The crack of bats and thud of cleats are back! San Dimas High School baseball kicked off its annual tryouts this December, drawing players seeking to earn a roster spot on the team. With shifting expectations, new talent, and different competition, players are going into tryouts knowing that earning a spot is as difficult as ever with expectations rising. 

For a program with a reputation as being one of the best in the San Gabriel Valley, winning league titles, and sending players to college programs and major leagues, the pressure surrounding tryout week is nothing new. This year however, standards were different, moving to a new league means tougher opponents, and with many star varsity players leaving, expectations are still there. This years tryouts were different than most, as there were cuts to returning players, and the incoming players who came to tryout had something to prove for a spot on the team.

The start of tryouts on Monday marked the beginning of evaluation, with a heavy focus on hitting and fielding. Players went through hitting stations in the cages, where coaches analyzed quality of contact, swing mechanics, and consistency. Infielder’s got infield work with ground balls in different scenarios while outfielders took fly balls and threw the ball in to their cut man. This was specifically a day to show off fundamentals and execution. Monday was the day for those trying out to show first impressions and allow their raw talent and skill to be seen by the coaches they then moved to metrics, where they ran the 60 yard dash. Those trying out lined the foul line and got ready to run their 60 yard dash where a coach was waiting to clock their time at the end.

On Tuesday, it was mainly focused on hitting and fielding, to see their skills again up close in different situations and focused repetitions on a different position if those who were trying out played both infield and outfield.

Wednesday and Thursday brought the most anticipated segment of tryouts, a staple for varsity players and tryouts in general: live scrimmages with a twist. Instead of the coaching staff leading the on field action, varsity players stepped into the coaching roles. With coaching teams of two there was a fun and competitive challenge mixed with banter between coaches because of the punishment which had to be done for the losing team. This allowed coaches to watch from a distance with their radar guns, notepads, and seeing the whole field. They focused on instinct, baseball IQ, and fundamentals to real game situations. These were the qualities which often separated a practice standout to a team contributor.

By the end of Thursday, players were tired, dusty and anxious about the results that would soon follow. Still they all knew that they had tried out for a sport that takes more than just skill and physical ability but also mentally challenging as well.

Sammy Venegas is an incoming freshman who plays catcher, and felt that tryouts were “fun” although he was “a little bit nervous.”

The San Dimas Baseball tryouts came different this year, and this tradition of grit, competition, and mental fortitude comes every winter where anyone here at San Dimas can try out and contribute to the program which holds such high expectations.