Student Express

Full Swing: CM baseball team proud of accomplishments

With eight games now under their belt, baseball season is now in full swing.

The boys started out their season with an 8-7 loss in their game against Mifflin County. They were able to turn that loss around and win their next game 15-0 against Shamokin. With an 11-7 loss against Mifflinburg and a 9-2 loss against Selinsgrove, the boys went on a four-game winning streak. Those wins came from a 1-0 win against Lewisburg, 8-5 against Danville, 14-1 against Jersey Shore, and 8-0 against Montoursville.

This year's varsity baseball team is led by eight seniors, Landyn Carson, Kaden Falls, Noah Grenninger, Peyton Johnson, Aidan Major, Blade Myers, Cy Probst, and Tanner Swinehart, many of whom played on the Keystone Little League team that traveled to Bristol, Conn., in 2016. This year's varsity team stars numerous underclassmen. Sophomore, Nate Helms, is one of them. When needed, Helms fills in as catcher behind the plate. When thrown into a varsity game as a sophomore, there is some pressure from everyone around. "Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed because I want to help the team win but I remember that it is the game I love and I have been playing with these guys all of my life."

Last year, the boys weren't able to participate in their season. After having a few scrimmages, the coronavirus ended their season, practically before it even began. Senior Cy Probst missed out on his junior season with the Wildcats.

"Not having a season last year made me miss the positive, hardworking atmosphere that our team always brings, as well as playing the game I love with my best friends." Following graduation this spring, Probst will be attending school at the University of Maine where he will continue both his academic and athletic careers as he studies biology while playing division one baseball.

Though he is only a sophomore, Helms still has high goals and aspirations that he hopes to accomplish before ending his career as a Wildcat. "My goal is to play baseball at a collegiate level. I really want to go to a division 1 school on a scholarship; my dream school was always the Florida Gators."

The Wildcats have achieved high titles over the past years, including numerous District 6 Championships. Both Helms and Probst have expectations for the remainder of their season.

Unlike Probst, Helms has yet to be on a District Championship baseball team. "I hope we can keep our winning streak going and win districts. Hopefully we can do damage at states as well."

As for Probst, "My expectations for the remainder of the season are to, as a team, keep the same energy and hardworking attitude we've had thus far. We are never satisfied and we are always looking to improve in some way. This will help us reach our regular season and postseason goals".

Looking back on his years as a Wildcat, Probst had quite a few memories to pick from. "My favorite high school baseball memory is catching the game winning third strike of the 2019 District Championship and celebrating the win with my teammates."

Probst has one final message for the underclassmen on the team, "I'd like to thank the underclassmen for making this team so special. From seniors to freshmen, we have a special group of guys that love baseball. The underclassmen are the future of this amazing program and my advice to all of them is to keep working hard and strive to make a difference every day."