As the spring baseball season comes to an end for the Falcons, the class of 2026 celebrates the last part of their high school baseball careers. With eight graduating seniors this year, each one of them reflects on their years of baseball with the school. The Falcons went 8-15 this season and are entering the conference playoffs.
Before the start of their senior night game, each senior and their family visited the mound to take pictures and to each receive a note from head coach Justin Reitz about their baseball careers at Green Hope.
The Falcon’s final regular-season game on Thursday against Green Level was emotional and energy-filled. The game began with Blake Vestal (‘26), a senior going to Carson Newman University to pitch for the baseball team, having a quick shutdown inning, going three up and three down. The Falcons then took an early lead against the Gators, scoring one run in the first inning. Sam Weinraub (‘28), a sophomore here at Green Hope, was hit by a pitch to get on base with no outs. Weinraub proceeded to steal second base. Then, a single by Troy Haynes (‘28) scored Weinraub, giving the Falcons a 1-run lead in the first inning.
The second inning was nothing different from the first for the Falcons. Vestal struck out two and had a flyout to get another scoreless inning. A scoreless inning by both teams followed in the second inning, and in the bottom of the third, the Falcons started with a leadoff triple by Elijah Martin (‘27). A sacrifice fly by Trevor Cleveland (‘27) scores Martin to make it 2-0 Falcons. Both teams would go scoreless in the 4th inning, and in the top of the 5th, a single and a walk led to the Gators scoring a run, making it 2-1. But the Falcons responded in the bottom of the 5th, with a leadoff walk by Haynes. He would then take second base on a wild pitch and go to third on another wild pitch. Martin would then single to add on another run, making it 3-1 Falcons. Martin would take second and third on an error and a wild pitch, then score on a Triple hit by Cleveland, making it 4-1. A sacrifice fly hit by Brooks Hall (‘28) would score Ryu Fukuyama (‘26), a senior pinch runner for Cleveland, making it 5-1.
The top of the 6th inning is where the game took a drastic turn for the Falcons. The Gators would score 10 runs to make it 11-5. The Falcons would start the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff walk by Nate Eichenseer (‘27). Liam Rothwell (‘28) would pinch run and advance to third base on a single by Weinraub, but would be held to no runs after a strikeout and a flyout. Rocco Ciccolini (‘26) would come in to pitch for the Falcons to hold the Gators. Ciccolini would shut down the Gators, going three up and three down, with 1 strikeout and two fly outs. Green Level would hold the Falcons to no runs in the bottom of the 7th, ending the game and the regular season.
Notable players for the Falcons against Green Level:
Blake Vestal: 5 innings pitched, 7 strikeouts, 3 earned runs, 2 hits, and 4 walks.
Rocco Ciccolini: 1 inning pitched, 1 strikeout, 0 earned runs, 0 hits, 0 walks.
Elijah Martin: 4 at-bats, 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs.
Trevor Cleveland: 3 at-bats, 2 hits, and 1 RBI.
Sam Weinraub: 2 at-bats, 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 run.
Troy Haynes: 3 at-bats, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and one run.
After the game, each senior would participate in the senior send-off. They were accompanied by their family members, hitting a pitch thrown by one of their family members, running the bases and eventually touching home plate. The seniors would reflect on their high school baseball accomplishments.
Senior Career Accomplishments:
Blake Vestal: Reached over 100 career strikeouts as a pitcher, becoming the 13th player in Green Hope Baseball history to do so. He will take his talent to Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. His message to next year’s team is, “Embrace the good, the bad and the ugly. Because you never know when your last game will be.”
PJ Barry: A multisport athlete who played football as a freshman and sophomore, and ran track as a junior and senior. He helped the Falcons for two seasons, being an asset in the outfield and in the box. His message to next year’s team is, “Have fun!”
Jackson Wall: In the words of Coach Reitz, Jackson is “A fierce competitor on the mound,” and he has been a dedicated teammate and a valuable member of this team. Jackson will be going to Holy Family University in Pennsylvania to pitch. Jackson racked up 79 career strikeouts while missing his senior season due to a shoulder and elbow injury in a basketball game. Jackson’s message to the team next year, “Don’t worry about what other people think. Keep your head down, stay focused, and keep working – everything else will fall into place.”
Rocco Ciccolini: An extremely dedicated teammate and player to the baseball program at Green Hope. Over his career, he has 65 strikeouts as a pitcher, and has pitched over 50 innings for the Falcons in his 4 year career in the baseball program. His message to next year’s team is, “Use the resources around you to their full potential.”
Ryu Fukuyama: A beloved member of the baseball program at Green Hope, known for his speed. Ryu has racked up 25 total stolen bases in his baseball career, with 32 total runs scored. His message to next year’s players is, “Enjoy every moment, work hard, and never take your time with your teammates for granted because it goes by faster than you think.”
CJ Valerio: A great teammate who, in Coach Reitz’s words, “Keeps his teammates loose throughout the season and has helped to keep things lively.” CJ’s words to next year’s players are, “Laugh a lot and don’t worry about what others think of you.”
Patrick Davis: A multisport athlete who played football for four years and a three-year letter winner in the baseball program. Patrick has a very accomplished stat line, with over 50 career hits, over 50 stolen bases, and over 70 runs scored in his four years with the baseball team. In Coach Reitz’s words, Patrick has been “the emotional leader of the team the last two seasons. The passion and intensity that Pat brings to the field is unmatched and his leadership this past season has been tremendous.” Patrick’s message to next year’s team is, “Live in the moment and never take a game for granted.”
Jayson DeSantis: A great teammate and, in the words of the head coach, “A hard worker this season helping catch countless bullpens and always ready when his number is called.” Jayson’s message to next year’s team is, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
With the regular season wrapping up for the Falcons and conference playoffs beginning this Monday, the senior class will say their final goodbyes to the program and prepare to move forward with their future endeavors.
