Tempe Prep baseball finding hope after nearly being cut

Tempe Prep doesn't have its own baseball field. But it now has enough players willing to put in the work in the three batting cages at Redemption Church and not give up on the season. It's been a big uptick from a year ago when then-first-year head coach Joe Labadie greeted only seven players for the first day of practice.

"We had to recruit like crazy (on campus) and were able to get 14 with no senior to really lead," Labadie said. Thanks to a freshman from a year ago, Will Drescher, he was able to find four new players at Tempe Prep to join the team. They liked the experience, and although they went 4-13, success was found in finishing a season that was on the brink of not having one.

Now, they've got 20 players in the program, enough to play some JV games to give the younger, less-experienced kids a chance to develop. They were able to get the cages with pitching machines this year. And they'll hold practices at Papago Park in Tempe a couple of times a week when they can.

"There's a lot more guys, and we feel a lot more connected," said Drescher, a shortstop and pitcher. "We're growing as a team and a program. " The Knights are 2-7, riding a five-game losing streak, entering their Friday, March 27, game at Arete Prep.