The district win against Lockhart on April 5 marked head baseball coach Chad Krempin’s 500th career win.
“It’s a milestone for coaches so when you get to that point, it’s a big deal in our community,” Krempin said. “It’s important to me because it meant that throughout my career, there was a great deal of consistency. I was excited about it and the team, the parents, and my family all celebrated too.”
In his 21 years of coaching, he’s taken his teams to four state tournaments, is the only coach in Texas who has been to four different classifications and has taken three different teams from three different schools to state.
“It’s like life in a lot of ways,” Krempin said. “There’s a lot of struggles, there’s constant let downs and disappointment, and there’s highs and lows, and so you have to know that you’re gonna have ups and downs, highs and lows, you’re gonna have to be able to cope with those and move on and rebound.”
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With help from sophomore Jacob Soliz, junior Connor Thompson is painted in eye black. Thompson has played baseball since he was four-years-old and played in the outfield. “I catch fly balls and try to contribute to the team,” Thompson said. “The team is really fun to be around and if you’re successful, you’re having fun.”
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At home plate, senior Tyler Espinosa prepares to bat against Glenn. Espinosa said he made it a goal to win the state championship. “Playing with my guys and winning with them, that’s the end goal,” Espinosa said. “Anytime you get the chance to do that, you always have some energy, and the game’s long, but you’re having fun, so you don’t really notice it.”
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Up to bat, senior Rayner Heinrich prepares to hit the ball. Heinrich committed to Tarleton State for baseball. “Before the game, as a team, we like to pray,” Heinrich said. “After we do that, I like to go off and be secluded and do my own little thing. It’s helped me be calm and have more fun.”
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The baseball team holds a record of 24-6 this season and 10-2 in the district as of April 23.
“We want to win the state championship and we have a chance to do that this year,” senior Tyler Espinosa said. “We’re in one of the most competitive districts in the state and we’re doing really well.”
This year, the team has three All-State players, seniors Oscar Salazar, Rayner Heinrich and Landon Miller.
“I’m hoping I continue to play the next level and go as far as I can,” Heinrich said. “For every pitch, I have to stay locked in and keep my teammates up and have fun.”