With the smell of spring permeating the campus’ hallways and classrooms, the boys’ baseball team has celebrated the arrival of the new season with the beginning of practice and tournament competitions. Baseball opened their season by placing second in the Immanuel Tournament on Feb. 27 and Mar. 6.

In the opening two rounds of the tournament, the Eagles defeated Woodlake 4-1 and Dinuba 7-5. The boys’ also were victorious in showdowns with Avenal and Lindsay to advance to the championship game against Selma. However, the Eagles ran into a roadblock and lost 4-3. Despite the close loss, head coach Jon Hall anticipates a strong run through West Sierra League (WSL) play.

“We are definitely one of the favorites this year,” Hall said. “We have won the last two league championships so we are going for a third year. Our pitching depth and defense will allow us to vie for the WSL title but we do need to hit the ball better.”

In the championship game, senior outfielder and pitcher Adam Spears led the Eagles with 3 runs scored. Spears, a transfer from Clovis High, has provided much needed pitching support and a strong bat in the middle of an increasingly potent Eagles lineup.

“I just love playing baseball,” Spears said. “If I am any help to the team that is great but baseball remains a team sport and we will live and die as a team.”

The defending WSL champion Eagles carry a record of 4-2 into WSL play and are a strong contender for the league title. The boys’ next game is at Parlier on Mar. 16 and WSL competition begins at home against Fowler on Mar. 19.