With spring just around the corner, America’s pastime is in full swing. Coming off a 6-3 2016 season, Geneseo’s club baseball team, the Mudcats, are looking to build off their success. With series scheduled against St. Bonaventure University and Niagara University to start off the season, the men are excited to get back into the swing of things.
“We’re excited to have everyone back from last season as well as a new incoming freshmen class this year,” senior co-captain Adam Murray said in an email interview.
And with club baseball being such a large team and organization, Murray describes the upperclassmen as having an essential role in making sure the club runs smoothly.
“We have a core group of upperclassmen that will be graduating this year,” he said. “These guys have really kept the team together and have developed it into what it is today.”
These upperclassmen and co-captains have had a significant part in picking which players are to play in the games. Roster construction tends to be a difficult process because of the amount of players participating—but they do their best to pick a fair roster that can compete, according to Murray.
“With so many players on the team, it can be difficult to make sure that everyone is able to get in a fair amount of playing time,” Murray said. “We generally prioritize players that attend practices frequently, as well as put forth a considerable amount of effort. At the end of the day, if you show us that you want to be here and want to play hard, that speaks volumes to our coaching staff.”
Even though baseball is a club sport, the Mudcats are here to compete. Over thewinter months, the team is able to pick time slots in the Kuhl Gym for practices to prepare them for the upcoming season. When the season shifts to spring and warm weather ensues, the team likes to take advantage of the weather by practicing outside as soon as possible.
“Although the weather in Geneseo doesn’t generally lend itself to an early spring season for baseball, we make the best of it,” Murray said.
The one thing that is unfavorable for the baseball team is that Geneseo’s campus does not have a full-size regulation baseball field. The team tends to hold outside practices at Highland Park on what Murray described as, “less than adequate facilities.”
Not having a regulation-sized field prompts the team to play their home games at Livonia High School as their adopted home field. Nonetheless, the team is looking forward to a great season no matter where they are playing, especially for the seniors and upperclassmen.
“For a handful of us, this semester will be the last time we step on the diamond while playing competitive baseball,” Murray said. “The time and commitment that these gentlemen put forth is encouraging, and I look forward to seeing this trend of growth continue for years to come.”