The Varsity Baseball team beat Hutto in a 12-1 W, qualifying them for playoffs, making it their first playoff run since 2019. To celebrate their playoff debut, junior outfielder Preston Stone said per baseball tradition part of the team bleached their heads and did blonde highlights.
“As a team, we’ve been putting in a lot of work and practicing hard every day, so we’re prepared to win,” senior shortstop Joseph Sandusky said. “Coach Croak is holding us all more accountable this season, and holding us to a higher standard, so we’re all working harder and getting better.”
Making adjustments for this year, head baseball coach Brad Croak said the biggest change was his players ability to hit and make runs.
“That’s what started our momentum, we had players of a different caliber,” Croak said. “Our kids listened to what we told them and made adjustments at the plate. That’s probably the biggest thing from this year to last year, our averages are higher, we have more doubles, more triples, we have more walks, all those types of things.”
Croak said he owes his senior players for their success this season, watching them grow into athletes and men as they head off into the playoffs.
“When you take over a new program you hope to have good senior leadership and these guys have good senior leadership,” Croak said. “They really put into what we were doing and what we wanted this program to be, and then here we are going to the playoffs. That’s the key. When you have kids that bought into everything you tell them to do, it helps things move on.”
The senior leaders on this team share the same standard for the team as Croak, but especially when going into the playoffs against the Dripping Springs Tigers.
“We’re the underdog going into it,” Sandusky said “Toward every game, even if it’s a tough opponent, we dumped all we had into it. It’s a competitive fight every game, we’re here to come out, compete, and hopefully the outcome is good.”
The Mavericks ended up losing the first playoff game 0-3, but since the playoff runs best two out of three games, they had one more chance to beat the Tigers. The Mavericks ended their season in their second game against the Tigers in a 1-12 loss. Despite the seasons end junior first baseman Tyler Schawrtz said the teams improvement this year was unmatched.
“It’s great to be a part of a team that has improved significantly since last season,” Schawrtz said. “It feels good knowing that everyone knew what we needed to do this season and executed it.”
As a future leader, Schwartz not only understands his responsibilities—he embraces them.
“As a player, I have improved significantly from last year in all aspects of the game,” Schwartz said. “As a teammate, I get along with everyone and enjoy being around them. Next season I aim to become better both as a teammate and a player by being a leader next year and improving myself.”
Croak says he hopes the energy from this season carries over into next year and helps push the underclassmen to greatness.
“You want things to happen top to bottom, we want our lower levels to continue to get better, that’s what I constantly tell them, you gotta get better because you’re gonna contribute for us next year, “ Croak said. “They see the success at the varsity level, and combine it with your returners who have seen that atmosphere and once you get a taste of that they’ll go into next year knowing, what is our expectation? It’s to make the playoffs.”
Croak said reflecting on his high school season when he was able to play in a playoff game made leading this team into the playoffs even more rewarding.
“I wanted it to happen for these kids so badly, it’s such a memorable moment when you can go through a senior season like that,” Croak said. “I’m lucky to have the opportunity to be able to lead them, it’s all about them, and I tell them all the time I can’t play anymore, I can’t get out there and do it. So that’s why I’m excited to be leading them and let them achieve their goals.”
Although their season came to a close against the Tigers, senior catcher and team captain Xander Covar said he is proud of the work this team has done, and feels happy to graduate on a high note.
“It feels great, our motto this year was ‘find a way back’ and it feels special being able to accomplish that,” Covar said. “I hope they remember us as the team that put McNeil baseball back on the map.”
Schwartz said he is happy with how this team came together this season, and is ready to begin preparing for next season.
“It means everything to me,” Schwarz said. “It’s not everyday you take a three district win team and transform them into a playoff team. I hope this momentum can continue for a long time, solidifying McNeil as the team to beat.”
