Riding off the heels of the best season in program history, Sinclair’s baseball team is looking to make 2017 an even better year.
The Tartan Pride capped off the 2015-2016 season with a 53-12 record. Eighteen players committed to four-year colleges to continue their playing careers and seventeen earned their degrees.
“We had a very special group of guys last season, and our assistant coaching staff had a huge role in our success,” said Steve Dintaman, head coach of the Sinclair Tartan Pride.
The Pride, while not winning the conference title, set a school record with 53 wins, won the Region XII Championship and earned a spot in the World Series for the first time. They came in third place.
“We were honored to make it to the World Series, and we want to go there again,” Dintaman said. “We’re going to take the same steps to not just get back there, but to win it and that’s reflected in our goals. We want to win the Conference, win the Regional and win the World Series.”
It is three games into the season there have been some setbacks. Four of the team’s starters are out with injuries. One of these, Ben Hughes, a pitcher, will be out for the season with a UCL tear. Another, Jake Bolton, has a case of mono and is expected to be back for conference play in April.
“It’s going to be a slow start and a lot of our young guys have to step up,” Dintaman said. “We’ve got a lot of injuries including Nick Massey, who is our only returning starter. With this program we do have to start over every year. A lot of guys are going to get early opportunities to start.”
Even with the depth chart taking some hits, Dintaman has confidence in his coaching staff and the incoming freshman class, who he describes as “very athletic.”
The Pride has a tough schedule ahead that will test the young team, as they will play some of the best teams in the region.
They started their season winning a series against Georgia Highlands College 2-1. They competed in a series of four games against Kellogg Community College at Grady Field last weekend, in a rematch of last year’s regional finals.
“I really hope we see a big turnout at Grady this season,” Dintaman said. “It’s a beautiful place to play even though it’s off campus. But there are a lot of good guys representing Sinclair playing, and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone to watch.”
The team has fifteen home games in March, and all home games will be broadcast on the Gem City Sports Network.
Henry Wolski
Reporter