Head Coach Tracy Archuleta and his baseball team have two things in mind when looking towards the upcoming season and having a winning record.

“It’s all about pitching, pitching and defense,” Achuleta said.

Coming off a weak start to this season, the baseball team is 1-2.

Pitching played a major part in why the Eagles lost their last two games.

“We couldn’t find the zone and Taylor just didn’t seem comfortable out there next week we’re going to let Taylor ease into it, ” Archuleta said.

Although the team stumbled during their last two games, the entire pitching lineup from the national championship team has returned.

The lineup is led by Taylor Dennis, the number one pitcher from last year. Dennis is currently sitting in the bullpen as he recovers from surgery on his elbow.

“We have about six to seven guys who can start for us at any time,” pitcher Trevor Leach said.

The added pressure from last year serves as motivation for the team, according to Leach.

“It really forces us to play well knowing that we have that target on our back.”

In the off season, the entire team did weight training as well as running. In addition to this, they added sports acceleration to their regime, which has made a lot of players stronger, especially in their “lower” half, according to Leach.

Much like with every other sport, repetition is key. The pitching lineup will throw twice a week from the mound, but will throw every day from other areas to build arm strength, according to Archuleta.

At the end of the day, pitching wins national championships or championships in general.

“Pitching wins championships, if our pitching can keep the runs down, then our hitters can be more comfortable to score runs,” Leach said.

“We have a lot of experience and a lot of maturity,” Archuleta said. “We expect a lot out of them but that being said they know this game can change with the swing of the bat.”