The WVSSAC State Baseball Tournament makes its way to GoMart Ballpark this week and Charleston Catholic enters as a No. 2 seed. The Irish look to repeat as state champions, a feat that has never been accomplished in program history.
"It's the best feeling in the world,” Irish infielder Jeff Reynolds told Eyewitness Sports. “We've never won back-to-back in school history so it's going to be awesome to try and make that happen this year."
In 2022, Charleston Catholic baseball did the unthinkable, winning the Class A state title with a losing record. The Irish are back at the state tournament in 2023. This time around the record is 28-6 and there's no chance Charleston will fly under the radar.
"It does feel a little bit different in the sense that we are not coming from the underdog role,” infielder Johah DiCocco explained. “I feel like we have to approach it the same way. We’ve still got to get out there and act like we are the top dog and just play the best game we can."
The Irish believe they are currently playing their best baseball.
"They've been playing a high level all year,” head coach Will Bobinger said. “I am happy with where they stand and I think things are looking good so next week is the big week."
When the stakes are high, sometimes we forget why we play the game in the first place. Teams that figure that part out usually have success.
"I really like we all have fun,” infielder Luke Blaydes said. “Every practice, every game we have fun and that really builds with teamwork and how we play so well together."
Dicocco agreed that having fun is part of the winning formula.
"Being loose and having fun is a huge part of baseball,” DiCocco explained. “I feel like if you are too tight -especially in the state tournament - if you are too nervous, it is not going to work out for you. You've got to be loose and have fun."
Experience is everything. The Irish have been here before. They know what it takes to win it all and appear to be locked in.
"It's going to take a whole team effort,” DiCocco added. “No one guy is going to step up in there and change the game in a huge aspect. It's going to take all of us to do our part. Getting the runs in, bunting them over, stuff like that. We have a saying here, 'Know your job. Do your job.'”