What does success look like when the expectations are already high? For Gage Sansome, the answer is simple: “Improve on last year’s batting average and try to get 75 strikeouts.”
That mindset defines the Walters senior as he prepares for another baseball season after a year that tested his endurance, adaptability, and competitive drive. Coming off a 2025 campaign where he hit .237 with a .489 on-base percentage and logged 49 strikeouts with a 3.1 ERA across 33 innings, Sansome isn’t satisfied standing still. “Take each game one play at a time and do whatever I can to help us win,” he said. “I am not a ‘loud’ leader but try to lead through confidence and staying calm when things get crazy.”
That calm presence has been built over time. “The biggest improvement that I’ve seen so far since I started my freshman year is the level of baseball as a whole,” Sansome explained. “When I started playing, we were a very young team, starting three freshmen at key places… This group has a lot of experience and we’re ready to give this season everything we have.”
Experience paid off last spring when Walters reached the state tournament for the first time in 25 years. “Last year was the first year in 25 that the school has made it to the state tournament and it was a lot to take in,” Sansome said. “This year, we know what that feels like and I think we’ll be able to handle the stress of bigger, more important games because of that.”
Versatility has also defined his career. “My first year as a freshman I started at centerfield, since then I have moved to the infield, starting at third base, shortstop, second base or pitching,” Sansome said. Offensively, his approach stays situational. “Depending on the situation I just try to find a gap… If we have runners on base, I try to focus on at least putting it somewhere that he can advance.”
Beyond baseball, Sansome’s future is grounded in service. “I want everyone to know that I gave the school everything I could,” he said. “I competed in things I wasn’t quite sure about… I feel like this group of baseball players has really helped bring up the baseball program at Walters and I hope it motivates the younger classes to keep it going.”
After graduation, he plans to enter the OSU/OKC firefighter program unless baseball opens another door—proof that wherever Sansome goes next, effort and commitment will follow.
