One of the things that bring a town closer together is a successful athletics program. When the local high school sports team is doing well in their respective league, it will become the talk of the town and will have all the neighbors excited. This also has a good effect on the community, as studies have shown that when a town or part of the city has a successful athletics program, it motivates the youth to spend their time better. Juvenile crimes rates of robbery and drug abuse go down, and more teens are found spending time in the local field or court playing with friends.
So the question is, how do you raise a good team? Of course, there are a lot of answers to that question. A good coach, a great environment, a community that supports them, knowing the regulations and adhering to them, equipping the team with NCAA and NFHS rules-compliant equipment like BBCOR bats—these are just a few of the reasons why great high school teams are what they are. However, there are some high school teams that just seem to have a knack of doing great at baseball, even going so far as to produce Major League players. Here, we list out five notable high school baseball teams.
Alfred M. Barbe High School (Lake Charles, Louisiana)
The Barbe High baseball team has gained popularity since they won the state championship 20 years ago. They have repeated that feat seven times since then, and they were also ranked first in the country for the 2013-2014 school year. They were also able to produce six 5A State MVPs, and were the winners of the NIKE SPARQ national championship challenge. Last, but not the least, the 2014 team was also the High School National Champions. Notable alumni who are currently in Major League Baseball are Garin Cecchini, younger brother Gavin Cecchini, Joe Lawrence, and Wade LeBlanc, to name a few.
Jesuit High School (Tampa, Florida)
Being an all-male catholic school, a lot of people would be surprised at how successful the sports program is at Jesuit High. Having great teams in basketball, football, soccer, and baseball, and more, they have become a force to be reckoned with across the board. This goes with baseball as well, bringing home four state championships, as well as having the best high school baseball field in the country. The latter was awarded by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2011. They have also produced many notable MLB players, including 1969 Rookie of the Year Lou Piniella and 1977 Hall of Famer Al Lopez.
Valley High School (Winchester, Nevada)
The Valley High Vikings have long been known as a formidable team in the world of baseball. They have won seven baseball state championships, and have produced many MLB players, most notable of which is Greg “Mad Dog” Maddux, the former Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs player, and quite arguably one of the best pitchers the sport has ever seen.
Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.)
Quite possibly one of the most decorated sports teams in the state, they have dominated the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association’s baseball since 1993. After 26 years of DCIAA championships, their team has definitely cemented itself as a giant within their district. An old coach, Eddie Saah, even had a 210-1 win-loss record in league games for the 16 years that he ran the program. Since Saah’s retirement, the last two coaches haven’t even received a loss in the DCIAA.
By Slowking4 [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
The school has dominated the baseball scene for so long that some have even though that they might actually be bored of it. Considering that they have been undefeated for the past 20 seasons, one could imagine why some would feel that way. However for the most part, the Wilson Tigers baseball team is still going strong, and show no signs of stopping in the near future.
The hard truth of the matter is that there are simply too many factors (the quality of BBCOR bats for high school that you’ve equipped the team with for one) that go into having a dominating baseball team. No matter how good the coach, it will be tough for him to win consecutive seasons without dedicated players. No matter how talented the player, his skill is wasted without a supportive school. It’s not just one factor that goes into it, but an amalgamation of multiple aspects that make a great team. However, one thing is for sure: Great teams can pop out of nowhere, so it’s usually hard to predict which the next one will be. One thing to remember too is that it isn’t just winning that makes the game fun; it’s the effort of reaching for the top that truly makes the experience worthwhile.