After going seven and seven last season and losing in the first round of the regional tournament, the McLean Baseball team is looking to bounce back and add depth to their already prolific team. With starters like Virginia Tech commit Griffin Stieg and William and Mary commit Evan Fontaine, the team is already loaded with star power. 

“Everyone comes in with a clean slate every year,” head coach John Dowling said.

Over 60 boys will be trying out for the team this year, the highest number since Dowling has taken over the program. Dowling and his staff of eight coaches evaluate players based on their baseball skills, such as hitting, fielding, pitching and base running. 

“With 60 students trying out, not everyone will make it. It always depends on what the team needs based on positions and of course the number of pitchers,” Dowling said. “We typically keep somewhere around 20 on Varsity and 18 on JV.”

For many, the tryout process is nothing new.

“This is my third year trying out,” junior Qais Sarsour said. “I have played JV for the past two years and I am looking to make varsity this year.”

The process for the tryout is different than many might think. All the coaches carefully watch and evaluate the number of reps everyone achieves to maximize performance.

“We run it more like a practice,” Dowling said. “We’ll hit batting practice on the field and in the cages, do some defensive drills and get a lot of live defensive looks,” 

For other new students, this is their first high school baseball tryout.

“As a freshman, it can be nerve-wracking to try out with all the older students, but I have been practicing and feel prepared for this week,” freshman Ethan Ball said.

At the beginning of every season, there’s always a lot to look forward to. Dowling remains optimistic that this year’s team will succeed. 

“This looks like it will be the most competitive tryout we’ve had in my 9 years at McLean,” Dowling said. “Unfortunately, we cannot keep everyone, but we’re lucky to play in a community that values baseball so much.”