Gresham head baseball coach Matt Smallwood says that there is no star player on this year’s team and he likes it that way.

“I don’t see this group as having one or even a few standout players. I see a team of guys that all do their part to compete each day and make each other better.  They are all capable of coming up big in big situations,” Smallwood said.

They showed determination when playing against Wilson March 18th. The team struggled during the majority of the game but they made a comeback after trailing 2-1 coming into the final inning.

“We got a couple of key hits and were able to score a couple of runs to go ahead 3-2 and [we] won the game. That was big, especially considering the struggles we had that day.  It was a confidence and momentum builder for us as a team,” Smallwood said.

     Gresham provided Smallwood with his first opportunity as a head coach this year after 13 years as an assistant coach at Sandy High School. Smallwood has ties to Gresham as his wife was a former gopher.

“Anytime you have a new head coach you have a change in strategy and oftentimes philosophy. That’s definitely the case here. It can be really tough on the players because they get used to doing things a certain way. I think the guys have adapted well to the changes that I’ve made,” Smallwood said.

Sophomore Reece McKenzie says he likes how the team sticks together and has each other’s backs. “I wouldn’t change a single thing, I love the team and love the coaches,” McKenzie said.

At the end of spring break their record was 6-2 with a home game coming up against Centennial April 18.