Swinging for the Fences: Highlights From The Tigers

After three years without a varsity season, the Urbana Tigers baseball team started the season off with a big win against Heritage High School on March 14.

The Tigers have been working hard on and off the field, with a total of 15 runs, one of them being the crowd-shocking home run by senior JayDon Riggs. To get there, the team has been working hard at early morning workouts to not only build the team up strength-wise, but bonding-wise as well.

“I wanted to become the best player I could, so I had to work really hard on the field and in the weight room. The love of the sport is what really keeps me motivated,” said Riggs.

Riggs hit his home run early on in the game, but he has been practicing hard for this moment for a long time. He has been playing since he was three years old, and has been on the team for all four years, but this is only his second time having a varsity season.

“I have a lot of hope for this varsity season. It’s been the best team to me since my freshman year, so I really think we can compete at a high level if we are willing to do so,” he said.

Whenever Riggs can, he puts in the work by going to D-Bat after every practice, working with professional baseball players, and going to Gibson City for specialized workouts to better improve his skills.

“With all the hard work that I put in during the offseason, it was crazy to see it pay off the way it did. The feeling was unmatched,” Riggs said.

Junior Dylan Pettit is a first time varsity pitcher, but he has been playing since he was five. His experience and skills come to show why he was picked. He has pitched a total of 124 pitches this season thus far.

“My teammates help me calm down and get me into a good mindset,” Pettit said. “The season has been a little rough so far, but I think we have a great program and that we can catch many W’s in the upcoming games.”

Don’t miss any of those W’s! Come watch and support the Tigers at their next home game on March 28th at 4:30 versus Villa Grove at Prairie Fields!