Living vicariously through each other is exactly what the Lakes baseball team is doing this season. Supporting each other on and off the field, this season has proven that team love and chemistry can make all the difference.
When it comes to the 17 seniors that hold roster spots, the chemistry goes deeper than four years of high school. The boys have been playing against and with each other since elementary school, and it is a huge contributor to understanding chemistry.
“We know each player’s playing style. It’s always easier to play with people when you know their strengths and things they can work on in their game,” said Brett Beerbower, a pitcher and third baseman for the Eagles.
The amount of years hasn’t been the only thing paying into the baseball team’s success. The boys have incorporated a new word on and off the field, making the team’s connection and positivity much stronger. The new word is mudita. Mudita means having vicarious joy for another person’s success. The boys have incorporated this into their games, practices and life, supporting each others’ success and setbacks.
“We pick each other up verbally and psychically. A verbal “we got you” and/or the action of getting a big hit or making a great play really picks up our teammates,” Beerbower said.
Mudita gives the boys a new purpose on how to work together, pushing them to support each other and become leaders. Though the team is majority seniors, the baseball team still finds its leaders on the team. Ean Ankney, Nathan Mead and Carson Norris are recognizable leaders for the team. Ankney and Mead have shown their leadership by supporting their teammates, giving them inspirational words and making sure the boys know they have their backs. Norris has shown his teammates what D1 baseball looks like by not only pushing himself and proving his skill, but through being a leader.
“[They] stick out to me [as leaders] because of how badly they love our guys and the game of baseball,” said Aidan Hack, a junior pitcher. “They are always hyping up the team and never shy away from sharing their feelings with us which brings us together even more as brothers.”
In their four years, the seniors have had a successful career with powerful records from JV2 to Varsity. The boys have found a way to dominate their way through Lake County. This season means much more than just wins and domination. The boys have built a bond they hope to continue as they go on to college, along with passing this bond on, and showing team chemistry to younger players who are beginning their Lakes baseball journey. As seven seniors will take on collegiate baseball, the rest will finish their career this season. With baseball consuming most of their time, the game has left an everlasting impact on their character.
“This team has genuinely been the greatest blessing God has ever given me. Nothing makes me happier in life than spending the long hours with my boys Monday-Saturday, for months on end,” said Jake Kane, a second baseman and exceptional base runner for the Eagles. “From the morning lifts that nobody wants to be at to the bus rides home from games, it is just a blessing.”
With lots of seniors on the roster, this doesn’t outshine how the Class of 2027 is providing to the team. The boys have worked hard to prove their positions on this team, and it does not go unnoticed. Hunter Bergdahl and Hack are just a couple of juniors who have found their place on the varsity roster. The environment the coaches and seniors have created this season is just one of the reasons these boys have been so successful. Bergdahl has been an achieving utility player for the Eagles, and Hack has been a strong contributor to the pitching staff. Bergdahl and Hack hope to continue the seniors legacy of teamwork, along with the other junior class.
“I have known many of [the seniors] all my career, and they have helped shape me into being a better teammate, player, and young man. Those are my brothers and I’ll miss them when they graduate,” said Bergdahl. “However, this junior class, along with the sophomores, have a lot of skill and potential. All we need is someone who will step up and lead this team next season when the seniors leave.”
As the season comes to a close, the team continues to push their way through the season in preparation for the post season in hopes to pay a visit to Joliet.
