It’s opening day at Remington Park. The infield’s freshly raked and the outfield’s trimmed perfectly. The “Remy Boys” are rowdy in the dugout for the beginning of their 2023 campaign. 

After a disappointing loss to Grand Rapids Christian in the District Finals last season, the Pioneers baseball team is looking for revenge this spring. The team brings back six starters from last year, which will be pivotal to their success on the field. With these returners, the Pioneers expect to exceed expectations and go further into the playoffs than last season. 

“Personally, I think this team should end up on the top of our conference, maybe top two, and we as a team believe we should win our district,” Peter Heintz ‘24 said. 

These goals are nothing new for the team, as success is a standard, not a hope. 

“That’s what our standards are, winning the district, the regionals, and then the state championship,” Heintz said. 

Despite the on-field standards that stay consistent year over year, the “Remy Boys” will have some changes to the coaching staff, roster, and overall team culture. 

This year, the Pioneers gained a new assistant coach in Matthew Klein. Coach Klein’s role will be to help the team all around, from batting to fielding. 

“I’m really excited about Coach Klein coming to the roster. I love the energy he brings. He’s a light in every practice, so I’m really happy to have him,” Heintz said.

There are also big changes coming to the Pioneers’ roster this spring. The team graduated eight seniors last season, so there were several spots open on the roster before tryouts began. 

“It’s always exciting to start a new season, and this year we’ve got some new juniors like Scotty Millman ‘24,” Liam O’Malley ‘23 said. 

The new players on the team will be a big part of the team’s success on the field. 

“We have a bunch of guys that could pitch, hit anywhere in the defense. So I think that we’re gonna be a lot stronger this season compared to last season when it comes to players that can come off the bench and get really solid wins,” Heintz said. 

The juniors will also help with the team’s character and intimidation factor.

“We might destroy other team’s mental composure with our consistent chirps during games,” O’Malley said.

The team will not only be leaning on upperclassmen for production, especially in the infield. 

Daniel Klein ‘25 is the sole underclassman for the “Remy Boys” this year, and will look to help bolster the team’s defensive abilities.

“Daniel Klein will play a solid role in our infield this season, and I think he will definitely play super solid defense for us,” Heintz explained. 

Heintz also will have a different role in the defense this year.

“Defensively, I’m gonna have to definitely pick up more slack. Last year I had more of a two-position role. This year I’ll play upwards of three to four roles, from pitching to catching, or anywhere in the infield,” Heintz said.

Look to catch the “Remy Boys” at Remington Park all spring long as they make their way towards the state championship in East Lansing.