This spring, Kent’s baseball team has been in a recovery stage. Suffering from the passing of head coach Mr. Wright and a few injuries meant this was not going to be an easy season for them. And, in spite of this and the lack of depth in pitching, Coach Lee said, “we’re starting to see a lot of progress from where we were to where we are now.”

Mr. Lee had to take over the position of head coach this spring. With 30 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, he emphasizes discipline, strategy, and player development. When asked about the major challenges the team is facing, Coach Lee identified pitching depth. He explained that, unlike in the major leagues, pitchers only get a week to warm up and practice with the team.” Despite that, the team’s attitude has remained positive. As Coach Lee said, “They now realize that they are good enough to compete at this level.”The team has a season of 21 games in total—11 away and the rest at home. In terms of the team’s goals, Mr. Lee said, “Continued improvement as individuals and as a team has really been the goal from the beginning.”

As many unexpected incidents have affected the team’s performance, Coach Lee added, “I enjoy coming out here every single day to work with them because they don’t feel sorry for themselves.” This season, many individuals have also stood out. “They’ve been terrific. I can’t praise them enough for their leadership, for keeping this team together, for holding guys accountable,” said Mr. Lee.

All in all, there have been many challenges that Kent Varsity Baseball has had to face. Despite those hardships, they have stayed strong and maintained a positive attitude and passion for the sport, working together to create the best team environment and to play the sport they love.