Baseball improved in district after an 11-inning battle with the Boswell Pioneers on March 28. Boswell took game one of the two-game series with a 7th-inning grand slam where the Bronco comeback effort fell flat, resulting in a 6-1 loss. Despite the loss at home, the team took to the road for a statement win where senior Owen Skinner pitched nine of the 11 innings en route to a 1-0 victory over the 16th-ranked Pioneers. Assistant coach Doug Danser named resilience as the factor for the mid-season success.
“Those guys have the tenacity and the wherewithal to stand through that and fight,” Coach Danser said. “Skinner came out and pitched his tail off.”
For Skinner, the Friday starter, his confidence remained unwavering, as support from his teammates helped propel him through nine innings of shutout baseball.
“It was probably my favorite game of all time,” Skinner said. “They were good, but I knew my boys had me and had my back, and I’d go out there and just pitch like I [do].”
Skinner committed to Howard College joining fellow senior and Tuesday starter, Lincoln Schroeder in Big Spring, Texas. Growing up playing baseball together, Schroeder and Skinner developed a bond on and off the field.
“It’s awesome going there with a couple of guys that I know,” Skinner said. “It’s going to help a lot and make me feel at home.”
Before their freshman year at Howard College, the pair focuses on completing their senior season at Legacy, reaching the playoffs. The Broncos reached the playoffs in their last four seasons and remain projected to reach their fifth straight appearance this season.
“If we get the bats out, I think we’ll be very deep contenders and playoffs,” Schroeder said. “[As long as we] keep pitching the way we are, we’re gonna be pretty good.”
To accomplish a playoff berth, a mentality change centered the two with Schroeder zeroing in on building for the next level. He believes the shift to succeed in college starts now during his senior year. As a pitcher, mentality plays a significant role in successful outings on the mound.
“Ever since we’ve committed, we’ve had that chip on our shoulder,” Schroeder said. “We’re committed, let’s start acting like it.”
The Broncos continue marching through this season to meet their end goal of the playoffs. This group of seniors looks to extend their streak of playoff berths in the 2025 season.
“Take it one game at a time is all we can really ask them to do, and that’s exactly what they’re doing,” Danser said. “ [We] don’t worry about too much in the future, and when we get there, we get there.”
