Coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last spring, Choctaw baseball has picked up right where it left off, jumping out to a 4-1 start that has head coach David Weber feeling good about the direction of his program.
- Last season, the Indians made the Sweet 16 before falling to Arnold, which went on to reach the Final Four. It was Choctaw’s first playoff appearance since 2022 and just its third in the past 10 years.
“That was awesome,” Weber said. “This team knows how to win. This team is full of winners.”
Despite losing key seniors from that run, Choctaw has looked sharp early this season. The Indians’ only loss came against Niceville, which enters the year undefeated and made the Elite 8 a season ago. Weber believes that game served as a turning point.
- “I think they’ve answered back,” he said. “We didn’t play our best game during that, but I think since that’s happened, they’ve toughened up a little bit.”
The early results back that up. Choctaw has posted two run-rule victories, dispatching Pine Forest and Booker T. Washington in dominant fashion.
Much of that success has been driven by a pantry of dominant two-way players, including Trevor Camden, Jack Marraco, Isaiah Rohn and Blake Peters.
- “It’s beautiful. One of the awesome things about high school baseball, you get to see guys both pitch and hit,” Weber said. “But we’ve got some special high school players, and there’s tons of them. They’re all over the field. It’s great to see.”
The pitching has been particularly impressive. Jack Marraco threw a no-hitter against Booker T. Washington, while Garrett Meggs opened the season with a no-hitter of his own against Pine Forest.
Even in the loss to Niceville, there were bright spots on the mound. Parker Powell entered the game in relief and shut the door, recording the final out of the sixth inning before tossing a scoreless seventh, allowing no hits and striking out one in 1.1 innings of work.
“Parker threw the ball great in the Niceville game, and his leadership is a big boost for us,” Weber said. “He’s steady. He’s the same guy every day and has an awesome attitude.”
At the plate, the Indians have been just as productive. Seth Young has already hit two home runs this year, and Carter Marraco has turned in several impressive at-bats as well.
Still, Weber said the most impressive thing about his team so far isn’t any single stat or performance — it’s the mentality.
“Just resilience,” he said. “This group’s resilient. They know how to win. They’re made up of the right stuff on the inside.”
If the Indians can maintain that edge, the Big Green could be in for a special season.
