The silence before the pitch, the whirl of the ball and the crack of the bat: the sounds of spring echo across the baseball diamond as the season wraps up. For the Pinewood baseball team, this season has been particularly unique given the influx of new players, including seniors Jakob Kleiman and Ethan Roh.

   Kleiman, who has only played football and basketball at Pinewood, joined the baseball team to close out his high school athletic career on a high. 

   “All my friends were playing, and there’s no place I’d rather be than with them on the field,” Kleiman said.“I feel happy that I get to have one final sports season with some of my closest friends, and I’m going to be real sad when it’s all over come May.”

   Although the team has a variety of new faces this season, some players, such as senior Cole Chatterjee, have been with the team since freshman year. 

   “I’m sad that it’s ending, but I’m just glad I get to finish the season playing well and with all of my friends,” Chatterjee said.

   As a longtime player and leader of the team, Chatterjee has tried to make it clear to the new players that making mistakes is normal, and that communication is key.

   “I always know mistakes are going to happen, but it’s more important to learn from your mistakes and prevent them from happening again,” Chatterjee said. 

   Even with the added bumps that come with new players joining the team, Chatterjee is more than happy to share his senior season with all of his friends.

   “Having my closest friends on the baseball team just makes everything about the season so much better,” Chatterjee said.