Rattlers Sights Set on Climbing Desert Empire League

Baseball is in full swing here in the Coachella Valley and local high schools are battling it out to end up on top, many with their sights set on moving their way up in league standings, especially Rancho Mirage High School. The Rattlers are full are finding their groove as a young team, with six freshman, but full of talent top to bottom. "The season has progressed, you know, coming out of the fall, we had certain expectations when we were young. But as we’ve grown, we’ve seen that this young group can handle the pressure and they’re rising to the occasion," says Coach David Shaw. Coach Shaw says his team is full of guys that want to work hard and compete. "The lineup is just grinding. The biggest thing I think these guys are learning together is how to play together. You know, they’ve never played together. But they’re taking quality at bats and making every pitcher work. The best in the league has seen us. And I can tell you right now we’ve competed against every pitcher in the league this season," says Shaw. So far this season, Freshman Kobee Finnikin has stepped up as a reliable at bat for the Rattlers, leading the team in runs and hits. But the young centerfielder coins his success to the support around him. "I really feel like my coaches and my mom molded me into the player on and off the field because I feel like if you’re a great player on the field, you got to be a great person off the field too," says Kobee. Aside from talent, it’s his dedication and support from those around him that sets him apart. He says, "it really helped me. Coach Shaw, Coach Rudy, Coach Mcfadden, they really molded me into a bigger player… they have a plan for everyone and for my plan is really developing me in the head and making me stronger, mentally and physically." And he’s not the only product of the rattlers coaching staff. They’ve got a stud on the bump, Malakai Lopez says the coaches at Rancho Mirage help him in more ways than one. The Junior pitcher is ranked second in the Desert Empire League when it comes to punch outs. But it was a lot of hard work from the get go. "I’ve done a lot of hard work when I was younger, I feel like I was an underdog going into high school and I just wanted to make my name known. I worked my butt off to like prove something to the Valley and to coaches and everything that I wanted more than everyone else," says Malakai. He’s also the second in wins making him one of the most consistent pitchers in the Valley right now. But he says it’s more than just stats and the team has their eyes set on something bigger, collectively. "You know, we already have that special bond and we have the fire in our hearts. I feel that we keep moving towards that we will stay connected throughout the rest of the year, because we have a lot of young guys that I feel will improve and get better mentally and physically."