The temperature outside is beginning to go down, but the heat surrounding Waynesburg’s baseball team isn’t. The team is now a month into fall practices and games, and new head coach Tyler Rubasky is starting to settle in as the leader of the Yellow Jackets. Rubasky has continued to develop strategies with his team.

“It’s always little things that end up being big things later,” Rubasky said. “New baserunning concepts, new system concepts, it doesn’t matter what it is. The name of the game is adjustment, and improving little things here and there too always goes a long way.” 

The importance of those adjustments was evident during some of the team’s fall games, including its annual alumni game. After falling behind by one run early, the current roster responded later in the game to earn a 5-1 victory.

While the final score favored the current roster, the team’s slow start highlighted some of the areas that still need attention. For the players, the game provided an opportunity to evaluate their performance against former Waynesburg players and learn from them while continuing to prepare for the challenges ahead.

Junior Kaden Flambard said the team’s early struggles showed that there is still work to be done, regardless of the game’s exhibition status. 

“We definitely weren’t focused in the first few innings,” Flambard said. “It may only be the alumni game, but it still shows we have some minor spots that need to improve.”

Recognizing and correcting those mistakes will be an important part of Waynesburg’s preparation moving forward. Even with these tiny mistakes, Rubasky’s confidence in his team hasn’t been deterred at all.

“I like our guys. They want to get better, want to be coached, and love to compete,” Rubasky said. “I think we are going to be super competitive this year.”

As fall practices continue, the Yellow Jackets will look to continue building on its early progress in the fall and turn the lessons learned in exhibition games into improvements on the field as they search for their first winning season since 2024. While the colder weather signals the changing season, the Yellow Jackets remain focused on developing as a team and preparing for what lies ahead.

On Oct. 24, Waynesburg hosts Garrett College for a fall ball game.