by Nicole Reich ’17

The varsity baseball team impressively came together en route to an undefeated regular season, but four players share an extra bond beyond that of teammates. They are the Collins brothers, Patrick and Brendan, and the Ervin brothers, Matt and John.

The Collins each started their baseball careers when they turned the age of 5, but they never played alongside one another on the same team until their two Sherwood seasons together. Patrick, a senior second baseman, appreciates the fact that they have each other to talk about the sport together.

His younger brother concurs. “My brother and I have been on separate teams our entire lives and have competed against each other, but now since we’re on the same team, it’s nice to see all the hard work and effort being put towards one goal,” said Brendan, who is a junior pitcher and first baseman. Brendan likes having Patrick with him on the team because there is more competition, while Patrick insists the two brothers keep it friendly. If the two ever end up getting into arguments, they always get over it quickly. A perk for Brendan is getting rides from his brother, though Patrick jokes that his younger brother never cleans his stuff out of the car.

The Ervins also have been playing baseball ever since they can remember and have played for Sherwood together for two years. Matt, a senior starting pitcher and outfielder, likes having his little brother on the team and how they get the chance to share the field. John, who is a junior shortstop and second baseman, enjoys having his brother there especially because it is a lot easier to work with each other on their baseball skills. “It’s convenient to have the opportunity to be able to practice with someone on the baseball field and at home,” added Matt.

They never get into fights because they are on the same team and play different positions. “We get along very well both on and off the field. Being on the same team as him makes high school baseball that much more enjoyable,” said John.

Both sets of brothers share the connection of being related on the field and having lucky parents that only have to attend one game in order to see their sons play. Patrick Collins understands the Ervins’ similar connections, while John Ervin thinks it is cool to see the different dynamic relationship between the Collins brothers. Matt Ervin and Brendan Collins agree that it is awesome to see another set of brothers on the team, but they often forget about it because they’re all just teammates trying to make this.