CODY LEIST

PDT Sports Writer

With their high school careers having expired, seniors of the Wheelersburg Pirate baseball team discussed their favorite moments of not only this past season, but their four years wearing the orange and black. They also offered words of wisdom to the underclassmen as they take the reigns of the program:

On the most-enduring memory:

“Winning the state championship, that’s what’s going to stick out the most. Still today, it hasn’t sunk in. It just feels like it was a regular game that we had won.” — Zach Flanagan

“Winning my last game. It’s awesome when your last game as a senior, you go out on top as a state champion. We’re going to get a nice shiny ring here in a few months.” — Alex Shears

What is going to be missed about high school baseball at Wheelersburg:

“It’s probably the guys you meet. I remember being a kid and coming into the program, you know these names but you don’t really know them yet. Wade (Martin) probably feels like that right now. You’ve got a freshman who probably knows some of the older guys like Austin (Hall), Nub (Austin Boyer). You’ve got some guys that have been around and left their impact.” — Brett Hood

“The chemistry that we had off the field. Getting together (at different) nights, watching baseball games, watching playoff basketball. Just the relationship that the coaches have with us is a pretty good one. It’s just special when you think to look back, the coaches are straightforward with you and they care a whole lot for you.” — Austin Hall

Words of wisdom towards the underclassmen:

“They have to stay together as a family and as friends. They can’t be separated by adversity on the field like in practice, playing time or whatever. They have to support each other equally, every one of them.” — Austin Boyer

“Hard work, focus and determination with everything you do can get you anywhere. That’s what we’ve learned over the last four years, working hard every day that’s going to get you to some pretty high places.” — Jonathan Clevenger

Cody Leist can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 242, or cleist@heartlandpublications.com.