With winter activities coming to a close, spring athletes are shaping up for another season of lacrosse, soccer, track and field, golf, baseball and tennis.
The Wesleyan Wolves are already off to a winning season.
The iconic Turner Field has come to a close with the last game on Oct. 2, 2016. After 19 years of Turner Field standing in Atlanta it has finished with victory win. Turner Field is made up of 49,586 seats, the home of a 40-man team that has around two million fans. The next chapter for the Braves is in motion. Has the next season is set to begin at the SunTrust Park in Cobb County. e
In memory of Turner Field, Hall of Fame member Chipper Jones, a legendary member of the Atlanta Braves with the record of 2,726 hits, 1,619 runs and 468 home-runs called Turner Field his home away from home, in an interview with Joe Mox. Jones was just one out of many members that shaped the Braves baseball team.
The new SunTrust Park will be more than just a baseball field, it will hold restaurants, shops and apartments. In addition there will be restaurants in the stadium, even one on field level. The Chophouse restaurant with be built behind outfield with a glass wall to give a view that the players see.
The Braves’ first game at SunTrust Park in 2017 will be a preseason game against the New York Yankees on March 31, while the first regular season game is scheduled for April 14 against the San Diego Padres.
According to the Braves’ website, the SunTrust Park will be the perfect marriage of classic ballpark feel, modern amenities and southern hospitality, creating a fan experience unlike any other. An intimate setting of 41,000 seats (20 percent smaller than Turner Field) will be designed to maximize sight lines, making every seat feel like the “best in the house.”
Sophomore Luke Schiller says, “Having my dad work on the board of the new park, I’ve had the opportunity to observe the park being built. I’m very excited for SunTrust Park, I think it will be a great edition to Atlanta and will make people want to come to the games. I think it is better than Turner Field in many ways, one being it is in a way more convenient area. It is also better because you don’t have to just come to the game and then leave. There is a new Avalon type of feel next to the stadium where you can hang out before and after the game. You also can just go there without actually going for the game.”
Junior Stewart Stamper says, “I am excited for it, however I don’t understand why we needed a new stadium. I loved everything about Turner Field”. Unlike Schiller, Stamper is not has excited for the new SunTrust Park, “I don’t think it will be better than Turner Field because there are so many memories and the atmosphere at turner field I feel like will be better”.
As the chapter closes on Turner Field, Braves fans look forward to the new SunTrust Park.
The Wesleyan Wolves are stepping up to the plate for another run at a state title. So far this season, the Wolves have played some formidable out of region opponents and fared quite well, only losing three games, while winning twelve.
Junior Colin Hall is excited about the season and said, “We have performed really well this season thus far against opponents that have done well in the past. We have a long way to go, but it is looking good so far.”
Things have indeed gone well thus far, as the Wolves have been gaining momentum every game, correcting errors that would haunt them in a state playoff game. In the upcoming months, the baseball team will face many strong opponents such as North Gwinnett and Greater Atlanta Christian.
Pitching has been living up to the hype this season. Due to solid performances by seniors Andy Archer and Alex Thompson, the Wolves have been stellar in the field. On paper, the pitching has been great, but in the game, it has been all the more valuable. The leadership and clutch performances are something that must be seen to fully appreciate.
Hitting has also been phenomenal. Led by Colin Hall, Cole Mannion, Mikey Olsen, Ryan Weed and Michael Payne, the Wolves have been off to a hot start at the plate. With a handful of come-from-behind wins, the Wolves have been hitting when they are needed most.
On another note, Senior Mikey Olsen hit his first career home run against Benedictine on the road trip the team took the weekend of March 5th. On that trip, the Wolves played South Effingham and Benedictine, beating both. Benedictine, the state champions from two seasons ago, and the Wolves, the reigning state champions, went toe to toe on a beautiful Saturday morning in Savannah. The Wolves not only walked away with a victory, but also with a preview of an opponent they may face in the state playoffs.
The Wolves are in need of support, as the region schedule is about to begin. Make sure to make it to a game or two as the games are about to become very important for the Wolves and their berth in the playoffs. Region play begins March 15th.
The Wesleyan Wolves are also on Twitter now, so follow their account. Their “handle” is: @_WolvesBaseball. Updates, scores and inside information will be tweeted out by “GameChanger manager,” Alex Burke.
Spring sports are often overlooked, with most of the attention on sports like football and basketball; however, last year the girls tennis team won a state championship, the baseball team won a state championship, the girls soccer team made it to the final four, the boys soccer team made it to the state championship, the boys track and field team won region, the girls track and field team were state runner ups, and many individual events won state.
A team is a group of people linked with a common purpose, and this season there are many teams fighting to be significant competitors in the playoffs. Soccer, baseball, lacrosse, track, golf and tennis are all vital sports in the Wesleyan community. With such a small school, it is imperative that many students participate in all of the sports that they can for Wesleyan to be prosperous in athletics.
