The Loyola baseball team is preparing for another season after last year’s, which included a historic 36 wins and a national ranking.
The team started practice at Segnette Field Oct. 11 where they will meet for the following eight weeks. They will also meet twice a week for small group workouts.
“Practice is good,” said head coach Jeremy Kennedy. “We are in the early stages of forming a team, where guys are competing and performing.”
From what he has seen, Kennedy said the new members are adjusting well.
“We expect our freshmen to be men and act like it. To this point, they are doing a good job,” he said.
Fifth year pitcher Brenden Taravella said the team “had a bad taste” in their mouths since last season’s early loss at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Baseball World Series Opening Round Tournament and that it feels “good to get back.”
He said the team wants to lay a strong foundation for the future of the program.
“We are just 35 guys getting to the same goal,” Taravella said. “Our goal is to make the next step going to the Idaho World Series.”
The team’s spring schedule includes conference matches against Blue Mountain College and Stillman College. Loyola beat both of these teams last season.
“I’m most excited to play tougher competition and prove what we did last year and it wasn’t a fluke and the pack is back,” said fifth-year student Gabriel Trastoy.
Kennedy said with each practice the team is creating a new identity for themselves.
“We want winning to be the by-product of what we do,” Kennedy said. “Every year there is a new opportunity and new challenges. I love seeing guys grow and develop.”
The team will play their first home game at Segnette Field Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. against West Texas A&M University.