Halfway home

During my time at Indiana University, with the newest collegebaseballinsider.com blogger Tracy Smith, I picked up a lot. I swore after Ty Neal cut me I was done with baseball. A few years of living it up on Kirkwood and Walnut I got sucked back in, I never had a choice. I always knew I wanted to be in baseball but never thought I would be able to coach D1 baseball. One day when I was interning with the IU strength & conditioning department, Skip was on his P90x kick and I kept asking him question after question about what he does and he finally told me I should come out the next fall and be a student manager. To make a long story short I helped out the following fall, worked hard, and got the break of a lifetime. The thing that has stuck with me from my experience with Skip and the Hoosiers is the “How do you want to be remembered?” quote I heard talked about time after time.

Right now we are halfway through our year and being around these players and coaches I have been really starting to give it a lot of thought on how I am going to remember each and every kid on this team. This team is a special group and has a good blend of personalities. I will remember guys like Brandon Allen who came in here as a number 12 and worked his way to being a No. 1 and earning a big scholarship to a great university. I’ll remember how Spencer Drake came from University of Kentucky after not pitching much as a freshman and dominating the NJCAA, always with a smile on his face. I’ll remember the “bulkers,” guys like Garrett Gordon, Harold Diaz, Dennis Olzewski and Jeff Smith who loved the weight room. I’ll remember the kids who showed up every day with a good attitude and did what they were supposed to do even if they were not playing much. The confidence/arrogance of Cole Gleason walking to the plate in clutch situations. Before each and every at-bat, Tim Barry spitting hard before he’d step in the box and hit a laser beam.

A great story I shared previously that I will always hold onto was how Clay Wallace went from lazy know-it-all as a freshman to one of the hardest workers and fiercest competitors as a sophomore. How a guy like Manuel DeJesus, who was a dead pull hitter that nobody thought he could hit after fall ball, is now driving balls hard the other way and one of our leaders in quality at-bats. How patient Spencer Sapp was for his first opportunity to start on the hill for the Warriors and how he has taken advantage of his opportunity and run with it. How automatic Edgar Figueroa was at shortstop, and how easy he made each and every play look. The long bus trips, the conversations and long debates that go on inside the “HOGG” are priceless. It’s amazing how these kids have it all figured out. How thirsty Tyler Shewmaker and Nick Barrientos are to learn the game, soaking in everything they can during both practice and games. I’ll always remember all the long hours Coach Fournier and Segal put in day after day trying to get the most out each and every kid.

It’s crazy I’m almost through my third year in Mt. Vegas, time is going so fast. Some days it really excites me and other days it really scares me. As for me, my goal is to finish this season strong and leave a lasting impression with my teammates/family. My goal is to be remembered as someone who genuinely cared for each and every individual. When my players look back I hope they can say that guy really developed me, I can do things now that I never knew I was capable of. If I can do these two things and continue to learn and grow everyday then this year was a major success in my book.

Best

DC

(photos courtesy of Dustin Coffman)