06/14/2026
As a parent of a child on the Eastbrook baseball team, one who played both varsity and JV this season, let me tell you what I saw from the Eastbrook baseball program.
Grit. Determination. A true brotherhood.
It was a grueling season for these boys, yet most of them handled it with incredible resilience.
At several points throughout the season, I watched my own son’s growth, much of it because of the coaches who invested in him. I watched my son swing the bat, glance toward his coach after a bad swing, listen to the feedback being given, and immediately work to improve.
I watched these boys play through heartbreak after losing a young man who had grown up alongside many of them.
I watched them have tough games, only to rally back stronger.
Not once, as a parent or as a supporter of our school system, did I leave a game thinking these coaches didn’t know what they were doing.
Every game, I left understanding exactly why these boys gave up so much of their summer to be there.
Today, I watched a team with the same grit and determination line up against our boys in a whirlwind of a game. Eastbrook made zero errors. Lakeland made some incredible plays, and our boys matched that energy every step of the way.
I am proud of the Eastbrook Panther baseball team as a mother, as a supporter, and most of all as someone who has had the privilege of watching this group grow.
We made it to Semi-State. We didn’t walk away with the result we hoped for, and my heart hurts for these boys tonight. But as I sit here thinking about the disappointment they must be feeling, I keep coming back to the same realization: because of the coaching staff, because of the culture that’s been built, and because of the heart these boys carry, they will use this moment to grow.
They will stay determined.
They will keep working.
And they will continue forward.
What a season, Panthers.
(Not my photo, I took this from the athletics page!)
