Last team standing: The First Academy baseball is hunting a championship this postseason

One of the most difficult aspects of creating a championship-level program that competes at a sport’s pinnacle, year in and year out, is the pressure that players, coaches and administrators alike feel from the expectations that come with winning. Simply put, when you win consistently, fans, boosters and parents alike expect it to keep going, regardless of circumstances.

The issue with high school sports, however, is that no season is like the other, so maintaining the standard that comes from winning and the subsequent expectations of continued winning seems impossible. But with the proper leadership, structure and culture, it can happen — just take a look at what The First Academy baseball has done in 2025. 

TFA followed up a run to the State Final Four last season by putting together a 25-4 season — as of press time Tuesday, April 29 — winning its sixth consecutive district title and are currently one win away from reaching the Class 2A regional championship series. Through a culture that emphasizes leaders developing leaders, this season’s senior class has been vital to implementing new coach Alan Kunkel’s vision of consistency, accountability and buy-in for the program that’s helped the Royals live up to the lofty expectations and position themselves to compete for a state championship yet again.

“What I’ve seen from this group throughout the season is a consistency from the senior class and the leadership they have provided,” Kunkel said. “We’ve seen that leadership directly leads to the emergence of younger guys like Cannon Koronka and Kinon Bastian, who have contributed greatly to the depth of our lineup. I have to credit the seniors for that because they are the ones that keep them accountable, that hold up the expectations they have within the framework of the program — which aren’t wins and losses, but are how we do things, like being on time to practice, how we practice and so on — I feel like the seniors have done a really good job of holding themselves to our standard and that shown in the results.”

Beyond the win-loss columns, this group of Royals have seen their dedication show up in how they’ve been able get earn those results.

“I feel like this team can beat you in a lot of ways,” Kunkel said. “We can hit balls over your head, we’ve been very successful on the bases, we have played some pretty good defense, and we’ve pitched well. That versatility has allowed us to do some different things against different teams and helped us win games because we don't have to just depend on hitting balls over somebody's head or bunting or hit-and-running or trying to get into a pitcher's duel. We've been able to compete and win in all types of matchups … and again, I just think, more than anything, it's due to the senior leadership of this group and the confidence that they bring each and every day. … The upperclassmen have bought into, philosophically, what we need to do to be successful and brought the rest of the team with them. They have understood that, even though they don’t love bunting, it’s important to not only practice bunting every day but do so with real effort, with the mindset of trying to be better at it than everybody else, so if we do have to bunt in a game, then we'll be able to do so successfully. That kind of buy-in  and effort has allowed us to develop our skills enough that they’ll have confidence in doing it, if we need to.”

While Kunkel calls the result of this philosophical buy-in confidence, one of those senior leaders that’s been a standard-bearer for the program calls it something else.

“Seeing the results of the hard work has helped our confidence, but really it's helped our swag, if anything,” senior pitcher Thomas Achey said. “As a team, we go out there for every game with swag. We look good, we feel good and we play good. We’ve just gotten to the point that we have our routine down. We know what we have to do every single game, practice, everything and we come out here and we do it. Because of that we know what the outcome is going to be every time we step on the field and that’s a win.”

Best-of-three, best of me

Another benefit to this well-rounded and versatile development approach TFA has focused on is the advantage gained within the newly implemented best-of-three playoff format for the regional rounds of the baseball state championship tournament. This new format directly benefits teams that can win games in a variety of ways, such as the Royals, as opposed to the single-elimination format, which brings in an element of luck that can benefit a lesser-talented team with an outstanding pitcher.

“I think the three-game series is very good for us,” said Royals senior third baseman Erick Martinez. "We have six really good arms we can throw at any time and shut most teams out. We have more than enough bats. I just think the format gives the advantage to the more complete team.”

Beyond the advantage for deeper teams, the best-of-three format also introduces elements that create a highly entertaining environment for both teams and fans alike.

“Honestly, the new format is so refreshing,” Achey said. “In my sophomore year, we went out in the first round, and I felt like, as a team, if we had a three-game series, we would have won. I feel like in the old format teams can't truly show their full potential, so I love the three-game series because one bad game doesn’t end your season. You still have another chance to pick yourself up and keep fighting. As a pitcher, too, I really enjoy it as well because it allows me the chance — as the Game Two starter — to see everything that happens in Game One and really scout my opponents. I get to see every hitter, every baserunner, I get to see all of it and then come back with a game plan for Game Two, and have the confidence that we can shut them down.”

With a few more rounds left for the Royals to conquer before they can claim the program’s first state championship since 2021, this group of seniors knows what they have to do to accomplish that goal.

“Obviously, everyone wants to win a state title,” Martinez said. “I've always wanted to win it with the people I'm closest with, which is this group of seniors. Most of us have played together for more than five years, so sharing that with them, winning a state title with all of them, would mean the world to me. But before we can think about that, we have to win the games in front of us and I think one of our biggest factors in helping us do that is our chemistry. Knowing each other for so long, we know how to come together and we’re always pushing each other to keep fighting for one another and playing as one unit. If we do that, the wins will take care of themselves.”