Baseball is a sport in which Coronado has a rich history. From star teams to state contenders, Cougar Baseball roots run deep. This year could be another historic mark in time for Coronado’s team. Coming into the 2023 season, the team only lost two seniors last year making this a very young team full of potential.

Third year Head Coach Peyton Taylor is planning on taking this team to the top of their league and pushing through to the playoffs. Preseason practices and workouts are still the focus of the team as of right now, but as the season moves on, Coach Taylor spoke on what the overall message would be for the team: “I am very excited for this upcoming season to be underway. With the overall message being simple as be ourselves and play our game. Meaning once the teams are made, we will see what type of skills we have whether that [is] speed, power, or mental toughness, then construct our plan from there.”

The team is constructed of well-rounded and fundamentally sound players, but these players did not just come out of the woodworks, they come from previous experience and hard work. Coach Taylor has a big part in that; he is one of the head coaches at one of Colorado’s premier club teams, CBA (Colorado Baseball Academy), a team that features several of Coronado’s players.

A lot of the core players for the team this year have been playing with Coach Taylor for much longer than the average high school player plays with their head coach. One of the players he has been coaching with for a substantial amount of time is Trey Gregory-Alford, a top 100 recruit in the class of ’24. He is also committed to the University of Virginia, a top collegiate program.

“With having known and coached Trey for some time now, I have had the pleasure of seeing him develop not only on the physical side but on the mental side as well. He is a big part of both organizations with what he brings to the field with a big power bat and a high-powered arm. Not only that but he brings a leadership to this young developing team that cannot be unstated. In the dugout he brings an uplifting spirit to the players trying to keep them calm as emotions run high throughout each game,” Coach Taylor commented.

Last year Coronado finished the season 11-12, going 7-3 in league and finishing in third place, just missing out on playoffs. The expectations this year are very different, especially with so many young stars with such high potential expected to start hitting their strides.

Coach Taylor laid out his expectations for the team and the season: “[Our goals are] to win our league and make a run-in playoff. After losing only two seniors last year we are looking at a very young program that has a very good outlook on this program’s future. Now there are a few players that I have seen play through CBA that will look to be standout players this year. A few names being Edwin Gutierrez and Laterrious Tanks. Also, a few names to look out for are some of the returning players; Tyson Noll and Jett Mills, two sophomores this year, have a chance to be leaders and improve this team.”

When starting pitcher Trey Gregory-Alford was asked the same question, it was clear that his expectations align with his coaches: “I think we can go above .500 this year. You know last year we started off slow, but I feel like with the new freshman and a decent number of upperclassmen I think we can help them be the best they can be and when we apply that to the field, then we can go win some games.”