Walking out of the dugout with a confident stride, junior Seinko Augins clenched his bat with the opportunity to seal his team’s first round victory. Locking eyes with the pitcher, he could tell the pressure was mutual, as a single pitch would end a season for one of them.
The sudden pop on the bat had been the only thing the crowd needed to hear, as roars had begun to pour on the afternoon like a spring shower. A split second before, the crowd had been so quiet that the dirt being tossed around by the wind had been the loudest noise nearby; now it was as if there were a jet flying low above their heads. That ball may have left the field, but it would not leave the audience’s memories.
Who is this sudden hero? Seinko Augins plays as an outfielder for the Ocean Lakes Dolphins and is currently in his third year of baseball, with plenty of experience under his belt. Currently with 18 hits, a batting average of .300, and 2 home runs, Seinko has been a big-time hitter for the Dolphins.
“I have been in this situation before and I wanted to come up big for my team. When I made contact I knew I absolutely destroyed that ball.” Seinko said. “I have always believed that I could come up big in moments like these. As I was in the box, I did have a little doubt, but I got a good fastball to hit and I got a hold of it.”
Reminding himself that he is made for these moments, he was able to faze the doubt in the batter’s box and deliver a message to the other team. The steps around the bases must have been the greatest moment of his season with the realization that his team, his family and his community were watching him do what he loves most.
“The energy in the dugout was through the roof,” senior and teammate Aiden Benson said. “We were all ecstatic. We could feel the adrenaline that coursed through our team.”
