AACC’s Men’s Baseball hosted four youth clinics in February to teach young players how to pitch, hit, catch and play field.

The Riverhawks hosted the clinics every Sunday from Jan. 27 to Feb. 17 in the Jenkins Gymnasium from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Head baseball coach Chris Jenkins said the camp days were long, but he enjoyed hosting with his team.

“It’s first-grade through 12th-grade players, and it’s four, 90-minute sessions,” Jenkins said. “A camper can come for one, two or three sessions and hit, pitch, catch and practice fielding.”

Jenkins said this is the third year the baseball program has hosted the youth clinics, which is the team’s largest fundraiser each season.

“It’s a big fundraiser for us,” Jenkins said. “We need to raise quite a bit of money each year to run the program so we can travel and give all the guys their equipment.”

Ian Sterling, baseball player and second-year criminal justice student, said he liked working with the campers and sharing his experience with them.

“I think it’s nice because we give them a college experience and let them see what it’s like for college players and all of the drills we go through,” Sterling said.

Sterling said he saw the most improvement from the campers in hitting.

“The hitting seems to be paying off,” Sterling said. “They seem to be doing a much better job, so it’s nice to see some reward coming from this.”

Dustin Gosnell, a third-year transfer studies student and baseball player, said he is used to teaching baseball to kids because he also coaches his 11-year old brother’s team.

“I’ve been there so I know how they feel,” Gosnell said. “A lot of these kids are just starting out and playing.”

“If you look at the bigger picture, it’s helping the little kids play a sport that we love,” Gosnell added.

Baseball player Bradley O’Neal, a second-year business student, said he also liked teaching the campers at the clinic because it will help them in the future.

“I like to teach them and help them grow in their career and just show them the fundamentals,” O’Neal said.