By Holli L. Rapp
The Apache baseball team concluded their fall season with the freshmen defeating the sophomores in a close game in the Purple and White World Series.
"They (freshmen) got the hits when they needed the hits," said sophomore second baseman Heath Tepovitch.
Sophomore outfielder Jeff Sczupaj agreed, saying, "The freshmen are good hitters."
Tepovitch and Sczupaj said the team is looking forward to the spring season, and they should improve on last year’s 27-26 record. The Apaches made it to the Region IV finals last season.
Tepovitch said, "We will be pretty good. We will have a chance to go from where we ended last year and take it to the next level."
In addition to the freshmen players being good overall, there is good team unity and some bright spots in pitching, according to Tepovitch.
Sczupaj added that "overall the team has a lot of speed."
Prior to the start of the season, the team will work on conditioning, the two veterans said.
The only negative factor the two sophomores mentioned was a lack of a field. Prior to last season, the Apache field was declared unplayable.
The men played on Dickinson House field in Oglesby this fall, but the park district will be reworking the field so the college has been told it will not be available in the spring.