The Normal West Boys Baseball team is currently 20-12, standing 4th in the Big 12 Conference. 

As the season wraps up and they head into postseason, the boys are reflecting on the 2026 season.

One key game that they remember fondly was on April 7 against a tough Metamora squad.

“Metamora had a good picture on the mound, and we put up 9 runs. It was one of the better pitchers we’ve seen this year, and they were ranked ahead of us,” Junior Sam McCully recalled. 

The Metamora game was the most memorable part of the season so far, but this team has not always had highs. 

In fact, at the start of the season and before heading to Alabama for the annual team trip consisting of five games in Gulf Shores, the team struggled with consistency.

“Before Bama, we lost to Uhigh bad, 10 run rule, and then lost the Morton by five,” Junior Catcher Sam McCully said. “It had me like questioning how good we could possibly be.”

After the ‘Bama trip, though, the boys started picking up and finally “got their feet underneath [them].”

Their mindset shift then led to a goal of new goal of having a record above .500, which they are currently succeeding at.

Overall, the ‘Bama trip helped the team find their roles and where they best fit. 

“All of our teammates really found their roles and found what they really do well and what they needed to work on. And since then, it’s only been getting better,” McCully said.

This included some underclassmen, like sophomore Jasper Palmer, stepping up in needed times.

“Especially when Ty was out, [Palmer] was our number one; he really had to step up as a pitcher and did,” Junior Bryson Edwards said.

Before the trip, the upperclassmen were not very familiar with the underclassmen.

“We didn’t really know them as well, or weren’t really friends, but especially ‘Bama was the highlight with that. Once we got to ‘Bama, the team just got a lot closer, so that helped a lot,” Edwards said.

They also noted that it helped them play more as a team rather than individually.

“It felt like we were a lot closer as a team, rather than just playing. We were playing together,” Junior Charlie Hanks said.

This team is a younger group with only two seniors for this year. With lower numbers from seniors, the juniors and sophomores and few freshman players needed to step up.

Because the team is young, much of their success is attributed to underclassmen like freshman Landon Stelty and Palmer, the latter of whom rose from a hopeful tryout to the team’s “number one” pitcher.

Overall, the players credit their success to efficient base running, avoiding costly errors, and situational hitting.

The team has improved significantly in finding reliable pitchers who throw strikes and in the consistency of the bottom half of the batting order.

What has helped make these improvements?

Twice-weekly morning lifts have been key, especially with many key players out with injuries.

“Chase Reinhart, who was our ace last year, 1st team all conference, All-state, had to get Tommy John surgery in the offseason, so he’s out for the full season,” McCully explained. 

The injuries are a huge challenge that this season has brought. 

“Bryson dislocated his shoulder a couple of weeks ago. He’s trying to get back soon before the end of the season,” Hanks said. 

Another low point in the season was playing two games against Normal Community.

“During the community games, we didn’t play up to our standards, and we sat there hoping not to get embarrassed rather than trying to compete,” Hanks explained. 

That week was a huge turning point for the team. 

“[That game] opened our eyes and realized, we gotta’ work harder,” Edwards stated.

The Wildcats will take on the Mt. Zion Braves tonight (May 21) at 6 p.m. Their postseason will begin next week.