Baseball Prieview

Vicente Nevares
Staff Reporter

As spring arrives the new baseball season begins. The coaches, Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Sobolewski, have a strong confidence in their team to make it to the playoffs. Hamilton stated that this year the team has three goals: “1) to improve team commitment 2) to win in our own backyard, against other Aurora teams and 3) to make it to the playoffs.”
The team has many strapping young athletes that will help the team move along in their efforts to make it to the playoffs. Players such as John Tidwell who will be starting at short stop the whole year, which for those that are baseball knowledge impaired is the position at which you would put your best athlete. “Johnny works hard, is coachable, and smart,” said Hamilton.
Throughout the many years of RHS the baseball team has had a string of three year starting catchers. All of which were exceptional at the position. Hunter McGuiness now takes the plate where he has much to live up to. “He fits the mold of what I want from any catcher,” said Hamilton. So this would indicate that McGuiness will live up to the substantial standards set forth in predeceasing catchers. “Hunter is great, a very coachable kid,” said Hamilton. McGuiness has always been very involved with RHS sports and always very devoted to whichever sport he is a part of. So when it comes to catching balls McGuiness takes the spot.
Another athlete, and probably most prominent of the bunch, would be Kevin Kelley. Kelley will be starting at pitcher with Enrique Gonzalez as his back-up. “Kevin is a great player, and had a great junior year,” said Hamilton. Kelley has a lot of self appointed expectations to live up to. But without doubt Kelley will live up to the hype of himself.
The team will be training vigorously for the season and will surely be ready for all the other schools in the Continental League which include schools from the Highlands Ranch , Douglas county and of course Arapahoe county.
To get into the playoffs RHS must finish in the top six teams in the league, which “is always a dogfight,” said Hamilton. The team will have to strife to beat out the other teams to make top six. Mount Vista, Regis and Thunderridge are more often than not top contenders for the playoffs. Occasionally the schools even finish in the final eight of the state. RHS has plenty of competition and hopefully after a year the athletes have come better than before. The team last year lacked a pitcher depth, which means they really only had Kelley as their pitcher. But now with any luck others will finally be able to step up to the plate and give Kelley some back up.
The team and coaches are optimistic about their chances this year in the standings of the best. The Raider Revue wishes them the best of luck in their season of debauchery.