By Dani Tietz
dani@sjodaily.com
For Sam Wesley, the opportunity to carry on the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball tradition carried weight.
“Growing up watching players like Dalton Parker and Ty Brown motivated me to want to compete for a state championship,” Wesley said. “I always wanted to be like their class. They had so much camaraderie and loved the game.”
Wesley believed that the 2020 squad had that special chemistry, too. One that would take them to the IHSA State Finals.
The IHSA canceled state tournaments in April, but kept the door open for possible summer games. St. Joseph-Ogden said they were open to the possibility of summer matches, if they are allowed.
Wesley said that while the Spartans could not take the field together, they continued to check in with each other daily to hold each other accountable and remind each other to go throw or workout.
“It comes down to creativity,” he said. “Being stuck in our houses is terrible, so we have to think of fun ideas to keep getting better.”
Sights set on improvement is all Wesley, who first picked up a bat at the age of three, has known.
“I was the youngest so they let me bat last and at the very least included me in the games,” he said. “I eventually started playing travel baseball and was constantly exposed to the game.”
The exposure didn’t end with what he could do, though. His dad began the tradition of taking him to Wrigley Field each year for his birthday.
“I fell in love with the sport,” he said.
Wesley’s parents have provided the first baseman and right fielder with the equipment and trainers he needed to succeed.
“However, Ryan Tabeling and Lance Kresin (my travel ball coaches) have impacted my athleticism on a whole different level,” Wesley said. “Every winter we held travel ball workouts and practices. Every practice we learned something new and continued to grow as an athlete and a player. These two coaches gave me everything I could ever ask for and have been a major influence to my baseball career.”
A skill set isn’t all Wesley learned, though. He also gained a mindset of accountability that he will take with him wherever he goes.
“If a player does not think they can win, then they have already lost,” he said. “It is important to come prepared and confident in order to win. Leadership is also a key contributor to winning baseball. A team is better when the players hold themselves accountable and the coach can just coach.”
Wesley was part of the 2016 Spartan team that went to the IHSA State Tournament. A freshman, he had a jersey, but knew that his role was to keep the pitching chart.
As a junior, Wesley felt the electric atmosphere on the field as the Spartans captured the Class 2A IHSA Regional Championship. He faced travel ball teammates, Logan Tabeling and Lucas Kresin, in the Sectional game.
“Being able to face them was very exciting,” he said. “Although we came out on the wrong side of the game, the energy and the atmosphere is something I will never forget.”
Wesley said that he never thought the final weeks of his senior year would be taken away, but he has enjoyed spending extra time with his family who will get to watch him graduate from St. Joseph-Ogden this weekend.
“Being part of this program means that everyone is your friend, on and off the field,” he said. “We all work, help, and talk to each other. I have grown up in this program and the best teams are the ones that get along. It means everything to me that no matter what I will have lifelong friends from baseball.”
