Air Academy High School’s baseball program has made a change in the head coaching position. New coach Dustin Matlock is looking to further progress Air Academy’s baseball program and usher in a new era of Kadet Baseball. 

Coach Matlock’s hiring leaves the program nowhere to hide, and many speculate that good things are on the rise.

Kadet Baseball is looking to renew a competitive force lacking from previous seasons. With the arrivals of over 60 new athletes looking to join the team, Coach Matlock is confident that the team will be a legitimate force to be reckoned with.

Coach Dustin Matlock had this to say about his debut season here at Air Academy, “I think that we’re very talented in the areas we need to be to compete day in and day out, and I know with the hard work that the team is ready to commit to, I’m very optimistic and know where we’re going this season.”

Kadet Baseballs’ #1 goal is to compete with the juggernauts of our district, such as Pine Creek and Liberty High School, as well as showing the state of Colorado that the team deserves to be noticed as contenders in the postseason come May.

Josh Kates, a returning sophomore third baseman, is optimistic that a new coach will take Kadet Baseball to renewed heights. “I think a new coach will bring energy to the team and I believe we’ll have a chance to make the playoffs and be competitive,” he said.

A new head coach or administrative change can often re-energize a previously lethargic group of players. New coaching strategies can easily raise a good team to a great team, but energy and momentum are accountable for creating playoff contenders.

Kates also stated that, “I think the team will play more relaxed and enjoy the game more which is important in a successful program.”

During the 2017 Kadet Baseball season, the team won the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference (PPAC) championship, and returned to the postseason in 2018, but failed to advance past the first round of play. With the departure of several seniors, the team is undergoing yet another period of rebuilding, but with the addition of over 60 students trying out, the rebuilding process appears to be taken care of.

“[We want] to create this excitement, this culture, that for years to come, people that graduate from Air Academy will be proud of what we’re trying to do,” said Matlock.

With the exciting upcoming season just over the horizon, support for the team would of course be appreciated, and with the arrival of Coach Matlock, it is safe to say that the team will be a spectacle to watch.

The Kadet’s season starts on April 21, where the team will take on a strong Lewis-Palmer team, and students are encouraged to come take part in the Kadet Baseball atmosphere.