After making it to the districts semi-finals last year and losing to Warsaw 3-1, finishing the year with a 10-7 record, the California Pintos baseball team and Head Coach Steve Stock have their sights set on a district championship this year.
"There is no hiding around it, we expect to win at districts this year," Stock said.
The Pintos will play in a Jamboree March 13. Stock said in the practices leading up to the jamboree, the team has been focusing on its effort levels, attitude and limiting strike outs.
"We want to put the bat on the ball and make defenses play," Stock said. "Defensively, every time the ball is hit, we want to get an out. If we can do those things, we should have a great year."
Stock said it is early and the team is going to focus on one game at a time.
"We have a really good group of kids," Stock said. "I think we are going to compete. We are going to take the first one and be successful and win it and then we are going to go to the second one and do the same and do that throughout (the season)."
With the season just about to begin, Stock said it might be a challenge for the players to get into a rhythm early in the season.
"That comes with just getting on the field and getting repetition," Stock said.