[ot-caption title=”The PC Varsity Baseball Team takes fielding practice during a pre-season workout last week. (Via Brett Koolik, sophomore)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/baseball.jpg”]

The Pine Crest Varsity Baseball Team is looking to have a historical season after losing a heartbreaker in the district semi-finals to North Broward in a 6-5 nail biter last season. Over the summer, players have been working hard, and in the fall the work looks to have paid off. I had the chance to talk to several members of the PC Baseball Team, including first year head coach, Coach Stofsky, and hear their thoughts on the looming season.

Sophomore second baseman, Jacob Singer offered his opinion on the upcoming season and the new coaching staff, stating, “We have a nice core of young kids and even though most of last year’s starters have graduated, young kids are stepping up behind seniors Adam Saks, Zack Kone, Griffin Conine, and Tom Walker. We’re looking to break the 20-year drought and win districts and advance as far as possible. The coaching staff is great, experienced, and I think we can get a lot of wins under them.”

The Panther’s new head coach, Coach Stofsky, then gave his thoughts on stepping into this new position. He explained, “I like Pine Crest a lot; it’s everything and more than I expected before Jeff Johnson reached out and spoke to me. My ultimate goal is to shape the program into a successful program. By successful, I mean a team built around unity. We’re going to compete on the field, be successful in the classroom, and be respected in our community. I plan to achieve this goal because our team is going to be more prepared than any other team we have played against. We’re going to establish a system and review it then review it again. Even though we may not be as talented, we’re going to have more keys to win each game in our pocket than our competition. We’re going to be prepared for every situation. I personally will never be surprised on a baseball field because we’re going to be prepared for every situation. I’m excited and honored to be the head coach at Pine Crest. I think our players are mature and intelligent, which will enable us to be competitive on the field day in and day out.”

So far the team has really enjoyed Coach Stofsky and has seemed to benefit from his knowledge and optimism. Zack Kone, a five-year varsity member and Duke commit, expressed his excitement for the season to finally start. “I’m really excited for baseball season to kick into high gear again. I really like our team’s odds this year, and I can’t wait to go to war with the guys. Every player needs to concentrate on doing his part to fulfill our team’s goal, which is winning states. The new coaching staff has done a great job supporting the baseball team and enabling us to strive for success this season.”

Finally, one of the hardest workers on the team and dedicated member, Cameron Andres wanted to share his view on the team, “We need to stay focused and avoid injuries, I think that is the key to have a successful season. We need to come together as a team. We have the skill to get to states but it’s also going to take a little luck as well. Coach Stofsky brings a lot of experience to the table, and I think the fact that he is always thinking five steps ahead will benefit the team.”

This year the baseball team really wants to encourage more student attendance. There have been very probable rumors that there will be a concession stand at the home games, so who wouldn’t want to come to a game, watch some baseball, and have some food? In the upcoming months, make sure to come out and support your Panthers as they look to make it to states!