The Slater baseball team slid into a rebuilding season as they connected with new and familiar faces. 

Although the boys ended with a record of 6-15, the season was beneficial as the players had to overcome obstacles and learn from their mistakes.  

“Throughout the season, we always knew where we stood, and we just got to improve and come together better as a team,” junior second baseman Sheldon Buist said.  

No matter what, the Slaters always came to play the sport they love and treated each game as a new beginning to encourage the start of their winning streak. 

“The biggest takeaway from this season is you can’t compete with any team with the wrong mindset. You need to remain positive whether you’re losing or not,” junior third baseman Mason Medina said. 

Senior captains Colby Toth (pitcher) and Bryan Beam (first base) found that it was necessary to have a positive atmosphere at all times to make the best of their final days of high school.  

“It was good being a captain because other than the five seniors, we had kids playing their first year on varsity, so being able to be by their side and help them as they approached the plate was an amazing feeling,” Beam said. “Overall, we pushed everyone to have fun. It’s the same game we’ve been playing since we were six years old, so we wanted to have fun and make the best of it.” 

Of all the games, the Slaters presented their best work on the field against Northwestern Lehigh, where they brought home a 2-1 victory. 

“Senior night was definitely our best game. At the time, Northwestern was the first in the league, and we played our most complete game of the year and were able to defeat them 2-1,” Beam said.  

As their regular season came to an end, the boys blew away Pen Argyl in their last home game, making it one of their most memorable games for both the players and the coaches. The boys will never forget the powerful team connection they had with everyone as they worked together. 

“I would say beating Northwestern and Pen Argyl at the end of our season were games to remember, we played like a team and celebrated like one too,” senior right fielder Adam Beck said.  

As their senior years quickly come to an end, Jake Caserta (catcher), Braeden Keith (left fielder), Beam, Beck, and Toth will always remember what it’s like to play baseball in a small town that is so close together and take with them the bittersweet remembrance of their supporting fans. 

“Overall, I’m mainly going to miss playing the sport I love with such a great group of guys. We’d always share a good number of laughs, which not only brought us together as a team, but it also made us connect with our coaches as well,” Beck said.  

Between fielding, throwing, and hitting, the Slater baseball team focused on their defensive skills in hopes on shutting down their opponents.  

“Coach would always preach pitch and play defense first. Batting is gravy. I think our pitching and defense were our strongest aspects this year,” Beam said. 

Looking forward to the future and preparing for next season, the Slaters will work on their unity, while also improving their confidence when competing against other schools.  

“For next season, I think we need to come together more as a team and just realize that we can compete with other teams even though we are young,” Medina said. 

As the boys continue to prepare, push, and work together, they should expect a bright future.