Garfield baseball is rarely good.  Most years, they lose by the ten-run rule more than they actually win. Last year was no exception.  This year, however, the baseball team came out with swagger and jumped to a 3 – 0 record.

Garfield started off the season strong with three straight wins against Metro league teams, but the conference schedule will most likely be much harder, simply because “some Eastside players are genetically mutated baseball machines and have been trained since they were three” according to sophomore Hank Droege.  The 6’3, 110 pound Droege was also quick to admit that he was constantly intimidated while playing these grown men.
Some teams the Bulldogs play are ranked in the Seattle Times’ Top Ten, such as Newport and Bothell, along with many others, making the Bulldogs schedule one of the most difficult in the state.
 
The team is led by senior Joe Lucia, whose dad happens to be the coach.  Having been on the baseball team for four years, he has been able to give the team some much needed experience at catcher.

The team has also been blessed with the addition of talented freshman Hayes Gorecki, who has made valuable contributions so far this season.  The most talented player, however, is Seattle Academy senior Peter Summerville, who has been offered scholarships to multiple schools and accepted one to the University of Santa Clara, a top team in the NCAA.  He also competed in the Area Code Games. 

With playing at Bobby Morris comes dangers as well, something that Droege became familiar with.  While using the bathroom, a homeless man approached him with a knife.  With his lightning quick reactions, Hank tackled the man and disarmed him quickly. Sike.  Hank ran away to tell his coach of the incident. 

The top addition this year has been fellow Messenger geek Frankie Pavia, who went from Average Joe to “stud muffin.”  Although the big slugger missed out on baseball all of last year for Garfield, he didn’t need to shake off much rust before going Sammy Sosa on the poor opposing pitchers.  Through the first two weeks of the season, Pavia was riding a five game hit streak without getting a first base hit (meaning he only hit doubles, triples, and home runs).  This put his slugging percentage over 1,000, a number almost unprecedented. 

Although the team has struggled after beginning league play (they are now 4 – 6 with a conference record of 2 – 6), they look to pick up a quick couple of wins after several players return from their spring break absences. 

Currently the best team in Seattle for Kingco 4A, they look to continue punishing their top two rivals, Roosevelt and Ballard.