The Jupiter High Baseball team kicked off the 2024 season on Feb. 19 with a 4-3 win over Wellington.
The team has secured a series of early victories and a strong start to their season, with a record of four wins and two losses.
“The team is off to a strong start, having won their opening season tournament down at Santaluces, including beating Dwyer in the final,” Scott Selvidge, Athletic Director, said.
Entering the 2024 season, Kyle Young, previous assistant coach at Jupiter High, took over as head coach.
“Prior to this season we got a new coach, which luckily happened to be Coach Young, who had been assistant coach at Jupiter for years, so it wasn’t too big of a change,” Andrew Todd, senior pitcher and outfielder, said. “It wasn’t too big of an adjustment and we all love him so it’s great.”
This season Doug Ferguson returned to the Jupiter Baseball staff as manager, along with Matthew Smith as assistant coach. Ferguson was previously head coach of Jupiter Baseball and has been honored with the Jupiter High baseball field being named the “Doug Ferguson Field.”
“The expectation Jupiter Baseball has is still the same, but it’s been cool to build relationships with the new coaches,” Todd said.
The team has worked to strengthen different aspects, such as the offensive development within the program.
“We have a really good offense in comparison to previous years. There’s a lot of talent on our varsity squad,” Todd said.
Training began in Jan. as tryouts were held and the team prepared for the upcoming season, along with their first preseason game against Park Vista.
“We did live scrimmages every week to prepare me and the entire team for the season,” Ethan Trivison, sophomore pitcher, said.
While there haven’t been many changes within the team since Jan., the team has dedicated themselves to specified training and development in preparation for the season.
“Things have been pretty similar regarding the new staff, but the coaches are allowing us to play rather than dictating every play,” Trivison said.
As the team continues this season, they can look forward to more opportunities together as well.
“I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with my team and for sure the home games. They are always a lot of fun,” Todd said.
Along with the bonds being built, comes the hard work from the team to enhance their level of chemistry with one another.
“We are all super close and push each other during practices and games. It’s a really good environment to play in,” Todd said.
Off the field, the team has created a close-knit bond, strengthening their connection.
“The environment with the team is the best in the county. We have great chemistry on and off the field,” Trivison said.
As the season progresses, Jupiter High looks forward to maintaining their momentum and building on their early successes, while facing their rivals.
“Park Vista beat us in regional finals last year, so they’re a big rival, but Dwyer is our biggest rival by far,” Trivinson said.
Despite these rivals, the players are also optimistic about the team’s prospects this year, with some already speculating a potential run for the state championship.
“I’m looking forward to winning a ring at the end of the season,” Trivison said.
