Auburn Mountainview baseball coach Glen Walker knew he had a committed squad on his hands back in November.
According to Walker, that’s when co-captain and senior Steven Johnson began bugging him about getting started.
“He said, ‘Hey coach, I want you to put together a conditioning program and start this thing,'” said Walker, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the Lions.
Initially, Walker told Johnson that he was planning to start the offseason work after the Christmas break. That wasn’t good enough for Johnson, however. By the beginning of December, Johnson, co-captain Justin Woods and the rest of the team already were prepping for the season ahead.
“The majority of the team was here except for the basketball players,” Johnson said. “I think that helped us get closer.”
For the Lions, who return just three seniors, that closeness will be crucial this season as the team makes its way through the South Puget Sound League 3A.
Unlike past seasons, this year’s edition will not feature a big-arm, shutdown pitcher, Walker said.
“We’ve got Steven (Johnson) so we’re going to be OK when he’s on the hill,” Walker said.
Beyond that, Walker said the team will rely on pitching by committee.
“We’ve got a group of guys who are going to see a lot of innings just trying to throw to contact,” he said. “We’ve got a sophomore (Auburn High School transfer) Shawn Guinn, a left-hander. Our senior co-captain Justin Woods, another left-hander, has thrown the ball pretty well and got some big outs for us in a couple of games.
“The season is going to depend on us throwing to contact and defensively making the plays.”
Without a dominant pitching staff, the Lions will have to rely more on their bats. Fortunately, the team is more talented offensively than in year’s past, Walker said.
With just four games under their belts, a win and three losses, the team is already seeing the bats come alive, with junior catcher Anthony Thompson boasting a .500 batting average with eight RBIs and a home run.
“He’s going to handle most of our catching duties, and he anchors down our No. 3 spot,” Walker said. “If we can keep him healthy and in the lineup, we should be in good shape.
In addition to Thompson’s stick, the Lions will look to their other prospects, including junior Scott Ohashi and sophomore Derek Stephen.
The real key to success this year, however, is the team’s cohesiveness, according to Woods and Johnson.
“It’s really important because if you don’t have that team chemistry, then you mess up a lot,” Woods said. “Without it, you don’t know what the other guy will do. With the bonding, you can read the other players better, so you don’t mess up.”
“In past years we’ve set goals like going to state, but this year I want us to come closer together as a family,” Johnson added. “I think that will help us go further than just a bunch of guys just playing on the field.”
And hopefully, that team cohesiveness will be just what the Lions need to achieve their goals this season.
“Our goals are always to get to the highest level and limit our mistakes, get to the postseason and compete for a state title,” Walker said. “We don’t set anything short of that. Whether we can do it, we’ll see. It’s all going to come down to arms, getting guys to throw strikes and allowing our guys to play defense day in and day out.”
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NEXT WEEK: The Reporter will preview Auburn and Auburn Riverside.
