Chemistry can be very underrated in the game of baseball.
Yes, like in any sport, teams perform best when they all get along but it is more common to resort to chemistry whether or not a football or basketball team has success.
For Thunderbird baseball, chemistry has led to incredible success in 2016. The individual play of many on the roster has been great but how well the Chiefs know each other and play together is really what has made the season so special.
The roster is made up of eight seniors who go back further than the four years in high school. Many of them played in Shaw Butte Little League in Phoenix and go back as far as tee ball playing with one another. There is a bond and a friendship that has been formed with these players and this community which has led to their 23-5 record this season become something that has been over a decade in the making.
“These guys were my first group when I got started with this program four years ago,” said Thunderbird head coach Clay Klavitter. “I knew this was a special group not just talent-wise but with the quality of kids they were. The leadership qualities and their chemistry is the difference with this group compared to teams in the past.”
“I think they absolutely deserve anything they get on the field this year because they are such great kids, I want them to experience everything they can in the playoffs,” mentioned Coach Klavitter. “We talked about before the season that no matter how far we got, we were going to have a successful year regardless of record because of the amount of fun we are going to have.”
The fun has translated and as the Chiefs embark on the post season tournament, the seniors reflected on their history with one another and why this chemistry could be the key that takes them all the way.
