Panther Baseball: Back-to-Back-to-Back Conference Titles

For the third consecutive year, the Chaffey Panthers baseball team has captured the Inland Empire Athletic Conference championship.

With the conference title back in Rancho Cucamonga, Head Coach Andrew Smith expressed, 'This title feels especially outstanding because of the dedication of these players. They've worked incredibly hard all season and truly deserve all the recognition they are receiving.' Smith knew the team had solid players on paper, but it wasn't until the fall that he realized this was the most talented group he'd coached during his career at the helm of Panther Baseball. 

In the early stages of the season, consistency proved to be a challenge for the team. While players kept making spectacular plays, there was an issue of committing errors on routine plays. The coaching staff quickly took action, addressing the entire team before each game. Their message focused on paying close attention to fundamentals and rely on their training. The staff even reminded the players that errors will happen, but as long as you do what you are supposed to do, those mistakes should and will decrease. 

With playoff baseball looming, the Panthers must maintain their focus on the task at hand. As they approach their final three regular-season games, the team needs to continue executing their strategies and remember that there is still crucial baseball to be played.

For this team, complacency is simply not an option. The team operates with a distinct "Chaffey Way" of baseball, which focuses on: Play to win, play hard, and work hard. This is the identity of this squad.  As they transition into playoff basebal mindset, there will not be many changes in preparation. The process will remain the same of cleaning up areas of deficiency while maintaining their ability to hit. They will continue to hit and be challenged by the coaching staff in the batting cages to prepare everyone for playoff caliber pitching. 

"I've been pushing these guys hard lately," Smith explained, "because it's easy to become complacent when you're consistently winning. But we are staying focused on continuously getting better in all phases. We want to be having our best practices and playing our best baseball late. The details are the equalizer in playoff baseball, so we are harping on the fundamentals of the game a ton lately. 

It has been a tremendous season for the Panthers. This team is resilient, gritty, and well-connected. When you have a team that's pulling on the same rope, together, success is inevitable. As long as each player understands their role, and continue to play to their capabilities, this Panther squad is able to compete with anyone in the state.