SWAMPSCOTT — Over the years, Swampscott senior Caden Ross has made noise across the North Shore with stellar play on the baseball diamond. This season, as a team captain, he has helped lead the Big Blue to the No. 10 spot in Div. 3 (as of May 15).

Ross said this season has been especially enjoyable because of the bond he shares with his fellow seniors, many of whom he has played with since childhood.

They always dreamed of representing their hometown.

“It’s honestly great, playing with these seniors. We’ve been playing together since we were 8 years old. We spent every summer, for four years straight, practicing three or four hours a day for our All-Star teams,” Ross said. “We grew up together and it’s just a special type of bond that we have. We’ve been talking about this year, being our senior year, for a while now. It’s pretty exciting, just living through what we talked about as kids.”

Swampscott sports a strong record in the Northeastern Conference and beyond.

“This season’s been fun so far. We’ve got a great group of guys and we’re winning ballgames right now, so it’s definitely been a very fun year to say the least,” Ross said. “We’ve got the bats and the defense for a deep run. Our pitching is good. Jamison Ford has been pitching his butt off. I think we have a shot to make a good run this year.”

Ross has been on the varsity team for all four years of high school, adding his biggest improvement has been his confidence.

“I remember being a freshman and seeing varsity pitching. Anything over 80 mph was pretty fast to me. Over the years, just seeing all the pitching consistently, it’s just been a confidence thing,” Ross said. “This year, when I’m up at the plate, I know I can hit off anybody.”

This season, one game in particular showcased that confidence. Ross smashed three home runs during a win against Winthrop.

“I was just going into the game expecting to get a couple knocks and have some fun. I was just seeing the ball really well that day, I guess. The ball just jumped off the bat,” Ross said.

After his second homer, Ross said he didn’t change his approach chasing a third.

“My approach stays the same for most of my at-bats. I was just thinking of staying short to the ball and trying to hit it up the middle and smoke it as hard as I can.”

The shortstop will continue his career at Northern Essex Community College.

Until then, Ross said his goal is to win a state championship under the leadership of coach Joe Caponigro. Ross praised Caponigro for the support he has provided both on and off the field.

“It’s been a great experience. He’s a great guy and I love him as a person and as a coach,” Ross said. “He helped me out with recruiting and was very involved with me on that side, and I’m really grateful for him and to have him on my side.”