After a 3-10 start, MV baseball is struggling in their early season contests for 2024.

The team looks to get back on track to have a chance later in the season.

“I feel like as a team we need to think of baseball as a fun sport. We all have been lacking realizing that baseball is supposed to be fun,” said junior infielder Diedrich Smith 

Even with the team’s struggles, many players have experienced a solid start, especially senior pitcher Gage Cutler. 

Cutler has pitched amazingly in each of his starts but the team could not come out with a win for the senior ace.

“It is frustrating especially because I know we have the talent and the team to be more successful than we have been, however, it’s not about how well I have been performing as an individual, as a team we’ve fallen short of all aspects of the standards we hold ourselves to,” stated Gage Cutler ‘24.

Another player who has played well through the team’s struggles has been infielder Trevor McClure, a freshman who starts varsity for the Rams.

“Even though the team is struggling, I can’t let that affect my play,” McClure stated.

I have to keep working and playing my game,” Trevor McClure, ‘27, stated.  

Usually, a freshman who starts varsity has a lot of pressure and may be given the fault for some team struggles.

“I don’t think the team’s struggles are any of our players’ faults, and as a freshman on varsity I am expected to be good and perform at a high level,” stated McClure.

“As of now, I feel like I am underperforming,”  McClure added.

During early season struggles many players usually have problems that may be affecting their level of performance. 

Fixing their problems can be a step towards helping the teams struggle.

“My mentality when it comes to playing is the first thing that comes to mind, I have been really in my head this beginning of the season.” 

“I need to work on my swing, at the moment it isn’t where I want it to be,” Smith continued. 

When teams are struggling the most important thing is to stay hopeful and motivated.

“Staying locked in and motivated are some of the most important keys,” said senior infielder, Chase Gowler ‘24.

Having a rough start to the season can be very emotional for the seniors as they want their final season with the team and probably their final year playing baseball.

With that, the seniors will do anything to help the team get back into the winning column.

“I’m going to do all I can at the plate and defensively we all have struggled early but it’s about being persistent and staying with the course,” Gowler added. 

During times of struggle, it can be tough to try and stay positive, hopeful that the season will turn around.

“It is not easy to stay positive when you are losing so much and when you are struggling but you just have to keep telling yourself to trust the process and everything will start to click and we will start winning more games when everyone starts to click together at the same time,” stated first basemen Matthew Mckinney, ‘24. 

The Rams enter the week with four games on the schedule, a conference game against Carbondale and then they take a trip to Kentucky and play in the Dinger Wood Bat Classic against Marshall Co. Kentucky, Lebanon Tennessee, and Jackson Missouri.  

The Rams season is not out of the picture as they still have a chance to win the conference and play well in the postseason. 

“RFND, (Ram Fight Never Dies),” Smith added.