Elizabeth Sedlak is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Arizona Lutheran Academy for AZPreps365.com

After Arizona Lutheran Academy raised more than $70,000 during its 13th Annual Gala, the school is looking forward to raising even more money to improve different aspects of the campus, bringing support for the student and faculty body.

The Galas allowed the sports facilities to get new school lockers, new bleachers, room renovations and stage lights.

Now, the school’s athletic department looks forward to take part in raising money for their sports teams as well.

ALA’s baseball team has been working hard the past couple of years to raise money to bring enhancements to their team, whether if it be raising money for new sports equipment, new uniforms, and field maintenance.

Players on the baseball team and their families have come up with a variety of strategies to raise money and work together to figure out what important things they need.

Shawn Riesop, who has been the head coach for ALA’s baseball team for a year, said the team puts on a fundraiser each year to earn money for the team.

Riesop notes that field maintenance is one of their biggest concerns, specifically that the field needs new sprinklers.

He says he and his coaches "do all the work” around the complex.

“Being able to get sprinklers in the outfields so we’ll have a nice outfield that we spend a lot of time and effort on the infield... that’s one of the biggest things. Just improving the facilities so that our student athletes are able to have a better experience, and to be able to grow physically and mentally,” said Riesop.

The Coyotes also try to raise money for their team by asking their parents and other family relatives to help them out.

According to Riesop, each of Coyotes’ families volunteer their time and organized fundraisers for the athletes as well as helping with meals for the team.

“Friends and family are a big contributor to our income for the team,” said Ryan Pufahl, a senior baseball player for the Coyotes.

The Coyotes’ have also made an effort to raise money for new baseball equipment as well as new uniforms, two concerns that were also important to them.

Jorge Lomeli Jr. a senior at ALA, said how the team got new baseball uniforms this year. His father, Jorge Lomeli Sr., who is the assistant baseball coach for the Coyotes, said the team asks their parents to donate money for some baseball equipment, especially baseball bats.

While the team has a budget for equipment, Lomeli Sr. said the team gains the budgeted money through fundraising, and they save the money for “other necessities”.

“We have old bats that we have been using,” said Lomeli Sr. “The kids will use those in the cages, so they don’t break their bats.”

Riesop said ALA is a small school and doesn’t have a booster club. The baseball team will try to put more manpower towards fundraising as the team grows over time. For now, the team will take each day one day at a time.

“You always want to be able to improve what you have and get better,” said Riesop. “Whether that’s with the students and their abilities, or whether that’s with the equipment that we have.”