“These kids are more excited than I thought they’d be,” Filbin said. “They want to win and their goal is to get some wins this year and just to grow on the fundamentals.”
“Jim is a good coach, he’s brand-new to school, just like I’m brand-new to the team,” senior Abel Villa said. “I’ve learned a lot of things from [Filbin] in just the span of a week that I don’t think I would have learned as much with any other coach. The stances for batting and the right way to move your feet … and how to run bases. There was a lot to learn in one week, and we got it done.”
Villa said that after graduation, he plans to enroll at Northern Arizona University to study education after being enrolled in the Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education and experiencing instruction with first and sixth graders, with the goal of teaching older grade levels after he graduates.
“I want to have fun and enjoy the game,” Villa said. “I know that the past seasons have not had a lot of achievements, and this year, that’s one of our goals, to not either, not only just win, but enjoy the team and my last ride at the school.”
Catcher Nic McAtee, a senior who has played throughout his time at SRRHS, will be the team captain this year. Canceling last season “was a bummer, but I think it was what was best at the time,” McAtee said. “But I’m going to give as much help as I possibly can to the rest of the team.”
McAtee said that he felt he has gained a deeper understanding of the game from Filbin, learning new techniques and strategies that have expanded his skill set, such as how his popup time to throw from home plate to second base to stop steals has improved.
“A lot of improvements I’ve already seen in others is base running,” McAtee said.“I learned a lot of new base running tricks and tips, and even batting stuff. We’ve also started new drills to work on hand-eye coordination, which is just going to benefit the whole team this season.”
After graduation, McAtee said that he plans to get a degree in psychology at Northern Arizona University and is considering applying to medical schools afterwards to become an osteopath.
“McAtee, shows up every day, works hard, and does everything he’s asked,” Filbin said. “[Villa] has been really helpful and has made noticeable progress in the past week. I was working with him on batting and saw that he wasn’t following through on his swing or putting enough power behind it. I gave him a reminder: ‘Hey, man, finish that swing and really drive through the ball.’ By the end of practice, he looked ten times better.”
“Alexis Landaverde is another player with strong potential,” Filbin said. “The previous coach said he was a key source of power in the lineup, and I’ve already seen that in the batting cage. I think he’ll be a solid contributor this season. Erik [Guerra Vasquez] has also stood out with his strong work ethic — I’ve seen nothing but good things from him so far. It’s still early … but first week laid a great foundation.”
