After some at-bats through the lineup, Community R-6 turned Monday’s Senior Night game into a rout.

Community R-6 vs Higbee Senior Night Photo Gallery

The Trojans played an hour later at Mexico High School a second time this season due to their field being too wet and matched up against Class 1 No. 6 Higbee this time on Senior Night. Seven runs in the fourth inning and 12 strikeouts later through seven for senior Mason Carroll helped Community win 9-0.

Senior Mason Rohan said the team was “chewed out” by head coach Joel Krato, encouraging them to wake up and get some offense going after three scoreless innings. The Trojans (11-7) left the bases loaded in the third inning and started the fourth with the bases loaded again before much different results in the inning.

“In that fourth inning, we really took off because we picked up the energy in the dugout quite a bit,” senior Darren Hays said.

Rohan said the Trojans weren’t chewed out after the game as the Senior Night recognition happened right after the varsity game, but Krato said there weren't many areas of fault after that inning.

Krato added Mondays are difficult anyway since Community doesn’t have school, and the Trojans were forced to play an hour later on Mexico’s field again on a much warmer day the team hasn’t seen much this season. 

“I was fed up with watching what I was watching,” Krato said. “We went down the line, and we had a little calm conversation where I felt we could make some adjustments. It sparked some energy.”

Higbee (10-6) committed five errors, including two at the start, in the fourth. Senior Eli Johnson lifted a single that touched down in shallow right field that scored a run and then Cooper Rohan laid down a bunt that resulted in a base hit that loaded the bases. 

“Cooper is in the two hole because he can be productive,” Krato said. “We decided he just has to be the two hole hitter because his ceiling is he can be that guy for us.”

Carroll and Lane Carter each had two RBI singles in the inning and then Carroll crushed a two-RBI home run in the fifth inning to put his total at four.

“About the fourth inning, that’s also when I realized I could see grips with runners on base,” Krato said. “It was part of the reason why we were confident, knowing what was coming.”

Krato praised the efforts of his senior group — Carroll, Rohan, Johnson, Hays, Brant Cope and Aaron Carter — not just on Monday but for being “huge assets” over the past four years. The seniors have played a majority of the innings, and Krato said even those who don’t have as much field time have meant a lot to the team.

“Aaron Carter is the unsung hero,” Krato said. “That’s a kid that’s never played baseball prior to last year. He’s third on our team in runs, and all he does is courtesy run for the pitcher. He’s second on the team in stolen bases. He’s phenomenal, and he’s a huge piece of our offense in terms of just being able to base run.”

The Trojans made their state Final Four run last season but have been solid during the other three seasons. As freshmen, the seniors were on a 10-win team, they then had a winning record as sophomores and capped their careers as seniors with at least 11 victories. That means they have won 58 percent of their games as long as they’ve been in the program.

“That’s a really good senior crew,” Krato said. “I would argue they are the class with the most wins probably for a long time in Community R-6 history. A lot of that has to do with them.”

Cope said he appreciates Krato as a coach as well and admits the “temper tantrums” have been some of his favorite memories as a Trojan. He and the other seniors agree on one central reason that the culture and atmosphere is something everybody should experience.

“Hanging out and being around the other guys, the atmosphere is really cool,” Carter said. “You don’t get it anywhere else.”

“It’s a great thing to be with,” Hays said. “Upcoming freshmen at R-6, if you want to play baseball, play baseball because it’s a great atmosphere.”

“It’s a great way to build relationships and leadership skills,” Carroll said. 

“The culture of this team is great,” Johnson said. “Watching us develop over our four years has been crazy.”

“Getting to play four years has been a blast,” Rohan said. “It’s a team that is more of a family now. We’ve played with each other since going into summer of freshman year. Being with all the guys is a lot of fun.”