And it’s gone! Head coach buzzes his hair for his team.
Senior catcher Jaden Mcgill seen with a childish grin while shaving head coach David Ashby’s head. “We definitely felt excited to do that.” Mcgill said. “I did think the goal to win five games was hard.”
May 18, 2023
The first thing that may come to people’s minds when they think of Bear Baseball is their streak. Head coach David Ashby decided to change their thinking.
As soon as the team shook hands with Buena Vista following their win 15-0 on April 14, head coach Ashby walked onto the field with a pair of clippers and a bucket without saying a word to the team. They soon understood what he was trying to say.
“We knew it’d be a challenging goal considering we won one game last year, but we knew it was possible,” Ashby said. “So, to add some incentive I told them I’d let them shave my head if they met their goal.”
During pre-season the team sat down with the coaching staff and established goals for the season. One reward for meeting a goal was Ashby letting them shave his head if they won five games during the season.
“As they were setting the goals we talked about some sort of reward if they met their goal,” Ashby said. “I don’t remember what kid said it, but I decided it was a good deal. My wife wanted to see if I looked good bald anyways. So, win-win.”
To gain their first win, the team beat the Fairbury Jeffs 3-2, then slammed the Benson Bunnies 11-1. Next followed the Buena Vista Bison 15-0, then another win against the Bunnies 13-8. To gain their fifth win, when they shutout the Bison in a 17-0 game.
“We were working really hard and just winning,” senior outfielder Cooper Robinson said. “Knowing this is our best season in the past recent years is always a bonus.”
Most of the team is made up of players that had never stepped foot on the field before, so to see this much progress compared to last season has made the coaching staff proud of the Bryan Baseball program.is.
“Over the course of last season, summer ball, fall ball and winter conditioning, we’ve seen those same kids grow into amazing baseball players,” Ashby said. “I’m so proud of how much they’ve improved. Taking on the challenge of playing baseball takes a lot of courage, and we have some of the bravest kids at Bryan in our dugout.”
Heading into their final games of the season, the bears were determined to gain their 8 wins.
“It’s going to be tough, we’ve only got three games guaranteed,” Ashby said. “And if they believe in themselves, we can actually beat Northwest, we can beat Westview.”
Their season concluded with a tough lost against the Fremont Tigers 15-0, throwing away the team’s shot at post season play. Unfortunately, the team didn’t meet their 8 wins to shave Ashby’s beard but they ended the season with 6 wins and goals to make the program stronger. This season will be remembered has having the most wins since 2018.
