West Platte baseball is eager for the 2025 baseball season as Brian Faulkner takes charge for his first season as head coach after serving as an assistant last year.
The Blue Jays had a promising regular season campaign get upended with a first-round exit in district play last year. The Blue Jays will hope to carry some regular-season momentum into a lengthy postseason run, looking to get back to the state championship semifinals for the first time since 2015.
“Expectations are high to go deep into the tournament,” Faulkner said. “If we can stay healthy and play smart baseball, we will be a serious contender.”
West Platte only lost two seniors from last year’s team, which was 15-7 until their loss to Polo in the district semifinals. They return a trio of all-district honorees, including senior shortstop and pitcher Kane Cogan, senior third baseman and pitcher Jaxon Turner and junior catcher and infielder Jhett Chandler.
Returning 13 varsity players from last season will benefit the Blue Jays when it comes to competing at a high level. They have a strong roster that can step in at any time to grind out a win but also welcomed some new talent into the team that will contribute over the next few years.
“We have a very strong sophomore and freshman class coming into our program with athletic kids ready to compete,” Faulkner said. “I’m excited to see these kids progress over the next two or three seasons.”
The team had a productive offseason and came into preseason eager to pick up where they left off last season. Faulkner described his team as well-balanced with a solid defensive and offensive setup.
“Our strengths will be in our senior leadership and culture,” Faulkner said. “We have continued to build a program here that focuses on a team-first approach and less about individual statistics and personal achievement.”