As baseball is his number one love for sports, Matt Burnett, the new head baseball coach for Washington High School, looks forward to a great season and to lead the Pam Pack in a new direction.

With Burnett coming to WHS from Southern Lee H.S. in Sanford, he said he was fortunate enough to take over a Southern Lee baseball program in its second year of existence. Before he took the helm, the school won less than five games in the first year. After he began coaching, the team won 13 games the second year and went to the playoffs.

“The years I was there, we didn’t win any less than 16 games a season,” he said. “And we won a conference championship and really had good success in Sanford.”

As a typical high school schedule is 25 season games, Burnett added that he hopes to achieve even greater success at WHS.

“One of the draws that convinced me to come down here is that baseball in this part of the state is so competitive,” Burnett said. “You walk into a conference like we have and you realize you have to play Conley twice, and there is Havelock, who’s always been progressively strong … One of the big draws for me coming to Washington was the fact that this program, I think, is a sleeping giant.”

Burnett added that he wants to see his team get progressively better.

“Our goals are to play the game the right way, get better every single day, make the playoffs and then move from there to really set the foundation as a program and as a team,” Burnett said.

This will be Burnett’s sixth year as a head baseball coach, as he coached in Sanford for five years and was also an assistant coach for awhile as well.

“I always said once I became a head baseball coach I wouldn’t let football get in the way,” he said. “Football is kind of year to year, but baseball is my dream job and I love it, especially coaching at the high school level.”

According to Burnett, since there are games two and three times per week the players have to basically hit the ground running and really take advantage of the two practice days per week they have.

“The big thing with baseball is that it’s such a repetitive game, and they do a lot of things over and over again to get that preparedness,” he said. “So you have those two practice days to get your swings and throws sharp and good to go.”

As this year is Burnett’s first year at WHS he has really taken the reigns, and is not only looking at the players strengths, but their weaknesses as well. Everything from bunts to running, he wants them to give everything they’ve got.

“I’ve been really excited because I love (practice) because it really gives me the chance to teach and to really get inside their (players) heads and show them this is the way we want to and need to do things,” he said before the season started.

He added with players coming from different backgrounds, it’s really exciting to get them up to the same level and playing as one cohesive unit.

“I tell my players that practice is my time,” he said. “And the games are for you to show off and show what you can do.”

In order to achieve sustained success, Burnett said he is big on communication and likes to do things the right way. As other coaches may yell continuously at their players to get the job done, he said that’s not the way to go, as you also have to reassure them of what they’re doing right.

“I’m not going to just fuss at a kid,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is about relationships, and if you can build on that, they’ll perform for you.”

Burnett said his plans are to steadily raise the level of play and expectations at Washington.

“My goal is to establish a good foundation for WHS baseball and to be included in the notoriety when people talk about Conley and South Central and those schools,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to win state championships.”

So far this season Washington has played two games and is 1-1 on the year. The Pam Pack will be on the diamond today when it hosts Northside at 4:30 p.m.