Hello again Catamount fans and welcome to week 16 of the Potomac State Baseball Player Diary. Only a couple weeks left in the season – so stay tuned!
The season is winding down and so is the school year, which has everyone on the team all excited. But, on the other hand, that means finals are coming up which means a lot of late nights of studying and nervousness. Coach Little always makes sure to remind us that school comes first and that we always need to get some studying in. What really helps with the studying process is that during finals week, we don’t have any games scheduled, so we can focus on our grades.
But as soon as finals are over, we have to get right back in baseball mode and really focus because Region XX Playoffs are the weekend right after finals. Going into playoffs, I think we have a lot to prove. We’ve had a good season so far, and I think we need to prove that we are still a legitimate team that deserves respect. We have a less than stellar performance in last year’s playoffs to avenge as well.
As the season is winding down, it’s also an opportunity for the sophomores to reflect on the time we’ve spent in Keyser. To hear some of my teammates input, I decided to ask a few questions of my good friend Austin Chavis and learn what he thinks about his time spent here at Potomac State College.
- What were some of your initial thoughts before you arrived here on campus?
“It’s a really small-town feel with a lot of farmland and mountains. I already knew that the baseball program has a very high-level expectation that requires a lot of dedication.”
- How would you rate last year’s team chemistry as compared to this year’s chemistry?
“We had good chemistry last year and there were some seriously talented players; we all got along very well. For this year’s team, I think the sophomores did a good job of bringing everyone together as a unit, and we were more dedicated as a unit. We are very honest with each other. Overall, I think we have great team chemistry this season too.”
- What are some of your favorite parts of Keyser, WV?
“My favorite part of Keyser is the walk from University Place to Golden Park. It’s my favorite because I’ve walked it ever since I was a freshman, and it’s my time to meditate and take in the scenery. It helps me get away from some of the stress that comes with school as well as baseball. Aside from that, I just really like the scenery that comes from being in the mountains.”
- In what ways has playing for Potomac State baseball for two years made you better as a player?
“It made me a better player in the sense that it made me more polished. It prepared me for the next level of baseball and made me mentally tougher as a player.”
- How has Potomac State College made an impact on your life as a whole?
“It created an opportunity for me to continue my passion and love for the game of baseball, and it allowed me to meet some great people and make memories that will last a lifetime.”
It’s hard to believe that our two years here are coming to an end, but it’s also exciting because for the sophomores, we’re all getting ready to move onto other things. However, with the time we have left, there’s still a lot to do. And for us, the goal of getting to the JUCO Championship is something that’s within reach and always on our minds.
There’s a lot of key games this week, with the main game being played on Wednesday against Harford Community College. That game will decide who gets the number one seed in the Region XX Playoffs, so there’s a lot on the line. Then to close out the season, we have a double-header on Saturday at Catonsville, and a double-header on Sunday at Garrett.
For a recap of last week’s games, we started last Wednesday with a double-header at Glenville State. In the first game Austin Martin, Austin Chavis, Pete Costigan, and Abe Stearns all had 2 hits each. Foster Conis started the game, going 4 innings and allowing 3 runs. Garret Haggerty closed out the game, going 3 innings and allowing no runs. The Cats got the win in the first game with a score of 11-3.
In the second game, out-bats stayed hot barreling up 16 hits in the game and scoring a total of 15 runs. Four pitchers Nathan Kerr, Andrew Liller, Abe Stearns, and Tanner Champ helped the Pioneers to 5 runs, giving the team a sweep with a 15-5 win.
After Wednesday, we were back to Regional Play with an away game against Hagerstown on Good Friday, and good it was. Whiteman pitched a gem of a game with 12 strikeouts and a complete game shutout! After struggling through the first inning, we came alive after a couple bunts and hits that put us on the board with 2-0. We added 13 more runs during the next couple of innings, defeating Hagerstown in 7 innings with a score of 15-0. Cole Miller and Foster Conis led the Catamount offense.
The game we just finished up on Tuesday, was against Anne Arundel Community College. In this game, Cole Miller and Andrew Berry were HOT! Aside from hitting back-to-back bombs, both went 4-4 at the plate, each with a HR, double, and 2 singles. Juwuan Weaver was also playing well, adding 3 hits, with one being a homerun. Haydon Almond homered in the game as well, his second of the season. Foster Conis got the win on the bump, going 4 innings and striking out 6. Nathan Kerr closed the game pitching 3 innings, striking out 3 and giving up no runs. We won 17-4, making out record 28-6 going into these last couple games.
Another thing that is very exciting for our program was our takeover of the NJCAA Instagram page. It was so much fun doing that, and a great way to show the country our small college, and what our baseball program is about. I think it was a great success and I am very thankful to the NJCAA for giving us the opportunity.
Welcome back Catamount Faithful to this week's edition of the Potomac State Baseball Player Diary.
As many of you may know, this past week Joel and I had the awesome opportunity to take over the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Instagram account. It was a great chance to showcase our school and team. Richard Webster, the director of Marketing & Communications for the NCJAA, contacted Coach Little and Coach Schafer about the takeover a week or two ago. After following our player diaries throughout the year, they deemed us as good candidates for the takeover. After some conversing between Mr. Webster, our coaches, Joel, and myself we picked Thursday, April 18th as the best day to perform the takeover. Originally, we were not supposed to play Hagerstown that day and we were going to show off a typical day in class, at practice, and what the players do in their free time. Due to incoming weather, the Hagerstown game was moved to Thursday. We had to adapt quickly, but as actors always say, “the show must go on!” It’s pretty crazy that an opportunity like that can arise from these diaries and how many people follow our diaries weekly. It truly is a testament to all of you great viewers out there. Speaking for Joel, past diary writers, and myself, we truly cannot thank you enough for all the support you’ve showed us. It doesn’t go unnoticed and it gives us the drive to eagerly produce new content week-in and week-out.
Starting Wednesday night and ending the next day on Thursday evening, we took control of the account and posted “stories” on their page throughout the day. For those of you who may not be as tech savvy, a story is like a normal post except it can only be viewed for 24 hours. This option is great for whenever a high volume of content is going to be posted on the social media account in a small-time window. We showcased the school’s great classes, teachers, activities, and facilities. It was a great opportunity to get our school exposed to people all across the country, and to show how great Potomac State College really is. I’m not going to lie; Joel and I were very stressed about the takeover as we were very nervous about messing up. Thankfully the rest of the team was super helpful with making the takeover turn out as good as possible. In particular, I have to give a shout out to Colt Webb and Tobias Holmelund who were awesome with helping get footage before and during our game for the takeover. During a game there is a lot of stuff going on in the dugout and on the field, and having the help of these guys was crucial in making sure everything went smoothly. Here are a couple of the images that were featured on the Instagram takeover.
This past weekend we were lucky enough to receive a couple days off, including Easter. This was a great chance for many of the players to go home and see their families for one last time until the year at Potomac State ends. Being from Morgantown, I was able to go home and spend the holiday with my family. Others who live too far away were not as fortunate. Luckily, teammates Austin Martin and Conner Kelly live close to the college and were very welcoming to the players on the team with no place to spend the holiday. On behalf of my teammates who couldn’t make it home, I want to thank both the Martin family and the Kelly family for being so nice by welcoming them into their homes. I think small gestures like that really show how close this team has become over the past 10 months. We started as teammates, but over time have really become brothers.
Now, to continue my "10 Questions With…" segment. This week I decided to do 10 questions with Austin Martin. “Marty” is a sophomore infielder from Rawlings, Md. who attended Fort Hill High School in nearby Cumberland, Md.
If you could play any sport other than Baseball what would you pick and why?
Hockey. I have always been a huge fan and love to skate.
What is your favorite place around Keyser to hang out?
University Place with my teammates.
What is your favorite TV show?
The Office is the best by far.
What is your dream job?
Being a professional hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Bermuda. That place is beautiful.
Which player on the team could beat you in a game of ping pong?
Nobody is as good as me but if I have to pick one, I would go with Peter Costigan.
Are you an apple or android type of guy?
Apple all the way.
What player on the team is the clumsiest?
Foster Conis.
Which is better, Fortnite or Apex Legends?
Fortnite by far.
As the season nears the end and playoffs are approaching, what are you most looking forward to for the remainder of the year?
Spending as much time as possible with the Potomac State boys and grinding day-in and day-out to make it as far as possible.
That's all for this week's edition. If you have anything you would like to see in the diaries or learn more about, you can contact me through email (akb0019@mix.wvu.edu) or Twitter (@andrewberry_15). I would also encourage you to follow the team on social media. Please subscribe to our YouTube account @PotomacStateBaseball to be notified when Joel or I upload a video. Thank you for reading, and until next week, Go Catamounts!