Shiprock baseball awaits their time to shine

Posted by Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi | Mar 26, 2015 | Baseball |

SHIPROCK

Shiprock High School sophomore and first baseman Dillon Begay makes a catch during an afternoon practice on March 23 at Shiprock High School. Begay and the Chief are looking to make another run at a state appearance this season. (Times photo – Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi)

The Shiprock High School baseball team anxiously files in a single line near second base. Their coach tosses a ball into the outfield and each player is required to catch it without a glove. It’s just another practice on a beautiful day.

The team on the field is the same team that took the school to the state tournament last season and had one of the, if not the, best seasons in school history.
But if you take a closer look, it’s not the same team.

“It’s a little bit surprising,” said Shiprock head coach Alfred Baer. “I keep asking myself, ‘what more can I do?’”

The team only lost two players from their all-star team last season but are having a hard time playing at the level they should be.

Baer, who is in his second year as head coach for the Chieftains, dissected the games the team has had so far and compared their performances in the same games last season.

He said last season his team defeated Montezuma-Cortez in Cortez’s tournament in the championships game, but this year they lost to them. And just last week, they lost all three of their games in the Piedra Vista High School junior varsity tournament. They were 5-6 overall at deadline.

With seven of the nine starters back from last season, Baer said he’s not sure exactly what the problem is.