ABAC’s Stallions are quite the opponent on the baseball field, with a current winning streak of six games in a row, and a record of 21 wins and 8 losses this season so far. The Baseball team has a bit of a different approach this season, and watching the program develop has been a fun time for players, coaches, and fans alike.
The Baseball team has created a culture of excellence, ambition, and mutual respect, as discussed in an interview with Senior Chasin Cash, and Junior Jeff Hays. Both athletes testified to the ambition of this team to win and stay focused on the present moment, focused on what each team member can control and contribute to the team’s end goal – a win.
Last season was the team’s first year in the NAIA league, making it a challenging one. “We were projected to be last in the preseason polls,” says Cash, “Everyone thought we were going to be really bad.” One of the biggest lessons learned through last season was never getting comfortable. Leaving last season, Hays says the team has “really high expectations, I think we all know how good we can be.”
The team is now a little over midway through the season, and one thing to note is that the team didn’t lose any Seniors and returned almost the entire squad. This allowed for the coaching staff and upperclassmen to create a positive culture on the team, a culture that both Cash and Hays testified to.
“We all started playing baseball because it’s fun, and we’re just having fun playing?” says Hays. There’s no pressure to play perfectly, and it’s to the point now where Cash will “go up to bat, and I don’t even care if I hit a home run, I just want to come through for my guys.” Having a culture like that, and a true team mindset, has allowed the Stallions to have that 6 game win streak.
This positive culture and mindset is clear from the stands. Sports are easy to tell when something is going wrong versus when something is going right – and when there’s a snag in the momentum of this baseball team, rather than yell or get angry and upset, there are high-fives and positive comments coming from the dugout. There’s support and a brotherhood there – not resentment and individualism.
Both Chasin Cash and Jeff Hays will be moving on from the baseball team this year, and their efforts and comradery will definitely be missed on the team. Cash then told me a little bit about the history of the team, how the coaching staff has swapped around during his four-year tenure on the team, and ended it with this; “This team, I love baseball, but this team has truly made this year the best year I could’ve imagined. I wouldn’t want another group to do this with.”
The team’s next home game is against the University of Mobile on Friday, April 3rd at 1:00pm. Make sure to go out and support your Stallions.