Helllllllllloooooooo Catamount Fans, and as always, thank you for tuning into this week's Potomac State Player Diary! I have to say that finals have me swamped right now, but don't you worry, I always have time to fill you guys in on what's happening in the hills of Keyser.
If you haven't heard, it's finals week here at Potomac State College and it is always something that I DO NOT look forward to each semester. It is a week filled with nervousness, anxiety, fighting for spots in the library to study, and overall chaos. On the other side of it though, it is nice knowing that once you suffer through finals, you are rewarded with a sweet summer break! Coach Little gave us a couple days off this week so that we can get focused on our tests and be prepared. As far as studying goes, a lot of people like doing it in their dorm rooms but personally I like going to the library. I don't go there often but our library is a super nice place. I just really like the quietness of it and the atmosphere really helps my mind study. So, while this is going on, keep all of us students in your thoughts and prayers because we surely need it!
In other news, the battle of the Potomac State Baseball team's immune system vs. illness continued this past week. A couple weeks ago, my diary mate Berry and I, along with Freshman Brandon Schaeffer and other teammates fell ill with some cold-like symptoms. For Schaeffer it was a bit worse, coming down with pneumonia and the flu! We were all trying to get better as soon as possible for the coming games, and even had to suck it up and play sick sometimes. And while, we are well again, there is another wave going through the team. Over this past weekend, Freshmen Haydon Almond, Tyler Bradford and Devin Dinocola all became sick. I can assure you I tried my best to stay away from them because I was not about to go through all that again. For a quick interview, I asked Haydon a couple questions on how he is dealing with his illness.
-When did you become sick?
"I became sick this Thursday. At first, I felt a headache, sore throat, and my sinuses started acting up. But that night it started to get worse with my stomach."
-How did it feel having to hang back for this past weekend's road games due to illness?
"It sucked because it was our final games of the season. I really tried to stick it out but by 5 p.m. the night before, I knew I wasn't going to make it."
-What are you doing to make yourself better?
"I am taking Mucinex, ibuprofen, and vitamins. I am also trying to eat a lot more fruit instead of trashy bad food. Also, just trying to stay really hydrated."
-Do you think you'll be back to 100% for the Regional Playoffs?
"Of course. Wouldn't miss those games even if I got my leg cut off."
So, with all of that, let's get to the game recaps!
This past Wednesday, we played out last Region XX game against Harford Community College, in a battle for the first seed in playoffs. Starting Pitcher Colt Webb did about all he could to help his team out. The VCU Comet struck out a season high 21!! He worked 8.1 innings in the game and only gave up two runs heading into the ninth inning. Our offense battled at the plate. We tied it up 1-1 in the fourth inning, and with a sac fly from Austin Chavis, we took the lead in the 5th 2-1. Harford quickly answered back in the 6th tying it up 2-2. Going into the top of the ninth, it was still tied 2-2. But unfortunately, we let it get away from us, as Harford tacked on four more runs, making it 6-2, and we could not answer, giving us a 6-2 loss. This puts us as the second seed in the region tournament.
Trying to bounce back, we traveled to Catonsville Saturday to play Community College of Rhode Island at 1 p.m., and CCBC Catonsville at 3 p.m. In the first game against Rhode Island, we jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, which went into the fifth inning. In the fifth, Rhode Island had a breakout inning, adding seven runs, making it 7-2. After that, we pretty much folded the books, giving us our second loss in a row with a score 8-2.
After the defeat, we were really trying to salvage the day with a win against Catonsville but from the start, we came out flat. Catonsville made it 4-0 in the first inning, which lasted until the fifth inning where we started to chip away. Tobias Holmelund made it 1-0 with an RBI in the fifth. In the sixth, we cut the lead down to 1, making it 4-3. In the top of the seventh, with a key bunt by Juwan Weaver, and a double by Foster Conis, we took the lead 6-4. But our comeback was short lived when CCBC had a walk-off single to win it 7-6, extending our losing streak to three games.
In our last regular season game, we were back on our turf at Golden Park. We were desperate for a win and ready to end our losing streak and get back on track heading into the playoffs. Our offense finally came alive in this game, scoring a total of 16 runs. Brandon Schaeffer pitched four innings, allowed no runs and struck out 10. Foster Conis came in to relieve and Tyler Bradford closed out the game, neither allowing any runs, securing the shutout and a 16-0 victory for the Cats. In the game, Pete Costigan and Haydon Almond, both, had multiple hits. The RBI category was led by Cole Miller with four, followed by Costigan and Chavis with three each.
Now that the regular season is over, were on to playoffs! We start the Region XX Tournament this coming Friday, May 3, by playing Hagerstown at 11 a.m. Good news is that we don't have to go anywhere because Regionals are home at Golden Park! After the 11 o'clock game, the winner plays Harford right after. In the playoffs, there are three teams, us, Hagerstown, and Harford. The first- and second-place teams move onto super regionals and the winner of the tournament will get to host super regionals. Hope you can come out to support this weekend!
Thank you for tuning into this week's player diary! Please join in next week for updates on the team, as well as some exclusive team videos. Also, for more coverage follow the team's Twitter (@PotomacStateBB) and Instagram (@potomacstatebaseball). If you have any questions or suggestions on videos, please email me at jts0033@mix.wvu.edu.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Welcome back Catamount Faithful to this week's edition of the Potomac State Baseball Player Diary. For this week's edition, the big event of the week was the Hall of Fame/ Sophomore Banquet.
The Hall of Fame Banquet is held annually here at Potomac State College and each year former athletes that played at Potomac State are inducted into the coveted Hall of Fame. It is a dinner held in the Davis Conference Center where not only the former athletes are recognized but also all the sophomore athletes are recognized for their accomplishments and their two years of hard work at the College. Each team is recognized, and the sophomore athletes receive certificates. Additionally, one male athlete and one female athlete are awarded with the sophomore athlete of the year awards. The dinner is always a fun time as everyone gets to dress up and have a good time eating good food, meeting former players and celebrating their time here. One aspect that I and the rest of the baseball players enjoy is dressing up. It may surprise many, but we do a pretty good job at cleaning up.
Over time, many amazing athletes have come through Potomac State, so to be inducted is no easy feat. This year the sophomore baseball players were lucky enough to be here to watch a former player be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jacke Healey who played at Potomac State during the 2007 and 2008 campaigns, was inducted into the 2019 class. After Potomac State, he moved onto Youngstown State University where he played two seasons before he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 26th round of the 2010 Major League draft. He was even roommates with World Series MVP George Springer during his time. When he was at Potomac State, he was an All-American as a sophomore and won the Rawlings Big Stick award. The award is given to the best hitter in each district and he won it for the Eastern District. During his speech, Jacke hit on a lot of very important aspects about what makes Potomac State great. He noted that his two years here were two of his most favorite years of playing baseball. On top of that, he talked about how close he became with his teammates. He talked about how he remains very close with many of his former teammates. His roommate was even a part of his wedding! It was very cool getting to meet him and recognize such a great former Catamount. The night was an all-around great time and I decided to make a video showcasing it. Check it out!!
This week is a very big week for the team. It is finals week here at Potomac State and we have been hitting the books studying furiously trying to finish the semester strong. Finals are a very stressful time, but we have been fighting through it knowing that after this week we are finished and then can focus solely on baseball for the rest of the season and spend as much time as possible with our teammates until the year is over. On top of finals, we are preparing for our biggest weekend of the season as we host the Region XX Tournament here in Keyser starting on Friday. It should be a great weekend of baseball and anyone who can come out and watch should consider it as it will be a great time! We start the tournament hosting Hagerstown Friday morning at 11 a.m. With the way the postseason works out this year, if we win the tournament or finish in second place we move onto the next round. On top of that, if we come out of the region tournament victorious, we get to host the next round of the postseason at home too. As Coach Little says, the post season is our second season and is a fresh start for everyone. All teams start with a record of 0-0. In all, it should be an exciting rest of the week and weekend here in Keyser.
Also, this week we had to say a very tough goodbye to one of the most essential parts of our team. Our student coach and manager, Dontae Johnson will be leaving us after finals conclude as he will be preparing for a summer job he accepted in Chicago, IL. Since he is from Evanston, IL, it will be very close to home for him. We will miss him greatly as he has been a huge factor for us this season as well as for me and many of my teammates, we will be having to say goodbye to a very close friend. I wish Dontae the best of luck even though I know he does not need it and cannot wait to see him become the future president of the United States of America. Since he is departing soon, the coaches put together a little surprise party for him on Tuesday during our team meeting. Here is a picture of Dontae with his beautiful cake we ate in celebration.
Dantae Johnson, with celebratory cake
Now, to continue my "10 Questions With…" segment. This week I decided to do 10 questions with Dale Houser. Dale is a freshman infielder from Marietta, PA who attended Donegal High School.
What is your typical meal for breakfast?
An omelet with bacon, peppers, tomatoes, cheddar cheese with coffee and orange juice.
What is your favorite part about living in the dorms at Potomac State?
Being close to my teammates and being super close to the cafeteria.
What is your favorite superhero?
Spiderman because his outfit is cool.
Would you rather live forever or have a billion dollars?
I would rather have a billion dollars and do good with it while I'm alive.
In Keyser, what is your Go To restaurant?
McDonald's. Got to love going there for a late-night snack and pregame meal.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Vanilla easily.
If you could meet any baseball player who would it be?
Mike Trout. I would force him to sign everything I own.
What is your favorite professional sports team?
The Boston Red Sox
What has been your favorite class so far at Potomac State?
Economics with the legendary Professor John C. Stone.
With the region tournament coming up this weekend, what are you looking forward to most?
Going out and competing for a championship with my brothers.
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!