By Riley Lewis

La Roche University’s baseball team wrapped up its fall preseason with the Fall World Series at the Baierl Athletic Complex on September 25^th and 26^th.

The team was divided into Team Red and Team Black, giving players a chance to compete against teammates and show coaches what they could contribute for the spring. Team Red won the series 3-1, clinching the championship after four games.

Although the competition was part of the preseason, players took the games seriously as they competed for opportunities to earn playing time. The weekend also gave teammates a chance to challenge each other and improve before the spring season.

The La Roche baseball team getting together after playing in the World Series.

Team Black opened the series with a 4-2 victory in Game 1. Team Red responded with a 4-0 shutout in Game 2 behind sophomore pitcher Kade Sell.

Red followed with a 3-2 win in Game 3 before securing the championship with a 12-1 victory in Game 4.

Senior infielder/outfielder Zach Jackson stood out with his performance at the plate and in the field. Jackson also noticed how younger incoming players handled the challenges of competing against their teammates.

“Lots of the younger guys showed great poise out there. The biggest thing I noticed out of some of them is how they responded to failure,” Jackson said

Ryan Hanlon, a sophomore infielder for Team Red, explained how the competition helped teammates push each other to improve. “Competing against my own team is a fun thing to do as well as having a competitive environment to try and get each other better.”

After losing the opening game, Team Red focused on improving its hitting and defense.

“We focused on hitting better and making more plays in the field behind our pitchers,” Hanlon said.

The series also gave younger and newer players a chance to show their progress. Freshmen Owen Turoski, Bryan Martinez and Cole Pacinelli delivered strong performances, while transfers Parker Ferraro and Gabe Walker gained experience with the team.

Despite Team Black’s loss, its players also had opportunities to stand out.

Sophomore outfielder, Chase Sankovich recorded a double and made several defensive plays in the opening game. Senior outfielder, Eli Thomas also made multiple plays in the field and at the plate.

Sankovich explained that facing familiar opponents made the competition more challenging by saying “It was fun and good competition, it also makes it even harder when we go against our teammates, because they know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Head coach Adam Dukate said the series helped coaches evaluate what players learned during the previous four weeks of practice. The games also gave the staff a better understanding of the team’s strengths and areas for improvement.

“It’s a big weekend for us. It’s an opportunity for guys to show off what we have learned from the previous 4 weeks,” Dukate said.

With the Fall World Series complete, La Roche baseball can turn its attention to the spring season.

The competition gave players a chance to measure their progress and helped coaches evaluate the team before regular season play begins. Fans can find the upcoming spring game schedule at larochesports.com.