The Danville baseball team is coming off a tough season in which the Blue Devils went 2-14 and were 0-10 in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference (KMAC).
And while the school has historically been known for its football team, coach Brian Bratton said that with a team full of hungry players, this could be a good chance to make its own history.
“Danville has never been (a) powerhouse at baseball; it always has been a football school,” Bratton said. “And we teach our kids that we need to look past then and build their own history. The school has two district titles. I like to tell the kids their goal is to top that before leaving.”
Bratton said that this year’s group is made up of players who are ready to prove themselves. There is some youth to the team, with Bratton saying there is not a lot of varsity experience, but they work hard and are learning how to play at a high level.
“This year, we have a great group of kids coming back,” Bratton said. “Some of the strengths are pitching depth and players being able to play many positions.”
Seniors coming back this season include Wyatt Weckesser and Darren Mickley. Juniors returning to the team are Joey Mickley Jr., Dustin Beckett, Aaron Mezie, Levi Lyons and Zach Sapp. Sophomore returners are Walker Weckesser and Kendall Carter. Rounding out the squad are sophomores Gavyn Lepley, Dom Mosher and Garrett Brewer, as well as freshmen Lane Cline, Levi Furay and Josh Byers.
Bratton has been the high school baseball coach since 2008 and since 2000 has coached at Danville, whether it be junior high school, JV or varsity. He says his coaching philosophy is simple.
“We try to make the routine plays look routine and become a tough team to play against,” Bratton said.
The Danville baseball season is under way, and the Blue Devil athletic schedule can be found at http://www.danvilleschools.org/athletic-information/.
