On February 21, this past Tuesday, history was made in Trojan Athletics. For the first time ever, varsity baseball played a district game at Willie Wells Field on the current Anderson campus. This was not the only first for the day though, as the Trojans won their opening district game against the Austin High Maroons, 9-4.
Last February, the home field was dedicated to baseball legend Willie Wells, 1997 Hall of Fame inductee, who was educated at our very own Anderson High School. He faced adversity due to the color of his skin, but that didn’t stop him from being widely considered the best shortstop of his time.
Sheppard Tyler had the honor of throwing the first pitch on the renamed field, pitching for 6 innings before being relieved by Connor Clifton. “It felt great being able to start the season off on a good note. It’s also good to know how much history is behind the field and the name of the field, and hopefully, we can represent that history well,” Tyler said. He had a solid game, only allowing 2 hits and striking out 4 batters.
The Trojans’ fielding was strong against the Maroons; they committed zero errors in the field, with catcher Stephen Szygenda and first baseman Bo Munin getting a team-high six chances each. With two apiece, players Rylan Unnasch and Ed Small were leading hitters for the Trojans. When asked about the competition the team will face this season, Small explained, “It’s definitely tougher, but I think we will adjust and be competitive.” A total of ten bases were stolen against Austin High, with Karsten Fidler leading the team, stealing three. The game ended in a solid win for the Trojans, with a final score of 9-4.
On Thursday, Varsity played two games: one against Pflugerville and the other against Round Rock. Ben Waisman led the Trojans to a 6-2 victory over the Panthers, only allowing two runs and striking out three batters. Unfortunately, Anderson found themselves overpowered by Round Rock, losing the game 0-9.
JV 1 dominated both Austin High and Cedar Park. Brady Fleming, Dominic Bellavia, and Zayden Sharp all led JV 1 with two hits per player against the Maroons, resulting in a 9-6 win. Cedar Park was also no problem for the Trojans, with Trae Lones tripling and scoring three runs for Anderson. Fielding was also excellent, with no errors committed. The team beat Cedar Park 7-3.
This weekend promises to be exciting for Anderson baseball with all teams playing in tournaments. Varsity will face Pflugerville, Westwood, and Hendrickson among notable teams. JV 1 and 2 will be playing on Willie Wells Field and at Vista Ridge HS, respectively. Show up this weekend and support the Trojans!
