By now those of you who ordered either oranges or grapefruit have received them.  We want to give you a heartfelt THANK YOU!  It may not seem like much to you, but that money you donated to buy fruit will help the baseball program a great deal come spring (and even now!).  It is used in more ways than you can imagine.  Most importantly, you are supporting our program and by "our program" we mean EVERYONE in the West Salem community.  Whether you have a young man in the program currently, have had one in the past, hope to have one in the future, or are just a fan local athletics, everyone in West Salem is a part of our team.  We take tremendous pride in wearing the "Titans" logo on the front of our chest and representing the entire West Salem community when we take the field each and every day.  Thank you again for your support!!!  We hope to see you all out in the spring when we take the field to defend our conference title! Go Titans!

The baseball season may seem a ways off but it will be here before you know it. We encourage all baseball players to participate in other athletics throughout the year, whether it be football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, swimming, or another school sanctioned sport. We truly feel that it is important to participate in non-baseball activities. They improve competitiveness, give you a break from using/abusing the same muscle groups, and teach you a great work ethic. Just listen to what Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz has to say about playing baseball year round (link: "John Smoltz Issues Warning To Parents Of Young Baseball Players") We have many, many tremendous coaches in all sports at West Salem High School and multiple opportunities to compete athletically outside of baseball.

However, for those who are not participating in a non-baseball school sport there are many ways to prepare for the upcoming season.

• Get into weights class at West!!!
• Talk with West Salem baseball coaches and current players about an off-season program
• Work out at Capitol City Sports: LINK
• Oregon State baseball camps: LINK
• University of Oregon baseball camps: LINK
• Lewis and Clark baseball camps: LINK
• Western Oregon University baseball camps: LINK
• University of Portland baseball camps: LINK

There are many other Oregon camps. These are just a few. Google "Oregon baseball camps" or chat with Coach Tiffin to find the right fit for you. You do NOT need to spend money to get better. There are many drills and activities we can provide you by simply communicating with West Salem baseball coaches.

Remember:

• "There is someone out there working harder than you, and you may be standing next to him or her in your next competition." - Robert Cheeke
• "There may be people more talented than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do, and I belive that." - Derek Jeter