SUAMICO (NBC 26) — What started as a simple game at practice has become part of Bay Port baseball’s culture during a standout season for the program.
Players and coaches say hacky sack — the footbag game popularized decades ago — has helped strengthen team chemistry as the Pirates have built a 22-2 record, clinched a Fox River Classic Conference championship and remained undefeated in conference play with two games left.
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Bay Port Head Coach Harvey Knutson said the foundation of the season was built long before the first pitch, starting in the offseason and carrying into the team’s early-season trip to Florida.
“The chemistry that they have and the bonding they’ve done, how much they care for each other and play for each other, that really helps,” Knutson said. “You could tell in the offseason with optional trainings and strong leadership that they wanted to build something big. That carried into Florida and became really noticeable once we started playing games.”
Knutson said that buy-in has translated directly onto the field.
“We’ve got a lot of talented players and some younger guys without a lot of varsity experience,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily about expecting an undefeated conference season. It was about finding the right pieces and getting ready for a playoff run.”
Sophomore Eli Hart, who hit a walk-off home run Tuesday night to improve the Pirates’ FRCC record to 16-0 at the time, said the team’s chemistry can be traced back to the team’s favorite activity.
“Honestly, it’s probably playing hacky sack together,” Hart said. “It’s something we love to do together. It’s how we spend time with each other and our bond has grown.”
Hart also pointed to the team’s day-to-day environment, including time spent together away from the field.
“It’s just been a big team,” Hart said. “It’s not one guy. It’s everyone battling for each other. The team chemistry here is unbelievable.”
Hacky sack first became popular in the 1970s before surging again in the 1990s. Recently, it has seen a resurgence through social media and team trends — something Bay Port players said inspired them to bring it into their own routine.
Senior Searin Mueller said it quickly became part of daily life around the program.
“We do everything as a team,” Mueller said. “We play hacky sack before practices and games, hit together after school and even get Culver’s after games. Everything just kind of clicked together.”
What began as a casual way to pass time quickly evolved into a full team tradition.
Senior Griffin Clusman said he brought the game to practice, where it immediately caught on.
“I brought a sack to practice one day and it just kind of caught on,” Clusman said. “All the guys do it now and they love it.”
The Pirates now have their own internal ranking system for hacky sack players, including what they call a “rank circle” for the top varsity players and a “JV circle” for the rest of the varsity group. Rankings are debated, updated and closely followed throughout the season.
Clusman, who teammates refer to as the team’s No. 1 hacky sack player, said the competition has only added to the team’s chemistry.
“Me and two other of the top three make rankings for the whole team based on what we’ve seen,” Clusman said. “All the guys love it and it really brings us together.”
Clusman said that energy carries into games.
Mueller said it makes a difference on the field, especially for pitchers.
“Our dugout is loud every game we play,” Mueller said. “When you go out to pitch, you can feel the defense behind you. It’s a lot less stressful.”
Hart said that atmosphere has helped the team stay loose during a season filled with rising expectations.
“It’s really fun just to play with everyone, have a good time and be free and relaxed,” Hart said. “That’s what’s been helping us win too.”
Bay Port has emerged as one of Wisconsin’s top baseball programs this spring, combining strong pitching and improved offense after past seasons where pitching often carried the team.
“The pitching is as consistent as it’s always been,” Knutson said. “The difference is we’re scoring runs now, which takes pressure off everybody.”
Hart said that balance — along with belief in each other — has been key.
“Everyone is battling for each other every day,” he said. “I truly believe we have a special group here.”
Mueller said the focus has remained simple as the wins have piled up.
“We just take it game by game,” Mueller said. “We don’t separate or break into groups. We just stick together.”
Knutson said that mindset is what gives the Pirates a chance to continue their run.
“It’s baseball,” he said. “Anything can happen in the playoffs. But when you have a group that believes in each other and plays for each other, it gives you your best chance.”
The Pirates return to action Friday against West De Pere. Players said the game also comes with another familiar tradition — the release of the team’s latest hacky sack rankings.
