In the past 3 years the baseball has struggled to keep up with district opponents going 10-20 in district play and 20-26 overall. The Vikings downfall in the past was a story of being unproductive at the plate and not having enough pitching to keep opposing hitters at bay.
However, the Vikings started out with an impressive 7-2 non-district record and outscored their opponents by 17 runs in the first 5 games. The Vikings have been on fire at the plate with a team batting average of .344 scoring 44 runs through 5 games.
The batting lineup isn’t the only thing being productive for this team. The pitching staff has also proven to be dominant with a team ERA of 3.21 while producing 36 strikeouts.
The Vikings have since improved their record going undefeated in district with an impressive 7-0 record through the first round. They also took their first win in the second round with an 8-3 victory against Temple.
This gives the Vikings a 15-2 record on the season, setting up a crucial game against Belton(7-1), who holds the second place spot in district play and whose only loss is to the Vikings. A win for Bryan would cement their playoff dreams but a win for Belton could set up a winner take all district championship game if both teams win out.
A crucial element to the team’s success this year has been the pitching staff. Led by senior Mason Ruiz and sophomore Rylan Hill on the mound. These two starters have been perfect so far in district and non-district play with a combined 15-0 record.
“This team has worked harder and invested more time than any of the past teams,” Senior pitcher and first baseman Mason Ruiz said. “We never take a day off. Not even on Saturdays, we play together and play for one another every game with everybody going 110%”.
Bryan is set to clinch their first playoff berth in over 5 years if they can manage to win just two more games in district play. However the team and their coaches have set their goals much higher than just clinching a playoff spot. Their goal is to take home the big gold glove trophy with District Champions inscribed on the side before heading deep into the playoffs.
