Knights complete second Legion season, optimistic about future

Earlier this month, the Glenrock Legion Post 9 Knights traveled westward for a weekend tournament in Rock Springs. Over the course of two days, the Knights stuck close with their opponents, but the win column wasn’t in the cards.
It was another tough weekend for a fun-loving team eager to better themselves. But before they made their way back to Glenrock, they were reminded of who they’ve become as a team.
“The host team (Rock Springs) told our coaches ‘you guys may not have won, but you were the best games we watched all weekend because you showed the most heart,’” Knights player Alex St Gelais said. “They said, ‘you guys keep it going, it’s amazing to see a team like you guys come through because we haven’t seen it in a long time.’”
In just their second full season as a Legion baseball team in Wyoming, the Knights made considerable strides both on-and-off the field.
The strides on the field may not been seen through the lens of a scoreboard, but they were in clear sight. The best fit on the field became more apparent for returning players as the season went on which allowed them to play with more confidence. And new players began to find their comfort zone.
“There’s some talent coming up with this team,” St Gelais said. “If they put in the work in the offseason and we keep focusing on the fundamentals as a team, we can be just as good as anyone next season.”
It’s a bold statement for a team that’s faced more than its fair share of struggles through just two seasons. A statement that, oddly enough, seems symbolic of baseball’s status in Glenrock and the trajectory in which it is headed.
All season long, the support for the Knights could be felt at each home game. On several occasions, players took time out of their days to help those in the community, for the betterment of the team and themselves. Between games last month, the Knights spent time with Glenrock’s I League teams, sharing their love for the game with the community’s future baseball players.
“We had a good time with them,” St Gelais said about instructing the younger kids. “We helped them play their positions so they could look at us and say, ‘hey, if we continue to play baseball, we can play in the same league they do one day.’”
Off the field, St Gelais and his teammates became closer in the way that successful teams often do. They bonded through the struggles, high points and joys of their hotel pool while on the road.
It helped create a bond that, evidently, stuck out to opposing teams.
“I’m always having a blast even if the scoreboard says we’re getting beat,” St Gelais said. “I know we’re winning because we’re having fun and playing together as a team. It makes it that much better to be playing with these guys . . . if I wasn’t playing with them, I probably wouldn’t be having fun playing baseball.”
Without the feeling of true enjoyment, many players eventually make their way off the baseball diamond.
It’s not something any coach or parent hopes to see, but as interest and enthusiasm for baseball continues to be a large area of focus in Glenrock, at many levels, it’s something Knights players hope they can play a part in.
For St Gelais, he doesn’t see it working any other way.
“When I’m older I don’t want to remember the championship we may have won, I want to remember how much fun we had when we played,” he said. “And that our coaches had fun with us and we created bonds and memories.”
As July comes to an end and the new school year lingers in the background, the baseball season will begin making its way into hibernation.
The batting cage at the high school will soon come down. New sports seasons will start. But until next season, the Knights have much to look forward to and even more reason to continue playing.
“As long as we continue to attract kids and have the support that we’ve had, we’ll continue to get better and compete with any team that we play,” St Gelais said. “The team is headed in a great direction.”