Junior Malachi Meni was shocked as he hit a ball against the far fence at Angel’s Stadium on March 28. Meni hit a triple, setting the Tribe up to beat Troy 12-2.
“I was definitely not expecting it to happen. I knew off the bat it was a pretty good hit, but I didn’t think it was going to nearly go out,” Meni said. “I was running, and then I saw a long hop. Everyone was like awww. It was really cool.”
The baseball team (7-1) sits first in the Freeway League, hoping to secure their third league title in a row. The 2022 season, the Tribe advanced to the Divison 4 CIF Finals. Last year, they moved to Divison 2, continuing their CIF journey but falling short of the finals. This year, the baseball team will compete in the Division 1 CIF Championships.
Meni says the team looks forward to post-season and intense competition.
“I think we’re going to have a good driving set. Division 1 this year, so that’s definitely a lot harder, especially SoCal. But winning league is the goal. Everything after that is the bonus,” Meni said.
The baseball team has adapted to the loss of many players, including senior Niko Mendez and junior Luke Galvan who both tore their ACL in the fall. Galvan was set up to be a key pitcher this year; unfortunately, his junior season was cut short due to his injury. However, Galvan has recently begun to throw in the bullpen as he continues to focus on building back strength for next season.
Meni said many pitchers have stepped up, especially younger pitchers such as freshman Noah Lee and sophomore Declan Fitzgerald.
“It’s definitely been hard. We’ve always had the question of how would we be if [Luke] was able to pitch. But, we have been able to move forward and deal with what we have now,” Meni said. “Some of the other guys stepped up that I didn’t think were going to pitch. It has been great to see.”
Fitzgerald pitched a total of 10 innings his freshman year. This year, he has become a key pitcher for the team. Fitzgerald says it has been different for him.
“Last year, I would just chill in the dugout the whole game. Mm. But this year, not knowing when I’m going to pitch, it’s different. But I have enjoyed it,” Fitzgerald said.
The Tribe will play their final home game against Buena Park on April 23.
