Freshman trio and new head coach reignite Olympia High baseball

Before his first year as the head baseball coach at Olympia High School, Kyle Blum and the team set a goal of finishing with a winning record, looking to bounce back from last year’s season. They accomplished the feat — but not without vital contributions from three freshmen and the promise of chicken wings.  

When Blum arrived to coach the team in the fall, he was looking for ways to bring the players together. He said the fall is the players’ growth period. At that time, the Titans played 12 games against other teams, with a primary focus on improving their play without the pressure of wins or losses. In the final week, they didn’t have a scheduled opponent, which spawned a friendly competition: the wing series.

A good-natured contest pitting teammates against one another resulted in a bond that has boosted the team from an 11-18 record last year to a 10-9 record this year, with three freshmen starters helping lead the team into the district tournament as a No. 4 seed and future seasons.

Let them eat wings

Blum said he took the idea for the wing series from his time as a player at Presentation College; it was something the coaches used to motivate the team in the offseason. 

In the wing series, a three-game intrasquad series, senior captains drafted line-ups dividing Olympia’s team into two. Whichever squad lost had to buy the winning team chicken wings. After the Titans split the first two games, the series went to a third, and Blum said it became a little chippy.

The highlight of the finale was when an unsuspecting player became the hero. Freshman pitcher Thomas Dee, who hasn’t started at the varsity level, came into a two-out jam with the game and the chicken wings on the line. Faced against a junior on the team, Blum said he struck him out.

“The elation was ridiculous,” Blum said. “They say it’s about the wings, but it’s more of they like to rub it in each other’s faces. I think that’s something that these guys will remember for a long time.”

It was a unique experience for every player on the roster, but it was especially impactful to the team’s three freshman starters: catcher Daniel Diaz, second baseman Eduardo Blanco and pitcher Maven Leman. Since the wing series, the three starters have been pillars for the team this season.

Diaz led the team in nearly every hitting statistic this season. He posted a .440 batting average, .547 on-base percentage and a .660 slugging percentage, totaling 13 RBIs and 22 hits, including four doubles, two triples and a home run. His batting average and slugging percentage were each the second-highest in the district.

Blum said there are very few high school catchers a coach would let call a game and lead an infield’s defense; Diaz is one of them. 

Diaz attributed his success in the batter’s box to the time he spent following his biometrics and working out in the gym to increase his strength. When he stands in to bat, though, he just focuses on staying level-headed.

“I don’t take it too seriously,” Diaz said. “I go up there not thinking too much, keep it simple and just go out there and hit the ball.”

For Blanco, success at the plate didn’t come as quickly. He didn’t record a hit in his first five starts on varsity. In the last four games of the regular season, though, Blanco went 3-for-9 at the plate, totaling three RBIs and a double, managing a strong end to his regular season.

Blum described Blanco similarly to a firecracker, a teammate who already is positive, but when he gets a big hit or makes a strong defensive play, his energy is infectious. 

“Eddie is a pick-me-up guy; he sees somebody down, he’s jumping on them,” Blum said. “Even when he was not starting, he’s just that positive guy in the dugout.”

Described as a “silent assassin” by Blum, Leman’s contribution was establishing himself as one of Olympia’s aces this season, along with junior pitcher Kingston Ebanks. Leman’s 1.11 ERA was the lowest on the Titans’ pitching staff, and his four wins were tied for the most in the district. He said his older brother, Natas, a senior pitcher on the team, helped make it possible.

“Through the years, he’s always watched my bullpens, telling me what’s wrong,” Maven Leman said about his brother. “It’s been fun to be able to play one season with him.”

Playing baseball since he was 3 years old, Leman originally played catcher but transitioned to pitcher. He said he likes it more because he gets to “dominate” from the mound. 

Lessons learned

It took until the final regular-season game for Olympia to clinch its preseason goal of a winning record. The Titans beat the Freedom Patriots 7-1 Friday, April 10, to finish 10-9. The team’s play was streaky to that point, starting 7-3 before losing five in a row. The Titans turned it around to cap the season, though, winning three of their last four games and scoring at least seven runs in each of the victories.

Blum said when the team’s performance was going right, the Titans were playing “ultimate team baseball.” During the losses, it was the opposite.

“The on-field results have been up and down, but we’ve grown throughout the year tremendously,” Blum said. “We’re an extremely young team, and it’s only brighter as it gets younger. We’re going to be, for the next four or five years, growing and growing and growing, and it’s just awesome where we’re at right now.”

The three freshmen were each happy with how the season went but were quick to acknowledge more work needs to be done. Diaz wants to finish next season with a batting average over .500, Leman plans to improve with more live at-bats in the offseason, and Blanco is looking to increase his on-base percentage and steal more bases.

They agree avoiding selfish baseball will be key to staying more consistent next season. 

“Every player on this team is talented, but when the team comes together, plays together, then it’s a whole different thing,” Leman said.

Blum couldn’t be more thankful to have such a trio of players. He said having a mix of youth, leadership and talent brings a coach a level of comfort for years to come.

“It’s been a fun ride,” Leman said of his first year playing for Blum. “Especially for all of us as three freshmen and his first year at the school, we’re all just getting closer and it’s just improving from here.”