Welcome to the 2019 Potomac State Baseball Player Diary homepage. This season, Sophomores Andrew Berry (Morgantown High School / Morgantown, WV), and Joel Spishock (Carmichaels High School / Carmichaels, PA) will take the lead on the Potomac State Baseball Player Diary.  Note: Berry’s entry will be in BOLD font. 

Hello Catamount Fans and welcome back to another addition to this Potomac State Player Diary legacy! There was a lot of action this past week, so I’m here to fill you guys in. No better way to spend a Monday snow day, which is also a baseball off-day, than by typing up another entry for yinz (means you all, it’s a western PA thing).

Last week leading up to the weekend trip, us Catamounts got our fair share of outdoor practice in. The weather was turning around for one, for the better. All of Coach Little’s hard work and grounds keeping work had paid off because last Wednesday we were actually able to get on our field. During practice, we took some batting practice on the field.

On Thursday, we had a fairly short practice, and just went over a lot of defensive things before the weekend. We took a round of our pre-game infield and outfield routine (since we wouldn’t have time before games this weekend), and went over our bunt coverages, as well as a few other logistics. And, when practice was over, we were all amped up and ready for another big weekend down south.

The trip this weekend wasn’t as far as last weekend. This past weekend we headed down to Dobson, N.C., which was only about a six-hour drive. So, on Friday, we didn’t have to leave that early. We loaded up the bus at noon, and at 12:30, were on the road leaving Keyser, ready for a 3-game series (doubleheader Saturday, single game Sunday). We arrived at our hotel in Jonesville, N.C., which was a short drive from where we were playing, around 7 p.m. and moved into our rooms. After that we had a team dinner at the Cracker Barrel restaurant which was across the street. It’s always a treat when we eat at a restaurant that isn’t the usual Golden Corral (no disrespect), and I gotta say, I had some of the best French toast I’ve ever had, so would definitely give that Cracker Barrel a high rating. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel to get some rest for the big weekend. We had a double header starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and a single game on Sunday. The first game we played Lakeland Community College out of Ohio, and the second game we played Surry Community College on their home turf. Then on Sunday, we would play Surry again, but just a single game.

On Saturday morning, the team got up for a continental breakfast, loaded up the bus, and set out for Dobson, N.C., which was a 20-minute drive from the hotel. Once we were there we stretched, took some batting practice, and got ready for the first game of the weekend.

The weather was beautiful and was a breath of fresh air compared to what we were used to. It was about 60 degrees and sunny! So nice out, I even got a little sunburnt surprisingly.

At 1 p.m. we started our first game against Lakeland Community College. It was a great way to start the weekend, 10 running Lakeland in a 13-0 win. Hats off again to our starter, Colten Webb. Coming off a great weekend last weekend, Colten threw a 5-inning shutout, striking out 8 batters, and only allowing 1 hit. On the offensive side, our hitters did a great job at working counts, drawing walks, and getting hits when it mattered. After the game, there was a short turnaround, and we started game no. 2 against Surry. This is where things got exciting.

Most of the game, we were behind 2-0, leading all the way up to the top of the 5^th. Things started to go our way, as our hitters were able to string together some walks, bunts, and clutch hits to go up 5-2. Later in the game, Surry battled back making it all tied up 5-5 in the bottom of the 6^th. We were able to get out of a bases loaded jam, and had the momentum shifted in our favor going into the top of the 7^th. All of that was shut down when the umps thought it was too dark to continue play. So, we had to come back the next morning to finish the game, starting in the top of the 7^th, and then play our third game right after.

Before we left the hotel to go to the field the next morning, Coach Little texted us that due to impending bad weather back home, we were only going to finish our previous game, and cancel the third game. It was a weird situation, but it was as easy as showing up, playing one inning of baseball, winning, and going home. But, it didn’t happen exactly like that.

Starting the top of the 7^th, Austin Chavis led off with a walk. Then, following a hit and a clutch bunt by Pete Costigan, we had runners at third and second with one out. We thought we had it right there, but we couldn’t scratch across a run. So, we had to play top notch defense to give us another chance. Surry loaded the bases again, but thanks to some great defensive plays and pitching from Freshman Brandon Schaeffer, we got out of it and went into extra innings!

I don’t know if it was our will to win or will to go home, but in the top of the 8^th we came alive. With some walks, and more clutch hits and bunts, we tacked on five more runs, making it 10-5. Then going into the bottom of the 8^th, our defense locked it down and Schaeffer shut it out, giving us the victory. Get the brooms out because we swept the weekend!

It was such a great team win! Emotions were up and down, but we never gave in and battled till the end. Really love the grit and determination to win of our group. Everyone always has each other’s back, and with the chemistry we have, I think we’ll be able to do something special this spring.

Brandon Schamp did a great job as a starter in that game, going 4.2 innings pitched and keeping us in the game. Also, tip of the cap to Brandon Schaeffer for coming in at the end to close it out giving up only one hit. Sophomores Austin Martin and Juwan Weaver led to offense, by both having multiple hits. As a team, we did a great job of bunting. Bunting isn’t something you hear about in box scores, but in this game, it was a very key part in our win. We work on it so much in the off-season and in that game, it paid off.

Feeling good about the weekend, we boarded the bus for what we thought would be a nice ride to Keyser. However, it was anything but. On our way back, we ran into a pretty decent snow storm. Because of this, it took a little longer to get back, due to how slow we had to go because of bad road conditions. The roads were terrible, especially the back roads of West Virginia, which were practically untouched, but we eventually made it back to Keyser. We thought we finally made it until we got to the hills surrounding campus. Our bus did multiple laps around Keyser, trying to work its way up that hill but every time we would get stuck on the snowy part of the hill and would have to back down and try again. It took about an hour and after all of the failed attempts and tire burnouts, we finally made it up the hill! I never thought we’d make it, but slowly and surely, we did and that brought us to the end of a very action-packed weekend for us Catamounts.

This week I decided to leave all the videoing to my co-writer Andrew Berry. Go check out his video recap of this weekend on the Potomac State Baseball YouTube page!!

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 teams Twitter (@PotomacStateBB) and Instagram (@potomacstatebaseball). If you have any questions or suggestions on videos, please email me at jts0033@mix.wvu.edu.

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Welcome back Catamount Faithful to this week's edition of the Potomac State Baseball Player Diary. For this week’s edition, I am deciding to cover the behind the scenes portion of a road trip.  In the content of the diary, I will be talking more of the logistical side, but for the fun and laid-back portion, I created a video.  Check it out!

During a typical road trip, it all begins the night before we leave whenever our practice ends on Thursday night.  Following that, players can either take all their equipment out the night before or can head over before the bus leaves and collect their equipment. Personally, I like to gather my things the night before, so I do not feel rushed.  After that, we pack up our street clothes and other necessities the night before we go. To help us out with that, our coaches have a checklist that is given to each player for our road trips.  They call it the “Code of the Road.”

We are allowed two bags to go under the bus and one bag up top with us. Our bags down under consist of our baseball equipment, our uniforms, and our street clothes.  For the bag up top, everyone usually brings their backpack and some snacks.  Another necessity is a blanket and pillow.  The bus is a great place for all of us to catch up on our sleep, especially if we have had a hard week in our classes.

The day of our departure fluctuates based on how far we are from the destination.  If it is one of the longer trips like Sumter, S.C., for example, then we leave early in the morning around 8 a.m. For the short trips, we usually leave campus around noon. If we leave later, we do not get excused from all our classes and still must attend until a certain time of day.  If we are leaving early, usually the only thing we can’t miss is breakfast and the bus!

The bus rides are usually quiet except for the first 30 minutes and last 30 minutes of the ride.  That’s when everyone is usually most talkative.  On our team, the players have some unwritten rules for the bus.  For example, each sophomore is allowed a seat to himself unless he chooses to share.  On the other hand, freshmen must double up unless there are extra seats available.  Also, in the past, a team rule was no going #2 in the bus bathroom but for some reason everyone likes to break that rule this year.

Once we arrive to the hotel, everyone stays seated on the bus until coach gives us the game plan.  That is probably one of the most important bus rules.  After receiving the game plan, we collect our bags and Coach Schafer gives out the room assignments. Usually the rooms are one sophomore with three freshmen or two sophomores with two freshmen.  Every week the rooms are changed as the coaches like to mix things up so the team can bond better.

Team meals are universal for most college teams. Every player is given a price limit and if you are not eating at Golden Corral, then you must cherish it. Our team-specific rules include that no one can wear his hat inside the restaurant, it must be left on the bus.  Also, we are not required to eat with the team for every meal.  If our parents or relatives make the trip down, we may eat with them if we notify coach about our plans. 

Each night, we are given a curfew of a certain time, which is usually around midnight.  If you are not in your room waiting for the coaches at that time -- then good luck to you.  When the coaches come around, they let us know what we are wearing the next day, time of breakfast, and when the bus departs.

On the way to the field from the hotel on gameday, there is one golden rule.  Do not speak and get zoned in to play. Other than that, when we get to the field, we play hard and give it our all. 

Now, to continue my "10 Questions With…" segment, this week I decided to do 10 questions with… Cole Miller.  Cole is a sophomore catcher on the team from Myerstown, Pa., where he attended East Lebanon County High School.

Cole Miller

What’s your favorite part about being in West Virginia?

I like meeting new people, enjoy the mountains and love the beauty of the state.

What’s your favorite food?

It has got to be lasagna. I love that stuff.

So, you’re a big Philly sports fan, who’s your favorite athlete?

Bryce Harper.  Awesome pickup for my Phillies.

What player on the team is the funniest?

Drew Leach. He cracks me up.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Whenever people have a big ego.

What is your favorite pre-game meal?

A sub from Subway. The best is the foot-long Turkey and Cheese with a Gatorade to drink.

Would you rather go skydiving or bridge jumping?

Bridge Jumping. Skydiving scares me.

What is your favorite movie?

Friday Night Lights. Best sports movie ever created.

What is your favorite genre of music and song?

I love rap music and my favorite song has to be “Intro” by Meek Mill.

What are you most excited about for the rest of the season?

Seeing what the future holds for us and working our butts off for a trip to Grand Junction.

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!