Despite being projected to finish last in the North Shore Conference, the players of Homestead’s baseball team have proven themselves as part of a team to beat, finding themselves now ranked first in conference. This accomplishment was a result due to the team defeating Slinger, a team ranked in the top ten in the state, to push themselves up in the ranks.
Senior pitcher and third baseman Sean Contardi explained how it felt being the underdogs at the beginning of the season and how that motivated the team.
“I think we were angry to see that we were ranked last in the conference, and we all had a chip on our shoulder to get revenge for that,” Contardi said.
Head coach Jason Konsanke credited his pitchers for their outstanding performance in keeping Slinger’s hitters on their feet.
“In game one, Sean Lemke gave us eight strong innings, and Doug Jones gave us two solid innings in relief. In game two, Nick Harris was lights out in a complete game victory,” Konsanke said.
Junior pitcher and first baseman Sean Lemke trusts himself and the other pitchers to get the job done this year.
“I trust my pitches, and I know that I am a good pitcher so I am confident that I know I can get anyone out at any time,” Lemke said.
Junior pitcher and third baseman Doug Jones echos Lemke’s idea of needing confidence rather than thinking too much about not performing well.
“With baseball being a sport where failure is inevitable, you have to have confidence. If you worry about what could go wrong, you’re going to fail,” Jones said.
Between the mound and the hot corner, Jones and Contardi share time between positions with one another. When one is pitching, you can count on the fact the other is playing at third base.
“[Contardi] and I both understand our roles on the team and support each other no matter where we are playing. We both understand that our [switch between] third and pitching are crucial to the team, and we support each other to help the team,” Jones said.
“This year has been a lot of not thinking, I think the less that I think the better I do,” Contardi said.
The Highlanders’ success has not only come from their pitchers’ performance, but a lot of their success has come from their approach at the plate.
Going back to back, senior catcher Gavin Levine and outfielder Ari Crabbe hit solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend the team’s lead over Slinger.
“It was great, my team hyped me up and it made me pretty happy,” Levine said.
Levine is not only a threat at the plate, but also from behind it.
“I make sure to keep [everyone] on their toes, and I remind [the team] before every pitch to keep everything in front,” Levine said.
When innings got stressful, the players would reflect back to coach Kosanke’s motto, “ITB,” meaning “I’m the best.”
“That helped with confidence in high-pressure situations and allowed our guys to perform better,” Jones said.
As the Highlanders approach the final stretch of their regular season, coach Konsanke reflects upon the team’s accomplishments.
“It’s not easy to beat a top-ten team in the state. To do it twice in a week is something my guys should be proud of,” Coach Konsanke said.
