With the return of some key players, the Foster Bulldogs want to improve on last season’s league record.
Those key players include Drew Jorgensen, Tyler Amin, David Em and Mario Stempa, out of 30 players who turned out this year, according to Coach Eric Hall.
“We have worked really hard to play the game the right way here at Foster,” said Hall, a teacher at Foster who’s in his fifth year coaching Foster baseball. “This includes hustling, being coachable, treating our teammates with respect and treating our opponents with respect.”
The Bulldogs’ league record as of Thursday, April 15, was 2-5, which included a 5-3 victory over Renton, and an overall record of 4-7, including a season-opening win over Rainier Beach, 19-4.
Last year’s record was 5-15 overall and 5-9 in league play.
Hall calls Jorgensen the team’s “ace and will allow us to compete with any team in the league.” Amin is the lead-off hitter and center fielder who “can cover a lot of ground in the outfield,” Hall said
Em catches and hits for power and average, Hall said. Last season, he hit a grand slam and a three-run homer. But he’s out for the season after suffering a broken hand in the third game.
“He is going to be tough to replace, but our guys will step up,” Hall said.
Stempa is a captain and plays a number of roles, including batting third, pitching and playing shortstop and third base.
Junior Noa is a newcomer from Foster’s JV team last year. “He has a great attitude and has played a contributing role so far this year,” Hall said, playing second base well defensively.
