The FHN Varsity Boys baseball team faced off for the first Jamboree of the season on Sat. March 12 against two teams. At noon the Knights played CBC Cadets and faced the MICDS Rams at 1 p.m. The Knights lost to CBC the first game and then defeated MICDS, which makes the current record 1-1.

“It was nice,” Shortstop Eric Derda said. “We had a little practice game of about 4-innings, it was nice.”

The season officially starts with the first home game on March 18 against Hillsboro High School in the Troy Tournament. Varsity coach Mike Freedline has high expectations for the seniors and the new pitching staff this season.

“We just have to get some good pitching out of some guys that wouldn’t be expected too,” Feedline said. “We’ll have some guys step up.”

The varsity team had been practicing every day after school to prepare for the jamboree. Freedline believed that the team was prepared for the games but believed that they didn’t execute as well as he thought they could have. After the games, he believes the outfielders Jake Viehman, Jarrett O’Brian and Blake Lodde will step up and continue with promising hope for the beginning and rest of the season.

“ They came to play and had some good at bats,” Freedline said.

The new season also will include new pitchers and starting sophomores. The team was worried about pitching before the season began and hopes there won’t be any issues or arm problems this season with some of the younger players.

“Last year, all of our pitchers were primarily seniors, and they are all gone this year so we have an all new everything and pitching especially,” Derda said. “Team is a lot different, pitching is a lot different. Everything, just different.”

The baseball team hopes to begin and end the season with both wins and wants to make it past Districts and possibly win State this year.

“Do well in Districts and try to make it as far as possible,” first baseman Graham Riley said.