All Is Fair With Bat and Ball
This spring has brought some new feelings and vibes to campus as the baseball team kicked off its inaugural season. The talk of baseball being brought to campus stirred up quickly but also died down before the season came.
Meanwhile, softball has been on campus for quite some time and was not talked about as much or given much attention Now that the season has kicked off into high gear for both softball and baseball, campus talk has shined a light on both spring sports.
Lately, students on campus have been talking about and debating over who gets more attention in terms of sport, fan base, and support from the athletic department.
“I think baseball’s home games are talked about because everyone wants to see what they’re about and be supportive,” Meghan Bradley ’21 states, the catcher and third baseman for softball. “They have also played more games.”
Baseball started their season on March 10 and played their home opener on March 24. For softball, their season started on March 2, and they didn’t play their home opener until March 27 because of weather conditions.
Katey Roth ’21 also talked about the baseball team and the attention they have gotten, “They get more recognition because they want to get people interested.”
One significant and positive attribute that has affected both teams positively is the bonding and the togetherness of both teams.
Jenna Carty ’21, the short stop for softball, explains, “I have become friends with a lot of the baseball players, and it is good having someone in similar situations.”
One other player, Daphne Buzard ’21 responded, “We really bond because it is the same game,” the pitcher said, “Having them on campus is one of the best things that has happened for us.”
On the opposite side of the spectrum, baseball players have gotten a lot of attention on campus because of the new team on campus and the different players playing in its first year.
“Baseball attracts a new team and attracts certain fans who want to see us succeed or fail,” Jarrett Rickerds ’20 explained.
In terms of baseball getting attention, Jimmy Husar ’20 explained it.
“They wanted to get the field done because there is pressure to get the field done the right way,” the junior captain explained.
Being a first-year program, the baseball team has had to get some experience and get to know the ropes a bit at first. Bonding with the softball team, who plays a similar game, has helped them get familiar with campus much easier.
“I feel like certain people bond and others do not,” Rickerds explains, “Some of us hang out together and take classes together so we must have each other’s backs.”
Husar explains that, “We bond through attending each other’s games and eating together. It is like a brother-sister relationship.”
Overall, baseball has received a bit more attention at the beginning of the season because of their new team, players, field and equipment, but softball is still coming on strong as a program. Even with the differences and slight disagreements between teams at times, both of them still get along fairly well and bond pretty well. Make sure to check out the baseball and softball teams at their upcoming home games and support each team in their push toward the conference playoffs and hopefully a run at the national tournament.