Welcome to Varsity

Monday afternoon. First varsity practice.

Logan Carter walked onto the field, his cleats crunching against the dirt, his heartbeat steady but his mind racing.

He'd been through months of grinding, outlasting doubt, pushing past exhaustion, and proving he could keep up.

Now?

He had to prove he could lead.

Varsity wasn't just about making the team.

It was about earning respect.

And Logan knew—nothing would be given to him.

The Reality Check

Coach Talbot stood at home plate, clipboard in hand, scanning the group.

"These are not the same practices you've been used to," he said. "Varsity baseball is faster, tougher, and less forgiving. If you screw up, the other team exploits it."

His eyes landed on Logan.

"Carter. You earned your spot. Now keep it."

Logan nodded. "Yes, Coach."

Talbot smirked. "Good. Let's start with infield work."

Logan jogged to second base, standing beside Jimmy, who smacked his glove.

"Ready, Clutch?"

Logan grinned. "Always."

Defensive Drills: Speed & Precision

Coach Talbot wasn't taking it easy.

The infielders ran rapid-fire drills—grounders, double plays, cutoffs.

No breaks. No time to think.

Logan had one goal—match the speed.

The first few reps? Rough.

A hard grounder ate him up, bouncing off his glove.

Big Mac, watching from first, called out, "Little nervous, Clutch?"

Logan clenched his jaw. "Not at all."

Next play? A slow roller.

Logan charged too fast, barehanded it, and sailed the throw over first.

Ethan, standing nearby, smirked. "Starting to feel it, huh?"

Logan exhaled. He couldn't let the mistakes get to him.

Focus. Slow it down.

The next play, a sharp one-hopper came his way.

This time, Logan stayed low, fielded it cleanly, and fired to first.

OUT.

Drew clapped from the outfield. "There he is."

Logan grinned.

The rust was coming off.

Now?

He had to keep up.

Hitting: Facing Real Heat

After fielding drills, it was time to hit.

And today?

Logan was facing the best pitcher on the team.

Cameron Rhodes.

A senior ace with a 95 mph fastball and a slider that broke ankles.

Logan stepped into the box.

Cameron smirked. "First day on varsity, huh?"

Logan adjusted his stance. "Let's see what you got."

Cameron wound up.

First pitch—fastball, high and tight.

Logan flinched.

The ball zipped past, smacking the catcher's mitt.

POP.

"Strike one!" the catcher called.

Drew, leaning against the cage, winced. "Oof. Welcome to varsity."

Logan shook it off.

Next pitch—slider.

It looked like a fastball, but at the last second—it disappeared.

Logan swung and missed.

"Strike two!"

Ethan muttered, "Yeah, this is gonna be fun to watch."

Logan gritted his teeth.

Cameron's third pitch—another fastball.

Logan was ready.

He tracked it, unleashed his swing—

CRACK.

The ball shot into the right-center gap.

Drew jumped up. "THERE IT IS!"

Logan sprinted out of the box, rounding first.

Big Mac waved him back. "Nice hit, Clutch!"

Even Cameron nodded. "Not bad."

Coach Talbot simply wrote something on his clipboard.

Logan breathed hard, adrenaline pumping.

He could compete at this level.

Now?

He had to do it every day.

End of Practice: The Conversation

As practice wrapped up, Logan grabbed his bag, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Coach Talbot called out, "Carter, a word."

Logan jogged over.

Talbot studied him. "You had a rough start today."

Logan nodded. "I know. I'll get better."

Coach smirked. "I know you will. But listen—varsity is different. You'll have good days. Bad days. It's about how you handle both."

Logan nodded. "I got it, Coach."

Talbot nodded back. "Good. Because we're going to start live scrimmages this week. And I need to see if you can handle real game pressure."

Logan's stomach tightened.

Live scrimmages.

Another test.

He wasn't backing down.

"Bring it on," he said.

Coach Talbot grinned. "That's what I like to hear."

As Logan walked toward the dugout, Drew jogged up beside him.

"How was your first varsity practice?" Drew asked.

Logan smirked. "Hard as hell."

Drew chuckled. "Yeah, welcome to the big leagues, Clutch."

Logan exhaled.

He had made it to varsity.

But now?

He had to prove he belonged.

To Be Continued…

(Next Chapter: Logan faces his first live scrimmage—can he handle the pressure?)