The St. Thomas Eagles’ 24-time state champions kick off another season. After months of off-season practice and training, beginning in early September and lasting through December, the baseball team is more than eager to get their season underway.
Monday, February 10 marked the home opener for STH baseball as the Eagles faced off against Beaumont Kelly in a competitive battle of two teams looking to start off their season hot. Unfortunately, STH came up one run short with a final score of 2-1, though many positives came about from the game including impressive pitching performances from Hayden Murphy ‘25 and Patrick Daily ‘26.
“It felt good to finally get on the mound in a real game. Everybody wants to win the first game of the season, but at least it was a fun game to play in,” Murphy ‘25 said.
The Eagles then traveled to the Woodlands to square off against Woodlands Christian and Legacy Prep. Their early season struggles continued as they lost 4-1 to Woodlands Christian and 3-2 versus Legacy Prep. Starting a season with three consecutive losses acted as a wakeup call for the team, as changes needed to be made. These defeats quickly became concerns as losing multiple games is no coincidence.
“We had to step it up and change something,” Hudson Vann ‘25 said.
Change something the Eagles did. After their loss to Legacy Prep in the final inning of Friday night’s game on Valentine’s Day, the Eagles came hungry for victory Saturday. The Eagles played a double header at Father Wilson Field against the defending state champions, Central Catholic, followed by All Saints.
The morning game tested the Eagles’ grit and commitment to winning as they won their first game in a thrilling walk off by Evan Wisnoski ‘25. This first victory over the defending state champions of last year was only the beginning as they went on to decimate All Saints in an 11-0 victory.
On Monday, February 17, STH came up against one of their rivals of the past: Bellaire. Last year Bellaire ruined the Eagles’ 5-0 start to the season with a crushing loss at home. This year marked a new story, however, as STH reigned triumphant in a near four- and half-hour dogfight lasting 11 innings. The team rallied back numerous times thanks to a total team effort and a walk off hit by Jackson Ambrose ‘25 sealed the game.
“We needed to win that game. There was no other option after our loss to them last year,” Basilio Williams ‘25 said.
The Eagles are now 3-3 to start off their season. After encountering early season struggles, they have completely flipped the script and now are more confident than ever. They look to get some more wins under their belt as the famous Father Wilson Tournament hosted at Father Wilson Field kicks off this Thursday through Saturday.
