The McIntosh varsity baseball team held its annual teacher appreciation night game on March 18 against Langston Hughes high school. Students were able to nominate a teacher of their choice to walk with them down the field wearing a matching baseball jersey. Irma Schwingshakl, one of McIntosh’s Spanish teachers, was nominated by junior Jackson Heeb.
“I feel honored to be here. [The team] is doing great today. They’re getting these kids out really quickly,” Schwingshakl said.
This is Heeb’s second time nominating Schwingshakl as his teacher pick.
“I have had her since freshman year and this will be the second year that I’ve chosen her for teacher appreciation night. She has helped me develop good studying skills, which helped me in other classes,” Heeb said.
Even with the addition of teachers watching from the sidelines, Heeb remained focused on the game.
“The energy of the team didn’t change much, but we just had to watch our language a little more.”
Healthcare teacher Jackie Burgess threw the first pitch to Jackson Heeb.
“I don’t teach any of these boys but I am Teacher of The Year, so I threw the first pitch,” Burgess said.
The ceremonial start to the game served as a highlight for Burgess, who reflected on the significance of being chosen as the representative of the faculty.
“It’s incredible. All sorts of things have been happening this year celebrating teacher of the year,” Burgess said.
Head Coach Avery Roth emphasized the importance of the event in maintaining the balance between academics and athletics at McIntosh.
“It’s important to know that our student-athletes appreciate their teachers. Being able to recognize that is a big deal of being a student-athlete,” Roth said.
The appreciation shown for the faculty translated directly into the team’s performance as they transitioned from the ceremony to the game on the field. The game score was 18-0 which ended early in the second inning due to mercy rule. Their regional standings are currently 4-2. This marks the McIntosh Varsity baseball team as third in their region. This game also sets a season-high score so far this season.
“[This win] is going to give us momentum going into the second part of the season. We swung the bat really well. We pitched really well,” Roth said.
