Eagle Baseball to Start Practices

Eagle baseball will start practices Jan. 31. Their first scrimmage will be Feb. 8 

“I expect this team to be more competitive than we have had the past few years,” head coach Bill Crawford said. “I expect this team to be able to do some things in games and practices we have not been able to do.”

After losing coach Josh Stephenson to softball, there will be three additions to the baseball coaching staff. Taner Tunstall will join Crawford along with Robert Arrington and Jake Walthall from the junior high. 

“I hope this team is able to make playoffs,” Tunstall said. “I hope baseball helps the players develop a good work ethic, strong commitment, and learn the importance of teamwork.”

Tunstall will coach JV baseball. Walthall volunteered to coach baseball with Crawford. Arrington is a returning coach.

“My experience at Fairfield has been amazing,” Tunstall said. “I am looking forward to helping develop our players to become better players and people.”

District games will begin March 27 with the first game against Madisonville.

“I follow the S.E.E. motto- Selfless, Energy, Effort,”  Crawford said. “If the players and coaches achieve those three things every day, we will be really good.”

These scrimmages and practices will allow Crawford to find the leaders of the team. From these practices, he can also find the strengths of each player.

“The first thing we will look for are the leaders of the team and if those leaders will be positive or negative leaders,” Crawford said. “Teams will only be as good as their leaders.” 

According to Crawford, athletes participating in baseball learn more than just to pitch a ball. Along with communication skills and teamwork, players learn to accept their failures and grow from them.

“Learning how to deal with failure and to not give up, but to learn from the experience and keep trying is an invaluable lesson students can get from baseball,” Crawford said. “If any person had a 30% success rate in their profession, they would be fired. But in baseball, 30% success rates while hitting will get a guy into the Hall of Fame. So learning how to deal with the 70% failure rate and come back and compete again and again is a great lesson.”