As temperatures rise, the spring sports season looms in the distance. For Eureka baseball coach Ken Droege, this will be the start of his third season at the helm. In his first two campaigns, the wildcats have gone an impressive 56 and 14, with one tie. Even though the spring is just coming out, the Wildcats have been at work throughout the offseason with player-led open gyms, and long toss. This has helped build a close bond, which Senior outfielder Will Keithley believes is the team’s biggest strength. “ Last year I wouldn’t say the brotherhood was the same, like where we were more separated, but this year it’s really good and everyone wants each other to succeed and all that. So it should be really good,” said Keithley.
This brotherhood that is preached goes hand in hand with what Droege preaches to his players, Attitude, Approach, Intensity, and Toughness. (A.A.I.T.) This term is a staple of his coaching philosophy, and he has made it the team core values since he arrived to Eureka.
“For our program, our goal is to be consistently elite in our Attitude, Approach, Intensity and Toughness. All teams are capable of being elite in those areas once in a while, great teams are consistent with them at an elite level,” said Droege.
When the players take the field, they know how important that A.A.I.T. is to their overall success. No matter what the score is, the Wildcats play with the same mindset at all times. “To me, that’s really the focus or like everything that we need to do within a game.
It’s our approach, our attitude, intensity and toughness within the game. And you know, we gotta execute all four of those pillars in order to succeed and win the games throughout the year, said Keithley.
Off the field, mentality is everything and the brotherhood that is created from it, but results on the field matter just as much. The Wildcats carry a strong pitching staff this season, and also replace a lot of production on the offensive end, like graduated senior Brady Picarelli, who is off to a scorching hot start in his freshman year at the University of Missouri. Although this may seem like a tall task, Droege believes that the new blood will be able to maximize their potential at the plate. “ We have a group that is committed to maximizing the potential in their at bats through their approach. Our team will look different offensively this year. Executing in the moment will determine our success,” said Droege.
The Wildcats rotation this season will consist of Jaxson Joggerst, Ben Lackey, Ralph Gianino, and other contributors. There will be a lot of new faces in the starting lineup, such as sophomore catcher Carson Leuthauser, who is ranked as one of the top players in the state for his class. Despite the lineup being newer, they still plan to attack at the plate and score any way possible. Senior leader and Central Missouri commit Kyle Rehg plans on being a veteran presence in the lineup card this season. “Being the leadoff, I feel like it’s my job to kind of set the tone for the game and our team this season,” said Rehg.
The Wildcats are currently 4-2, with their next game Monday, against Oakville . Although the off season expectations might be high, there is a lot of confidence in the Cats to make it past districts this season.