Cedars, February 2019

February 2019 16 SPORTS by Josh Stevens T he Cedarville University baseball team is gearing up for another sea- son, and this year, the team is all about facing adversity. The G-MAC coaches poll has the Yellow Jackets placed 12th out of 13 teams, and 11-year head coach Michael Manes has a message for his team: Prove them wrong. “They obviously don’t think a whole lot of us,” Manes said. “But we know better.” The Jackets are preparing to fight in the conference and are making changes to help reach their goals. One way they are switch- ing it up is practicing from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., instead of getting up to practice at 5 a.m. A team vote overwhelmingly decided the new practice time. Despite some changes, the Jackets boast several returning starters, key play- ers and newcomers with great potential for their 2019 squad. Even though he hasn’t seen his team in a game yet, Manes says he is confident. “This very well could be the best team that I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Manes said. “And I expect us to shock everybody.” Returning to the dugout this season is senior Ross Melchior, who was sec- ond-team all-conference last year. Markus Neff, Elijah Sanchez and Bryce Hughes re- turn from injury and are expected to make big contributions. With these players back healthy, and a good freshman class, the Jackets are looking forward to this year. “Injuries affected pretty much every- one,” Sanchez said. “And our season [last year] tumbled as a result. We have moved on from last season and set goals we know are attainable.” The Jackets went 9-29 last season, a winning percentage of just under 24 percent. They won just four games in the G-MAC and finished with a .261 batting average. They start this season with four straight away games, two against Ken- tucky State, then Young Harris and Clark Atlanta. They then travel to Florida for the annual Russmatt Invitational, where they will play five games in one week. Their first home game comes on March 13 against Miami Hamilton. Conference play starts March 15 when Ohio Valley comes to town for doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday. Their season closes with two doubleheaders at Findlay on May 3 and 4, before the G-MAC tournament from May 8-10. This season the Jackets and Manes are focusing on more than just the physicality of the game. “As Yogi Berra said: ‘Baseball is 90 per- cent mental and the other half is physical,’” said Manes. “We have spent a lot of time working on the mental aspect.” With the emphasis on this mental as- pect, the Jackets have grown together as a team. “This group is unlike any of the teams I’ve played with in my past two years here,” junior outfielder Logan Eby said. “We are fi- nally beginning to feel like a cohesive unit.” With goals such as winning the G-MAC and continuing to work on the mental as- pect of baseball, the Jackets also stress the importance of their relationship with Christ. “Coach Manes not only wants to devel- op us as baseball players, but also as men of God,” Sanchez said. “That is something you can’t get anywhere else.” Whether it be during practice or in games, the Jackets look to glorify God not only through their words on the field, but also in their work ethic. In a season where the Jackets are looking to improve and prove people wrong, Manes says to keep their focus where it belongs. “The Jesus of my Bible is humble, compassionate, loving,” Manes said, “but He’s not soft and passive. Let’s play the game the right way, with reckless aban- don, and let’s remember that everybody is watching us.” Joshua Stevens is a junior journalism ma- jor and sports writer for Cedars. He enjoys rooting for the Tennessee Titans and listen- ing to old-school music. Yellow Jackets Look to Prove Doubters Wrong Photo by Jillian Strouse The baseball team works on its footwork during a practice on Jan. 31. www.resoundradio.com Listen Online Now! Student Focused Radio 24/7