Matt Cook said Hanover Central’s goal this season is simple — make a deep postseason run while staying focused on the present.
“Obviously we want to make a good state run — that’s always the goal,” Cook said. “But we just want to take it one game at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves.”
Cook, a senior starting pitcher, is part of a veteran core that has experienced both postseason success and disappointment, including a strong 22–8 season that ended in the sectional championship.
“If we just take it one game at a time, hopefully we end up on the right side of the ball game,” he said.
With several younger players joining the lineup, Cook said senior leadership will play a major role in setting expectations and helping the team develop throughout the season.
“We kind of keep the younger guys around us on and off the field,” Cook said. “They learn the groove of how we do things, and it takes care of itself.”
Cook added that the team’s mindset centers on steady improvement rather than pressure.
“We just need to throw strikes, play good defense and win the game our way,” he said.
If Hanover Central can maintain that approach, Cook believes the Wildcats will be positioned to compete for a postseason run.
