Fleming emerges as leader for rebuilding Chargers | Prep baseball

After graduating nine starting players from last season, the Kentridge High baseball team needed a leader to emerge.

That responsibility fell upon the Chargers’ only returning regular from last year’s lineup, junior Matt Fleming.

Coach John Flanigan had talked to the formidable Fleming at the end of last season about leading a younger, untested team this spring.

“He told me last year that this is going to be my team for the next two years,” said Fleming, 17, who plays first base.

Leading the way is no small task after the Chargers’ success last season, finishing first in the South Puget Sound League North Division with a 13-3 league record (19-9 overall) and making it to the state 4A regional final.

Behind the talented Fleming, the Chargers will look to reach the state playoffs for the fourth straight year.

The learning curve continues. Kentridge is off to a 3-5 start through Tuesday’s action.

Flanigan said Fleming has stepped into the leadership role quite well.

“It is very nice having a guy back who made a deep run in the playoffs,” Flanigan said. “He works very hard. He leads by example.”

Senior Gerald Williams, who serves as captain of the team alongside Fleming, said that Fleming’s experience has been a valuable resource.

“He is a really good leader,” Williams said. “He always does the right thing. He is first in drills, trying to get better every time.”

Fleming said losing the bulk of the team from last season is hard to recover from, but this year’s players have shown a willingness to step up.

“I think we have some guys that can help us go pretty far,” he said.

Fleming said it took the first couple of games this season for the team to get comfortable playing together.

“The last four games or so, I have seen a lot of improvement,” Fleming said. “We are a lot more confident.”

Flanigan said he would love for team to make another playoff run, but the focus is on winning one game at a time.

“We are going to complete in every game and go hard,” Flanigan said.

Flanigan said the SPSL is arguably one of the best leagues in the state. He said almost every year at least one team from the league makes it to the final four.

“It is a very tough league,” he said.

Fleming said he is looking forward to playing against Kentwood and Tahoma later this season.

“We’ll see if we can beat them,” he said.

Fleming, who has verbally committed to play baseball at the University of Washington on a partial scholarship, is a multi-sport athlete. He played football as a freshman and sophomore and still plays basketball at the high school level but baseball has always been his passion.

“I knew when I was little baseball would be my best sport,” he said.

Fleming said he began playing baseball when he was about 7 or 8 years old. His dad, Jeff, coached his teams when Fleming was younger.

“He always made me work harder and made me be the best player out there,” he said.

Fleming plays club baseball during the summer on the Rips Brewers in Burien.

Fleming describes himself as an offensive player but he is trying to improve his defense.

“I’ve always been pretty good offensively,” he said. “It comes more naturally.”

Fleming, a first-team All-SPSL North performer last year, finished the season with a .420 batting average, two home runs, 20 RBIs and eight doubles.

Fleming said he would like to keep his batting average about .350 this season, but he is more focused on the team’s success.

“I’m more of a team guy,” he said. “I just like winning.”