, as well as Coach Whitten, has an end goal of playoffs, saying, “… and the top two teams in the state last year are in the Suburban One conference.” To him and the players, this is a reasonable goal. They are striving to beat last year’s state runner up, C.B. South. To achieve this goal, Whitten has come into the season with new strategies for the boys. They have been running morning practice and three after school practices weekly. 

With the lifting that Coach Whitten has scheduled, the team feels confident about the season. The team has never lifted together before this year, but they all agree it is helping them build strength physically as allowing them to bond. In addition to this, Whitten is separating the different positions at practice to work on fine-tuning the players’ individual skills. Sean Clayton, an outfield player, and senior on the baseball team says, “I think the workouts based on position are really helping because it helps each person more individually improve their skills.” Coach Whitten is approaching his new role as head coach diligently while training the players to be the best that they can be.

The baseball players have a positive outlook for this season, challenging themselves with goals that they believe the team can reach. Last year was disheartening, with a ranking of 306 out of 311 in the state. In the past, the baseball team has not been the best team, but you cannot win if you do not have the perspective of a champion. Derek Morgan, another senior on the baseball team said, “Whitten is bringing a new mentality to the team, a winning mentality.” With this new outlook, the baseball team hopes to improve and progress together. Coach Whitten is working on improving the team’s attitude and he knows that they can progress the way he knows they want to. Morgan said, “The seniors are hungry for a winning season.” This year, the baseball team is ready to have a new start. Their slogan is a good example of that mentality…, “just be us,” an inspiring and motivating saying that they plan to live and play by.