Player Diary 3.14.18
Welcome to the 2018 Potomac State Baseball player diary homepage. This season, Sophomore's Mitchell Henshaw (Brockport High School / Brockport, NY), and Jeff Wong (George Washington High School / Charleston, WV) will take the lead on the Potomac State Baseball Player Diary. Note: Wong's entry will be in bold font.
Welcome back Catamount fans to another week of the player diary! It has been a very busy week for us Catamounts. Spring break started Friday, and a lot of professors enjoy giving us tests right before break. There was a lot of studying going on for us baseball players. But with all the studying going on, we of course made time for some fun. On Thursday night, I traveled across the hall to David McQuain's and Abe Stearns room for movie night. I was joined by fellow teammates Joel Spishock, Jake Callaway, Austin Chavis, and Brandon Schamp. We all get together quite often, and now movie night is becoming more of a weekly thing. It is great to get the guys together and hang out as much as possible. This week it was a scary movie and I cannot lie, that is not one of my favorite movie genres. Just being to hang out with the boys and get a break from studying made it worthwhile though! It was a nice way to head into Spring Break.
This past weekend we welcomed Corning Community College to Keyser, WV. We played them in a doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday. We had won all 4 games, with a very good showing. It was a great weekend all the way around. Hitters were driving in runs, pitching were keeping Corning off the scoreboard, and our defense was making plays. Scoring a total of 67 runs, it was highlighted by Sophomore Zachary Musgrove. Musky was/is hitting everything thrown at him and hitting it a long way. He added 3 home runs this weekend with 8 RBI's. The kid is on fire and it is extremely fun to watch him do what he is doing. Pitching was on display this weekend also Our pitchers only gave up 1 run. Our pitchers struck out a total of 40 batters in just 20 innings. Freshman Brandon Schamp struck out 12 himself in game 2 of the weekend, increasing his record to 2-0. Jeff Wong and Brett Whiteman each had great starts, striking out 8 a piece. In the final game of the weekend freshman Chase Weihl got his first career college start and boy was it impressive. Just mowing down the hitter by striking out 7 in 3 innings. In his last inning, he struck out all 3 batters on 9 pitches, all of which were strikes. He was just pounding the strike zone, and as a catcher there is nothing better than a pitcher that commands the zone. He was fun to catch.
After the final game on Sunday, Coach Little had told us that he was going to give us Monday and Tuesday off. With it being spring break, this was a great way to go home and get a little break from school and baseball. Any time that you can go home and see your family is valuable. With it being spring we all realize that this will not happen very often because our schedule is so demanding. Any time that we get is much appreciated. I decided to make the 6-hour trip back home to visit with some family and friends. The highlight of my mini break was that I was able to go to wing night on Monday night. Being able to go home to my favorite restaurant, Barber's Grill, and pound some chicken wings was a nice welcome home. On Tuesday afternoon I stopped into my High School's baseball practice to see players and coaches. It was great to see the young kids working hard to prove themselves. It does not seem like it was only two years ago that I was in their same shoes. Everything goes by so fast, that sometimes you forget to stop and soak in everything that is going on. It was a nice little break, but I am excited to get back to school and continue our season.
Looking ahead for this week. We were originally scheduled to play a Double header at Golden Park against Garret College on Wednesday, but due to the weather that has been postponed. With it being break, any day that the weather cooperates, we will try to get our games in. Over the weekend we will play St. Clair County Community College in a double header each on Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us this weekend, and we will be able to get all four games in.
That will be it for this week's edition. Make sure to check in each week to catch up on all of our games, and to see what the team is doing. Feel free to follow the team on Twitter @PotomacStateBB and Instagram @potomacstatebaseball. You can also follow me on Twitter @mhenshaw4 for some exclusive coverage of the team. If you have any questions or comments about the player diaries you can email me at mjh0025@mix.wvu.edu. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it.
Hello Catamount Fans! Welcome back for another installment of the Potomac State Player Diary. A look into the life of Sophomore Pitcher Josh Zeboskey has been pushed back to next week. However, we are in a unique time for college baseball players: Spring Break. Spring Break for most college students consists of a much-needed trip home or a getaway to somewhere warm. Well, for baseball players, it is much different.
Yes, we get a week off of classes, but we do not get to go home for more than a day or two at most. This year at Potomac State, our Spring Break schedule allowed us to get a couple days off early in the week. On Wednesday, the 14th, we report back to campus for practice.
Life on campus is very odd when there are only about 30 students left on it. It is a ghost town. It somehow gives a sense of freedom and loneliness at the same time. University Place is quiet for once, as the players are the only students living in the huge building.
We get a taste of what its like to play baseball at a high level without having to put class and homework before the sport. That feeling of only having to focus on one thing, especially if you love that thing, is very satisfying. This feeling is an awkward, unexplored area for college athletes. We don’t have to rush to get to practice; we don’t have to rush to go to the cafeteria to eat. And, on top of all of this, we actually have some free time during the day to enjoy.
Spring Break is no time to relax despite the free time. Coming at a vital time in the early season, it is very important to stay focused on baseball. Spring break is a time where teams can really start clicking. In my opinion, the lack of distractions, leading to increased focus, creates an environment within the team that promotes bonding getting to know each other.
Knowing your teammates has to be a priority, as the better we know each other, the more we feed off of one another. 30 guys feeding off each other in the same dugout, sharing the same goal can be a very powerful thing if harnessed correctly. This off week is a crucial time in a baseball team’s season, as this is when we really get to know each other, and learn to harness each others energy. With total focus and cooperation, we can improve greatly over just a week.
All our other non-athlete friends are either at home with family or on a trip with their friends. Staying in Keyser, we have to become each other’s family. The Catamount family is a tight woven one. Being in a small town, there is limited stuff to do. This means we spend a lot of time entertaining each other, creating friendships and bonds that can last a lifetime.
The relationship between teammates is a very unique one. It is more than a normal friendship, but takes much less time to create. When a goal is shared, and work must be done to achieve that goal, individuals come together out of necessity. Each of us has an obligation to be a good teammate. This, combined with a shared roller coaster ride of emotions, creates a bond that cannot be mimicked or synthesized.
Being a part of the Catamount family means being a part of something greater than yourself. There have been many people to pave the way for us to have the opportunities and the tools of success that we have. Being a part of a family means you cannot leave anyone behind, and Spring Break in Keyser strongly reminds you of that.
Thanks for reading! Tune in next week!