Hitting home runs, stealing bases and making diving catches can bring cheers from everyone at the baseball field, especially if they result in winning the game. But for players who perform such feats, the joy of winning pales in comparison to their love for playing the game of baseball.

Zeph Wiggins, 15, is an outfielder and first baseman for the Ice League team, the Royals. Wiggins has played organized baseball since he was 8 years old. And while he has had some success on the diamond, he doesn’t play for individual stats and doesn’t place too much of an emphasis on just winning.

“I pretty much just still play for fun,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins, a sophomore-to-be at Lawrence High, said that his favorite aspect of the game is performing the daily baseball routine.

“Just hitting the balls and getting grounders and stuff, catching them, making good plays,” he said.

In the future, Wiggins said that he’d like to play at LHS and then someday take his game to the east coast.

“I’d like to go to college maybe North Carolina,” Wiggins said. “That’s my favorite college baseball team.”

Although routine of practices and games can be habitual, John Doll, 13, of the Eagles has played baseball for the past five years. He said one of the reasons he played baseball was because of the camaraderie the players have on the field and in the dugout.

“I wanted to play with my friends and have fun,” Doll said. “We just talk and have fun together. Just hanging out with my friends.”

As for his future in the game, unlike Wiggins, Doll said he was undecided if he would continue playing.

“I might. I’m not really sure about that,” Doll said. “This might be my last year.”

Kyle Grimes of the Ice League Cardinals has been playing baseball since he was 4 years old. Grimes said he played other sports recreationally but baseball was the only sport that he has played in an organized league.

“I remember my earliest memories was watching baseball on TV,” Grimes said. “It’s always been my sport.”

Unlike in high school, college or pro, where there are many teams to play against, during the summer months the Ice League has just four teams. And the league is focused on player development and not just winning.

“It gets kind of boring after a while playing the same team over and over again,” Grimes said. “I play more for fun, really. It’s not a real competitive league, so there’s not as much at stake here.”

As for his future playing days, like Wiggins, Grimes, a senior-to-be at LHS also has dreams of playing at a higher level.

“I want to play at college,” he said. “I’m looking at colleges now where I’d like to play. Other than that I’d like to play pro, but that’s not very likely.”

And if Grimes’ dream of playing college ball comes true?

“It’d be awesome,” he said with a smile. “It’s kind of the point of my life, playing baseball. There’s not a whole lot else I like doing.”