Oak Park High School’s spring sports kicked their season off in the month of February.
Boys Baseball
Baseball has a record of 3-1-1 to start their season. While they have encountered a couple of road bumps along the way, the team has mostly succeeded in their games.
“Overall, we are practicing to get even stronger at the plate and in the field,” sophomore Aarav Motwai said. “This will help us have more competitive and successful games.”
The key to winning for the baseball team has been maximizing their practice time.
“Our practices have been really good,” Motwani said. “They really translate out onto the field.”
Come support the baseball team on March 7 for a home game against Moorpark.
Boys Golf
Thus far in the season, golf has split their games in a mostly competitive manner. Sporting a record of 1-1, the team has been led by former league MVP Alex Cheng. Prior to the start of the season, Coach Donn James reflected on having such a dominant force at the top.
“We are really strong at the top with the league MVP,” Coach James said. “However, we have struggled with depth in the past few years.”
Cheng has been nothing short of spectacular, winning Athlete of the Week for his overpowering performances. However, the team is also receiving contributions from their new freshmen.
“The season has been pretty good so far,” freshman Jack LaSalle said. “We are still working some things out, but I have no doubt we will keep winning.”
Their next match is on March 6 against Royal at Los Robles Greens.
Boys and Girls Lacrosse
The boys lacrosse team has a record of 3-2, while the girls team has a record of 2-2 and 1-0 in league.
“The season has gone good so far,” senior Elle Hazelton said. “We have only had a couple games, but we are doing well in the league games.”
While the girls team has a 1-0 record in league games, they still have a couple of kinks to work out to continue winning.
“The team looks to communicate more and looks to pass,” Hazelton said. “We want to help every girl on the field.”
Come cheer on the boys lacrosse team at Oaks Christian and the girls lacrosse team against Simi Valley at home on March 5.
Girls Beach Volleyball
Girls beach volleyball has a record of 1-3, with all of their games occurring within their league. Come support them on March 18 against Royal during the Runkle Canyon Park Tournament.
Stunt
The stunt team has a record of 0-2. Although the stunt team is relatively new, they have made plenty of improvements and progress throughout the season.
“Our first couple of games were okay,” freshman Isabella Xing Gonzalez said. “We definitely have made a lot of progress since the beginning of the season.”
Come watch the stunt team on March 11 at Royal.
Softball
The softball team is 3-2 so far this season. Amid a coaching transition and a wave of new players, the team has been able to maintain success behind the hard work put in by the entire roster.
“The chemistry between everyone is probably some of the best I have ever seen,” junior Elle Samuels said. “That kind of support and energy is what ultimately leads to our success.”
The team has been able to pull off some incredible wins thus far.
“We were down by 5 runs and we scored 7 to win in the last inning,” Samuels said. “Wins like these really give me faith in the team.”
Come support softball on March 7 at home against Palisades Charter.
Boys Tennis
The boys tennis team is off to a great start, with a record of 5-0. The team has been led by freshmen Levi Jefferson and senior Austin Lamy.
“The goal for this year is to win Ojai junior CIF,” Lamy said. “Last year was a heartbreaking loss in the semi-finals of D1.”
Amid the team’s great start, they have also ensured to prevent injuries.
“There are no major weaknesses for our team,” Lamy said. “Making sure the top players do not get injured is huge for our success.”
Come support the boys tennis team on March 6 against Oaks Christian at home.
Swimming
The boys swim team sports a record of 3-1 while the girls are 1-3. Amid a solid start for both teams, camaraderie has been developing and the team is working out errors.
“Most of the new swimmers have played water polo in the fall and are accustomed to prolonged periods of time in the water,” junior Jerry Jin said. “This gives a fantastic start to the swim season.”
As the swimmers get in shape, they maintain a strong team spirit.
“As far as I have seen, everyone is helping everyone in and out of the pool,” Jin said. “That is why our team is so unique.”
Come cheer on the swimmers at their next meet on March 6 at Camarillo for the Scorpion Relays.
Track and Field
The track and field team attended their first meet, the Tara Davis Invitational, and set many personal records throughout the day.
“It is only the beginning of the season and we have plenty of time to work,” junior Harsh Balaji said. “There were a lot of racing nerves, but I thought our team did a great job.”
The team has 4 league meets during the season, but they are really using the earlier meets to get prepared for the league matchups.
“As for team goals, we really want to take it one day at a time,” freshman Tabitha Brown said. “The girls do an excellent job at supporting each other.”
Come support the team this weekend at the Don Green Invitational.
Boys Volleyball
The boys volleyball team has opened the season with a record of 3-3. Come support them on March 7 at Notre Dame.
