Wolverine baseball squad hits weight room to build for 2016 campaign

Its 2015 season barely over, Polk County’s baseball team has already begun taking steps to make its 2016 season a success.

Forget summer vacation – the Wolverines are rising early, hitting Polk County’s weight room at 7:15 a.m. several days a week as part of a new offseason training program. On the final day of training last week (this week is a dead period for all high school sports), 10 Wolverines worked with assistant coach Josh Money on a variety of weight and conditioning drills.

“Obviously, we’re working to get better,” Money said. “We’re having 11, 12 guys show up every day, and the best thing is, they’re showing up together. They’re being accountable for each other and responsible for each other. You can’t put a value on team chemistry.

“In high school, young kids are always staying up late. It’s fantastic to have this many kids showing up every day.”

Money’s message to his players has been a simple one – the work going on now and through planned workouts in the fall will bring about rewards in the spring, when Polk County looks to return to the top of the Western Highlands Conference after back-to-back seasons of single-digit wins. Many of the players have also been competing with American Legion Post 250’s junior Legion team, led by head coach Ty Stott. Stott also expects the combination of the two efforts to show up on the field in the spring.

“We’re getting better every day,” Money said. “Like I just told the kids, you have to love the process. You can’t just love being on the field and throwing the baseball around. This makes that easy.”

The early-morning workouts, which run from 7:15 until 8:45 a.m., are slated to resume after the upcoming holiday weekend. Money can’t wait.

“I’ve got a new baby, so it’s hard for me to wake up, too,” he said. “But if 11 or 12 guys are going to show up every day, then I’ll get up and be here, too.”