VHS Varsity Baseball Entering Rebuilding Season

The Valparaiso Vikings varsity baseball team may not be the strongest in the Duneland Athletic Conference this season, but Coach David Coyle is looking forward to seasons to come from a team that has entered into a rebuilding season.

“Obviously we will always get better every game, we have been a little bit of a slump but things will get better, we will come out of them,” Coach Coyle said “It is just a matter of keeping your head up and working hard.”

Coach Coyle praised his pitching staff and took pride in talking about the lefties that he has on the varsity team this season. Though they are a young team, Coyle has made it known that the team will get better as the season goes on and as new seasons come in.

“We are very young,” Coyle said “We are trying to get better and obviously we will have more experience because the more varsity experience we get, the better off we are.”

This season is a rebuilding season for the Vikings with such a young team moving up to fill gaps left by graduating seniors.

“We are trying to do that [build], we are trying to get better every time we have an opportunity to get better” Coyle said.

The Vikings were coming off a 9-2 season start but has started to hit a slump here lately as other teams start to form and become better. Coyle is focusing on becoming a better team this season so next season they can be prepared early on for the very competitive Duneland Conference play.

“I don’t care what you are in, this is one of the toughest conferences around the state of Indiana hands down,” he said “One of the things these guys have to know is that you can come out and play a team one time and you can knock them off their socks and then the next time they can knock you off your socks, there is never a safety net when you are playing anyone in the Duneland. Anything can happen anytime.”

When trying to name some players that have really shined for the Vikings this year, Coyle took his time because of the uniqueness of the team that he is managing this season.

“I don’t know that we have any one or two people, we have a good, core group of people that are trying to work very hard and do a nice job” Coyle said.
Some highlights according to Coyle have been Joe Gallinatti behind home plate, Devin Bafia and Andrew Sykes pitching wise and the other seniors on the team. Coyle said they all give their best each and every game and it has been nice to watch this team develop.

Referring to what it will take to get this Vikings team to be successful, Coyle reiterated that the team must get better.

“We have to get better. We have to work hard, every opportunity that we have but we have to continue to get better and practice. We want to continue to have confidence and rally behind one another. I still see us trying to get to that level, we are not there yet. That comes with experience and I think that comes with a lot of hard work and pride,” he added.

“We are not quite half way there yet and we have to see what goes on” he concluded.


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