By Bianca Dinkha
After finishing 18-22 overall, and 9-15 in the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play last season, Dominican baseball enters the 2026 season hoping to bounce back and compete for a conference tournament spot.
Senior outfielder captain Zach Helein emphasizes the importance of leading by example for the rest of the team and putting his best effort forward.
“I think now we’ve really grown into more of a community,” he said. “We’re more of a family where we’re comfortable with each other, where we can hang out with each other, where we’re brothers, and where we could really push each other.”
The team hasn’t reached the NACC postseason since 2019, which is something the program hopes to change this year.
Head coach Steve Hardman recognizes that although the team lost some key players like Grayson Downing, Gavin Zappe and CJ Kalekas, he hopes to build new leaders in rising stars.
“When they spoke, they listened,” he said. “And those guys were really good captains and leaders in our program. They’re definitely missed. Now it’s time for the next group to step up and be leaders.”
Hardman praised captain Zach Helein calling him a “quiet assassin” and arguably the best option in the region, noting his two-time ABCA All-Region honors and national recognition as proof of his impact.
Despite success from returning players, Hardman noted some preseason concerns about newcomers in key positions like catcher and middle infield as well as needing more practice with pitching.
Their grueling training schedule includes early morning practices, sometimes from 11 to one a.m. twice a week, and additional late practices.
“We don’t have a field on campus,” Hardman said. “So, a lot of the things that we need to do defensively, we have to go off campus to be able to do that. With these facilities, you have to go late at night, and that’s not ideal by any means.”
Helein confirms that the schedule is demanding, and that early practices require constant juggling of academics, workouts, and adequate sleep.
“It’s kind of Brutal,” Helein said. “These months are always a grind. Ideally, no one wants to practice from 11 to one, but at the end of the day, it’s been the same thing every year. As soon as we get to baseball, you pretty much forget it. So, it’s more of a blur.”
Hardman emphasizes that while winning is important, the focus is on playing good baseball and creating relationships and experiences for student athletes rather than merely tracking wins and losses.
The stars are set to play against Weaton College in Kentucky on Feb. 28. Their first home game is on Mar. 21 against Milwaukee School of Engineering.
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