High pressure moments can make or break a team, but for senior Ben Weiss, he has helped with one of the best seasons in Westside baseball history. As the team went to the top of the state rankings and won big games, Weiss became one of the leaders the team could count on both on and off the field.
“My role on the team has changed in that I have pitched more and in bigger games, but also that my coaches and teammates lean on me more to get the job done in games,” Weiss said.
That trust from his team has shown all season long. Head coach Jason Shockey said Weiss has become one of the most important players on the team because of the way he competes and leads others.
“There are so many things that you could talk about when it comes to Ben and his importance on this team,” Shockey said. “You could talk about how well he has done on the mound for us-leading our team in innings pitched and tied for second in wins. You could talk about the fact that he has accepted his role as well as anyone on our team. You could talk about how he inspires our dugout to continue to keep the energy up, when things may not be going our way. Ben has been tremendous in so many aspects both on the field but also as a leader.”
Weiss said becoming a senior leader has brought more responsibility this season.
“Being a senior leader comes with more pressure because I feel like us older players set the culture for the team and show the younger players what it means and takes to play Westside baseball,” Weiss said.
That leadership has helped the team’s strong chemistry this season. Weiss believes the players bond is one of the biggest reasons for the team’s success.
“Our team is different from previous years because of our culture and team chemistry,” Weiss said. “Everyone on the team has really bought into the culture we set in the off-season and we all truly care about each other.”
Shockey also said Weiss has improved greatly from last season because of his confidence and consistency on the mound.
“I think the big thing for Ben is that he is that much more in the zone with all of his pitches,” Shockey said. “We always felt that he had ‘good stuff’; it was just a matter of being that much more consistent with all of his pitches. He can throw any pitch at any count.”
Shockey explained that Weiss understands the type of pitcher he is and uses that to his advantage.
“One of the things that may get over-shadowed a bit as well is that Ben ‘knows’ what type of pitcher he is,” Shockey said. “He is not going to be 85-86 but what he does is much more valuable than being a ‘higher end’ velocity guy; he pitches, he competes and he helps us win. Knowing the type of pitcher he is and not deviating from that, has helped him and ultimately us be successful.”
Weiss said one of his favorite memories from the season came during one of the team’s biggest wins.
“My favorite memory of the season was when we came back in the 7th inning to win the metro tournament,” Weiss said.
Moments like that have shown the fight and togetherness of the Westside team this year. Shockey believes Weiss has been a major reason why the team has stayed focused and successful all season.
“I kind of mentioned this above but Ben has been instrumental in leading this team this year,” Shockey said. “On the mound, he has consistently given us 5+ innings in each outing that he’s started. He’s also come in a couple of times out of the bullpen and got us a few outs when we needed it. He’s also been outstanding in the dugout and helping with some of our younger guys.”
Shockey said what stands out most is Weiss’s team-first mindset.
“One of the great things about Ben is that he just wants to win,” Shockey said. “He doesn’t care how it gets done or who gets the credit, he just wants to win.”
Even though Weiss spent more of his early years hitting, he accepted a different role this season to help the team succeed.
“This is coming from a guy who played a lot and hit quite a bit in his first 3 years,” Shockey said. “Having said that, this year he has been more of an ‘arm’ for us. There hasn’t been one instance in which Ben has complained or caused a scene in the dugout because he is not hitting as much as he used to do.”
Weiss said he tries to lead by example for the younger players in the program.
“I try to lead the younger players by setting an example of how baseball is played at Westside,” Weiss said.
For Shockey, that attitude says everything about the type of player and person Weiss has become.
“To me, this is the ultimate sign of maturity and leadership,” Shockey said. “He wants what is best for the team and is doing everything in his power to support that goal. Simply put, Ben is an outstanding young man and continues to have a huge impact in many ways.”
