By Katherine Camberg

The Tempe Prep varsity baseball team is a team to be watching! The boys are having an incredible season so far and are currently ranked number 11 in the state. That’s right, they are ranked as one of the top teams in the state, and they are at the top of their section. Their record this season is 13-5.

Their success is, in part, due to the great energy that the team has, which enables them to play well during games. Sophomore Griffin Bodow also says, “We came into the season knowing that we had success on some level last year and that our talent had improved, and it has really shown throughout the season.”

The character of the boys is a key part of the team. Griffin explains his favorite part of the team is “the culture it has always had, which is wanting to win more than anyone else and letting nothing stop us from coming out on top.”

The team captains are also important to the team’s cohesion. They lead the team and keep them focused and relaxed, allowing the team to win big. Caden Van Dahm describes the season with a quote from Eddy Vedder: “The smallest oceans still make big, big waves.”

The team’s main goal this year is to win their section as they have the past three years, and to make it deeper into the state playoffs, hopefully winning state. With the success the team has had so far, this season, I have no doubt that they will be able to achieve this goal. They have been making great plays, hitting well, and doing very well with their pitching, which will definitely help them to reach their goals.

The team has also had a lot of fun this year. Junior Cameron Pickard says one of his favorite memories from this season was beating rival team Horizon Honors 7-1. Junior Caden also cited this win as his favorite memory from the season, saying, “We had a tough game against the No. 3 team in the state and fought the whole game. It really showed us what we are capable of.”

This is an exciting time for TPA sports, and it will be intriguing to watch how their season progresses in the final month. Winning is not the most important part of sports, however it is always fun to watch your friends be victorious, so make sure to catch one of the upcoming baseball games! Go Knights!