As winter sports draw to a close, boys baseball steps up to the plate for the spring 2024 season. Head Coach Noah Heinz begins after-school practices to produce a strong, well-conditioned team.

Heinz is going into his fourteenth season of coaching Fresno Christian Baseball, while simultaneously teaching middle school science. Baseball has always been his passion, and teaching the same kids he coaches allows him to have a close relationship with his team. Under his leadership, the team has won a valley championship and five league championships.

“We try to foster an environment where we support each other,” Heinz said. “Baseball is a game of failure, you’re gonna fail seven times out of ten even as a good baseball player. So being able to support your fellow teammates when they do have those failures is the most important part. We’ve done that pretty well as a team.”

League games begin in about a month and a half, however, there is a lot to look forward to before then. This year the players had the opportunity to participate in the 35th annual Coca-Cola Classic, a tournament played by many schools from around Fresno. The tournament is a big step up for FC’s baseball program. Heinz believes his team of 15 players has grown a great deal.

“We’ve really tried to build over the last couple of years to get a group of baseball-focused and baseball-oriented guys, and we finally have that,” Heinz said. “We have a good foundation that we’ve been able to build on over the last couple of years and now we are hoping to take advantage of it.”

Sophomore Braden Belmont starts his second year of FC baseball. Even as a sophomore, he plays both right and left outfield, pitches and occasionally plays second base. Belmont loves the tight-knit team that Heinz has helped to form, and looks forward to this year’s league games.

“Our goals this year are to get better throughout the season, have fun, and ultimately win a valley championship,” Belmont said.

Last year, the baseball team was eliminated in the first round of playoffs. The players hope to advance further in the competition with determination and teamwork. The team is going into the league season with a strong team and two new coaches. Junior Joshua Kubota believes that the baseball team has a chance to go farther this year.

“My hope for this season is to win league, compete in playoffs, and hopefully make it to valleys.  I believe, with the talent this team has been developing, that we could go far,” Kubota said. “Our team has an advantage because all of our starters are top-notch athletes who have been playing for a long time.”

This year’s seniors are Jake Wyatt, Paul Sheppard, Jake Hull and Seth Rojeski. Their senior night celebration will be on May 7 after the game against Minarets.

The Fresno Christian Baseball Team dedicates hours of practice to bring their best skills to each game. The players continue to fight for the chance to display their hard work during playoffs. 

To follow the FC baseball scores and schedule, visit the Athletics Page.

For more from The Feather, visit PROMO: Kids Day 2024 or Geena Davis captivates audiences.