OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Varsity teams performance will depend heavily on some new faces

by Carter McDevitt mcdevittcarter@gmail.com

A new look is on the horizon for the FHN varsity baseball team as a mix of old and new faces look to make their debut in the first game of the season against Parkway North on March 17. North, led by long time coach Bobby Dunahue, is looking to improve upon their 2022 season where they out-performed expectations, holding a record of 15-18 and even winning a district game.

“I think [our performance last year] was solid, better than a lot of people expected,” center fielder and senior Steven Thompson said. “I think we won some pretty good games.”

This year’s varsity squad finds a good cast of returning faces, seniors like first basemen Ryan Wilson and catcher Patrick Martinez, who have been on varsity since their sophomore year. Together with newly committed UMSL pitcher Trey Schnieder, they hope to outperform their solid season last year. They will also be in the leadership position for the first time this season, and how well they fill that position will

March Madness

by Tony Biondo steveharrington@gmail.com

The NCAA March Madness tournament, also known as the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, is one of the biggest events in college sports. Each year, 68 college basketball teams from across the country compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion.

Series To Look Out For

Some of the biggest series for FHN. All games start at 4:15p.m.

VS. FHC

April 4 @FHC

April 5 @FHN VS. FZW

April 11 @FHN

April 12 @FZW VS. FHH

April 25 @FHH

April 26 @FHN directly impact the teams overall performance this year.

“We lost a lot of seniors from last year and we have a lot of first year varsity players this year,” Wilson said. “We’re gonna have to take on more of a leadership role.”

North’s going to most likely find trouble filling the gaps in production left by players who graduated last season. North had a very good senior cast last year with players like alumni Sean Hampton and DeVon Jennings hitting around .300 in almost 100 at-bats, and Derek Archer and Kyle Button pitching well on the mound. Losing seniors is a problem every school team faces, but for a team that was right under .500, losing some top talent is especially hard. The X-factor to FHN’s success this year is the new players on varsity and how they perform, so the proven players will need to step up and help them get to a winning level.

“I think we’ll be a little over .500 overall, better than I think a lot of people are expecting this season,” Thompson said. “I think overall, the younger kids can play ball so I think we’ll be alright.”

The tournament is a three-week extravaganza that starts in mid-March and ends in early April. It comprises four regions: East, West, South and Midwest, with each region consisting of 16 teams. The teams are seeded from one to 16, with the highest seeds being the best teams in the country. The tournament’s early rounds, known as the “First Four,” consist of eight teams playing in four games to determine which four teams will advance to the main tournament.

The NCAA March Madness tournament is not just a sporting event, but also a cultural phenomenon. Millions of people across the country fill out brackets, predicting which teams will win each game.

The NCAA March Madness tournament is a celebration of college basketball and a testament to the talent and dedication of student athletes. Each year, it provides some of the most exciting moments in sports and is a must-watch for any sports fan.