Zimmerman leads the Warriors on the diamond

Westside’s varsity baseball team has a senior dominated team this season, one of the players being Michael Zimmerman. The Warrior catcher leads the team in home runs for the season with a total of two, including a grand slam. Zimmerman also leads the team in runs batted in, with a total of 14. 

Zimmerman has been a part of Westside athletics since his freshman year as a Warrior. The Westside senior reflected on what it means to be a part of the baseball community. 

“Westside baseball has helped me become the player I am today from all of the offseason work and early mornings with all of my teammates in the winter,” Zimmerman said. “Long days and hard work with the guys has helped me a lot.”

Westside’s baseball team started off their season with a 10-8 record, including wins against Gretna, Millard North, and Bellevue East. Zimmerman has been one of the top hitters with a .312 batting average and a slugging percentage of .541. Zimmerman expressed the team’s goals as the season continues.

“Our season goals are to compete and host a district as an ultimate goal,” Zimmerman said. “No matter who we face that day we want to go out there and out compete them. But hosting a district has definitely been one of our main goals since the start of the season.”

With any sport upperclassmen are looked upon by the underclassmen as they are the leaders on and off the field. We saw this last year as Missouri baseball freshman Dalton Bargo assisted Zimmerman into the full time catching position for the Warriors. 

“I think leadership means the most to me as a senior on this team,” Zimmerman said. “I’ve been with the program since my freshman year, always with  the guys being older than me. It was easy for me to pick up on what being a Westside ball player is all about. Dalton Bargo was that person to me last year, he taught me so much I will never be able to pay him back. I wanna do that to my teammates who are younger. Leaving the jersey in a better place that it was last found.”

The Warriors have four seniors who are committed to playing baseball at the next level, one being Zimmerman. He will attend the University of Sioux Falls where he will continue his baseball career. 

 “My next steps after this spring season is to play Legion Ball with the school and all my guys this summer, while going to my catching instructor Tyler Goodro,” Zimmerman said. “Who has helped me throughout my years, trying to become the best player I can become, heading into my freshman year.” 

Zimmerman and the Warriors will host the third-ranked Millard South Patriots on Tuesday, April 18.