Mount St. Mary’s Parker Hayes
With momentum on their side, the Mount St. Mary baseball team is eager to get back on the field this season. One player looking to continue to make an impact is Parker Hayes.
“I’m looking forward to competing in Class 4A again as well as working our way back to the state tournament. We made it to the state tournament last year for the first time in 39 years and it was so much fun. I look forward to being in the playoffs again and hopefully competing for the championship this time,” said Hayes.
Despite graduating a few seniors from last year’s team, Hayes said they have confidence in the younger players they have coming up.
“We graduated five starters last year, but we have some very talented young guys with a lot of experience that should fill those roles nicely and make our team very competitive. Also, we have a pretty deep pitching rotation and should get some valuable innings from senior Jackson Miller,” Hayes said. “Will Grayson is an outstanding infielder and pitcher who always puts in a lot of effort and works hard in practice. Also, Harrison Tesio has done an outstanding job behind the plate for me and always makes sure I am ready to go. He also hits bombs!”
“ ”Hayes will play first base, but he’s one of the top pitchers on the team as well.
“I love playing first base, but my greatest strength is when I’m on the mound. Pitching is what I feel I’m called to do in life. I feel very natural when I’m on the bump. I’ve worked very hard in the offseason with a professional trainer and a nutritionist to add strength and velocity to my game,” said Hayes.
While Hayes may be chasing the MSM strikeout record, his focus is on helping his team win.
“We need to support one another and play for each other. If we all take an “I’m third” approach and stay positive and encourage one another we have the ability to go a long way this season and enjoy the journey every step of the way,” Hayes said. “I would like to be remembered for how I made my teammates feel. I want to be remembered as a guy who always competed hard, laughed hard and gave us a chance to win every time I was on the bump. I hope I have inspired my teammates, made my coaches proud and represented my school well. Go Rockets!”
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