Crack! A bat hitting a ball. A ball thrown by a pitcher. Not a big deal. Just a game. It doesn’t matter that this is one of the hardest mental games out there. It doesn’t matter that hitting a fastball from a pitcher is one of the hardest feats in all sports. Just a game. But this year, the ASIJ Mustangs Baseball team elevated this simple game to something more. Something around hard work and perseverance.

This year, the ASIJ Varsity Baseball team achieved great levels of success, indeed working hard and persevering through the season. The Mustangs went 9-2 in the championship game vs. Kinnick this year, bringing home the much-deserved first place from Far East. Team captains Kento Yan, Billy Freund, and Woochan Nam set the tone by leading the team not only in baseball stats, but also by setting the tone for the work needed to accomplish what they did this season.

Since week one, the team captains demonstrated perseverance by pushing the younger players to keep working, no matter what was happening. A strikeout? Get it next time. An error in the field? No big deal. By learning from their mistakes, the Mustang Baseball team was able to transform this simple game into a much more elite game. The Mustangs laid everything they had on the field each game, no matter the result. Losses turned disasters into opportunities. This mindset provided the ASIJ Baseball team with the mentality needed to bring home the gold from the Far East.

As seniors Kento, Tyler, Charlie, Billy, Woochan, and Leo move on, the stage is set for the team to find their new identity. The team next year, mainly composed of underclassmen, will have to determine what makes them a team if they are to be successful. Next year, this young team will have to learn how to work through new problems and establish a firm foundation to win the Far East. With perseverance and hard work, there is no doubt that the baseball team will be able to do just that.

The team will also have to discover how to elevate the game into something more under new leadership, as head Coach Naughton moves on. Without his steady determination for the team, the Mustangs baseball team will have to find its new motive to continue its hard drive for next season.

While young, the team will have to work hard and persevere through the off-season to come together next year to tackle the challenges that arise. Many say that baseball is just a game, but to these Mustangs, it is so much more. This game brings friendships alive, creates lasting dedication, and builds better mustangs for the future.