
2016 Alumni Kurt Ober and Senior Heath Zuber guiding 6th, 7th, and 8th graders through infield drills. For more photos, visit OFallonWeekly.com.
(O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
O’FALLON – The O’Fallon Panthers Baseball team recently held their annual winter clinic.
Senior Chase Hackstadt proclaimed the purpose of the clinic to be, “To help teach and mold the young baseball players of the O’Fallon community.” Hackstadt and his fellow Senior Christian Koechner have been helping lead this clinic for the past four years and both said their favorite part of the clinic is being a part of that purpose by getting to know, challenge, and play games with the kids.
To the high school players who help with the camp, it is an opportunity for off season teambuilding.
“We work hard in the off season and these guys are more than just my teammates. They’re my brothers out here,” Hackstadt said.
With his brothers on the field and future Panther Baseball players at his side, Koechner talked about his hopes for the upcoming season and what this team means to him.
“Expectations haven’t changed from last year. Hopefully we can win a State Championship… I just want to have a good time out here and make this the best season ever,” Koechner said.
The team begins their season on Wednesday, March 15, when they take on Alton Marquette on the road at 4:30 p.m.
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- Sophomore Tyler Stanton teaching a kid how to hit off of a tee. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
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- Kids sitting in the dugout waiting to practice hitting and running. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
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- Kids heading to their first station the first day of the clinic. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
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- Four year old Quinn Martin said his favorite part about baseball is hitting the ball. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
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- Coach Jason Portz helping to serve pizza at the end of the clinic. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
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- A couple of boys showing the high schoolers their secret handshake. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)
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- 2016 Alumni Kurt Ober and current high schoolers telling the kids what they will be doing at that station. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Becca Jones-Scales)