Swing, Batter Batter, Swing!

From the moment our lower school students stepped out of the carpool line, they could sense the excitement in the air. Cheerleaders, dancers and spring sport athletes greeted everyone with stickers and smiles, followed by an autograph signing in the plaza. Every year, varsity athletes sign autographs for students, but in a new twist this year, Coach Mass’ head became the canvas for their unrelenting sharpies. 

After school, the pep rally boosted student excitement as spring sports were recognized and celebrated. Antics continued with a sack race, a hot dog eating contest, and the annual satirical performance by male cheerleaders in tutus. 

The evening progressed out to the fields where the community was greeted with inflatables, food trucks, and America’s favorite pastime, baseball! The JV baseball team opened the night with a victory against Woodlands Christian Academy, followed by a landslide win in three innings from our varsity softball team against Frassati Catholic High School. Softball Coach Margo Ostarticki reflects “We played as a team and hit the ball really well. Our pitcher, Mackenzie, pitched a perfect game. I was so proud of our girls.” The softball team was joined in the dugout by the Second Baptist first grade softball team, The Dolphins for a special opportunity to connect older and younger athletes. 

As Houston weather delivered with a perfect spring evening, former Houston Astros player and SBS assistant baseball coach Andy Pettitte threw out the first pitch. SBS Vision Choir sang the national anthem to a packed stadium as the community turned out en masse to cheer on our Eagles. The game was a high adrenaline battle, ending with a victory from varsity baseball vs. Woodlands Christian Academy. 

Short stop Ben Feuer ‘23 remembers the best moment of last week’s game was when “the team celebrated the walk off hit that won the game by Christian McCleary, bringing the final score to 5-4”. This attitude of uplifting one another is paramount to the vision for our athletics department, which strives to support continuous growth in each student as a Christian, individual and athlete. The varsity baseball team is made up of “a great group of guys who love God, love each other, love the game and love to compete” pitcher Ty Baker ‘23 reflects. “I’m proud of doing my part to get our team the championship and having the honor to sign with Texas A&M.” Ty is not the only SBS athlete headed on to play at a collegiate level. We are proud to highlight the following athletes and congratulate them on their college career signings.  

• Luke Pettitte - Dallas Baptist University (Baseball)         NCAA DI
• Ty Baker - Texas A&M University (Baseball)             NCAA DI
• Emily Rogers - Colorado School of Mines (Softball)        NCAA DII
• Ben Feuer - Southwestern University (Baseball)             NCAA DIII
• Grayson Willey - University of St. Thomas (Baseball)         NCAA DIII

Coach Walker said it best, “Spring Swing at Second Baptist School is one of my favorite traditions and 2023 was one of our best ever. From start to finish, the day was a success. I loved watching our tennis athletes win district matches in the morning, the pep rally, Coach Mass winning the hot dog eating challenge, and then I loved cheering on our baseball and softball teams to victory in front of packed out stadiums. Special thanks to our Advancement team and Athletic team for executing such a wonderful event.”

Check out these fun photos of Spring Swing! 

If you missed this on social media, check out this pep rally highlight reel!