Coleman Armes
Staff Writer
Coppell High School baseball is known for producing great teams and the 2011 Cowboys are winning with a noticeably younger roster.
Sophomore infielders Tyler Zabojnik and Tyler Jones, and sophomore pitchers Austin Gardner, Jake Elliott and Matt Delaney are all playing for varsity this season, something coach Don English says has not happened in his nine years as Cowboys head coach.
These five have not just sat in the dugout this season, either, as each has seen playing time and is contributing on the field.
Zabojnik has had 22 at bats and Delaney has had 12, while Jones has a batting average of .348. Elliot has posted two wins, while Garner has one win for the team.
Before these five sophomores could make an impact on the Cowboys, though, they had to adjust to the difference between varsity and other levels of baseball.
“The speed of the game is a lot faster and the intensity level is a lot higher when it comes to varsity,” Gardner said.
The coaches are doing a solid job of easing the transition the sophomores are making to varsity and making it as smooth as possible. Each sophomore said they were very appreciative for the coaches helping correct them, as they have stressed not getting too happy or distraught after their performance in a game.
“The sophomores are smart enough to know that they need to be good teammates and be seen not heard,” English says. “They have blended in and performed well, the older kids seem to like them.”
The sophomore class overall is talented. The JV team, which consists of 14 sophomores, recently beat the third ranked Class 3A varsity team in the state in a tournament. That said, the five varsity sophomores stood out due to their talent, and the Coppell coaching staff believes they can make an impact on the next level.
“We chose these five because they fit our needs best at this moment,” English said. “As a whole though, the sophomore class has lots of talent.”
Being the youngest on varsity, the five sophomores look up to the older guys on the team and especially the seniors, many of whom played on varsity as sophomores, as well.
“[Senior captain and shortstop] Adam Toth does it all,” Zabjonik said. “He is a great player and shows a lot of character. He never gets too excited or too mad about his performance and that is what you need in baseball. He is a great leader through his actions.”
The team has already gone through its slate of nondistrict games and is now facing district opponents. After losing two home games to rivals Denton Guyer and Southlake Carroll, the sophomores are looking forward to round two against both of these teams later on during the season.
Playoffs are also coming up, and the team is hoping to make another good run towards a state championship. A state title would be something special for these sophomores to accomplish at such a young age.
If the Cowboys fail to reach that goal this season, though, it should be a surprise if this talented group of sophomores is not at the forefront of a state title in the next few seasons.
