After a tough loss in last year’s DCSAA Championship game, Wilson’s varsity baseball team expects to find themselves playing at Nationals Park again this year. However, another second place finish will leave them far from satisfied.

Junior Seth Kahler believes the team, captained by seniors Sam Himmelfarb, Nathan Wagner, and Will Bouma, is stronger this year and poised for success. The team has been working hard this winter to make key changes in order to prepare themselves for the season. One of the changes that the coaches have emphasized is bunting. Last season, the team struggled to play effective small ball, and they hope their efforts in the offseason will allow them to execute bunts in pivotal moments this spring.

Sophomore pitcher Collin Bosley-Smith will be crucial to the team’s success, as he “made big contributions last year and the team is looking for him to take another step up this year,” Kahler said. As Bosley-Smith leads the strong pitching staff this season, a mix of consistency and power are expected to control the lineup.

“Sam [Himmelfarb] provides leadership and we can count on him to get big hits in big situations.” said Kahler. Himmelfarb’s power complements junior Zack Lordan’s consistency as a constant threat towards the front of the lineup to get on base. Power hitters like Himmelfarb and Bouma are even more of a threat in the middle of the lineup thanks to Lordan’s high on-base percentage.

“Pitching and defense should carry us throughout the season and deep into the tournament and we can rely on timely hits when we need them,” Kahler said.