It s 7pm and less than two weeks from opening day.
Baseball s in the air.
The lights at Rex Weech Field illumine the red and gray clad Key West High School varsity baseball team as they take batting practice. A kid about average build steps up to the plate to take his cuts, but after a few swings it s obvious the kid is a hitter. He easily lines the ball up the middle, to right, to right-center, and up the middle again. He has a natural hitter s swing, a swing that Conch baseball fans recognize. With his last cut senior Juan Menendez goes back to the dugout, joking a little with his teammates on the way.