With baseball season in full swing, the varsity team has high hopes of making it to the CCS playoffs with the addition of a new head coach.

The team’s overall record stands currently at 8-5.

In his first year as head coach, Chad Purcell has been able to give the players encouragement to grow from their record of 9-18 last year.

“Purcell does a great job of pushing us to become better players,” outfielder Pako Vehikite said. “I’ve never been pushed so hard by anyone else before him.”

Thanks to stricter practices compared to the prior seasons, the team’s games have been played more aggressively.

“There was a lack of determination on the team last year, and we weren’t really acting like a team,” third baseman Andrew Reyes said. “Purcell has been able to reverse that and add intensity into practices which helps out in games.”

Though the first part of the season has the team feeling fairly confident, coaches and players believe there is still space for improvement.

The team looks to better their skills in hitting and improve their defensive game to lessen the amount of errors and runs scored against the team, after a game last year against Milpitas High where they lost 18-1.

As well as mechanical improvements, SC is trying to gain the confidence of a successful program.

“We’re still trying to find our own identity, the belief that we do belong as a winning team,” assistant coach Matt Huth said.

This is the first season on a varsity team for many of the players on the team, which features 11 sophomores and juniors.. For some, the transition from JV to varsity was not the smoothest.

“It was a different vibe than JV at first, but it’s a good vibe. I’m having a great time with these guys,” Vehikite said.

Even though the season goes well into May, the team’s eyes are set for getting to play in the CCS playoffs.

“As long as we keep playing the way we’ve been playing we’ll be great, and hopefully make it to the CCS playoffs,” Purcell said. “We’re showing to be taking great steps toward that goal so far.”

As the season progresses, the varsity team is looking to continue their success as they adapt a new sense of enthusiasm for the game.

“There’s a lot more passion and dedication this year” Reyes added. “It’s a new Santa Clara Baseball.”