When Michael Emerick was in elementary school, he started playing baseball. “My parents thought it was a good idea and my friends were doing it,” he said.

Ever since then, he has been working hard to improve. Over the off season, he had been lifting weights every week as well as playing select baseball outside of school, which prepared him well to play first base this year in his last year playing high school baseball. “It will be tough to let something go that I have played for so long,” he said.

He is ready to end his final year strong with his teammates, who he said are like his brothers. “They always have my back,” he said.

This is the reason that his teammates are his favorite part of being on the baseball team. Joel Plank is his closest teammate, Michael said, as “he is always there to tell me what I’m doing wrong so I can improve” on the field, and off the field he explained, “I can tell him anything and can count on him to be there whenever I need him. A lot of times in games I’ll drop a ball or make a mistake, and he’ll get on me so that I know how I can improve and what I need to do better. He’s a big help in making me stay focused and sharp when we’re playing.”

Ever since his first year playing and all the way up until now, Michael said his inspiration has been his dad. His father has been fighting stage 4 lung cancer for the past two years, so it means a lot to Michael that he knows his dad is there at every game. “He has always been there for me throughout my career, he has been supporting me all the way through,” Michael said. “I love seeing him in the stands and knowing that I can play for him.”

Michael and the rest of the Grizzlies varsity team hope to make it to state this year. They are currently fourth place in Wesco with a record of 10 wins, 11 losses, the Grizzlies are fourth in league.