On Friday, May 1, Ben Buchdahl ’26 pitched his 100th strikeout against a batter from Riverside, a rare achievement for pitchers at MFS.
MFS community members were enthusiastic to see Buchdahl reach this milestone: a large crowd came out that Friday to watch Buchdahl pitch, including Buchdahl’s parents, Athletic Director Isaiah Coleman, and Assistant Athletic Director Bryan Wright. Fans held signs with the letter K on them, which is a denotation of the term strikeout.
Though the Foxes eventually lost 6-1 to the opposing team, the team’s mood was still celebratory. Buchdahl credited this to the team’s bond, which he described as one of the main contributors to his achievements this season.
“Baseball is a big team sport, so finding success as a player comes with belief in your teammates and coaches and them having that same belief in you,” he said.
Buchdahl’s mindset surrounding the importance of his team stems from the assistance seniors gave him as a ninth grader.
“Seeing the encouragement and support [the seniors] had for me when I was on the field made me want to make sure I encourage the younger guys in the program,” said Buchdahl.
This support pushed him to help lead the team in his sophomore year, when he gained the official title of captain, which he now shares with Justin Lewis ’26 and Janiel Garcia ’26.
Nolan Dillon ’29, who is new to the Upper School (US) baseball team, feels that Buchdahl’s leadership has been helpful to him this year.
“[Buchdahl] has helped our team a lot, especially the underclassmen. He’s a very encouraging person … [that’s] one of his best characteristics,” he reflected.
Buchdahl’s dedication to his team is evident to those off the field, too. Clark Thomson, US history teacher and avid MFS baseball fan, has witnessed his growth as a leader.
“He went from a place of being frustrated [with new players] to recognizing he needed to be a mentor and that these kids had great raw ability, but [that their] mistakes were inevitable,” said Thomson.
Thomson explained that this growth “made [Buchdahl] a better baseball player altogether.” This can be seen in his player statistics, where the number of strikeouts he made grew each season exponentially, increasing from just one in his ninth-grade year to 40 in his junior year.
Buchdahl believes that both his personal and the team’s growth and success are inextricably linked to the trust that his teammates have in each other.
“The 100 strikeouts came from throwing strikes and trusting my teammates and coaches around me … What has really helped the team have success this year is our trust in each other and knowing that we can beat any team we play,” said Buchdahl.
