Friday, March 5

Today, we were supposed to play Cincinnati at 4 p.m., but it was cancelled due to rain. This is frustrating because I really thought we would play, despite the pessimistic forecast. Instead we’ll play a doubleheader on Saturday. This will be a difficult task because it will consume most of the day, and will challenge our team physically and mentally. Nonetheless, it will be exciting.

Saturday, March 6

With significantly better (although colder) weather, we were able to sweep Cincinnati in a doubleheader 8-2 and 9-1. I pitched in the first game and threw seven scoreless innings, but was cast in the shadow of Jensen Lewis, who had 11 Ks in the second game.

Although our bullpen issued too many walks, our offense ensured a victory with 17 runs on the day. In both games we were able to score early and often, making the pitching easy. Our defense also played exceptional, turning several double plays and making all the routine plays.

Sweeping doubleheaders is a hard task, regardless of the competition. We came to the field prepared to play seven hours of baseball, and through that mindset we maintained constant focus and mental toughness. To be able to put together 18 innings of quality baseball is a tribute to our preparation and conditioning during the off-season. All of our mentally and physically exhausting fall/spring workouts have enabled our team to handle these tough situations.

Now we must be in bed early tonight, get lots of sleep, and be ready to seal the three-game sweep tomorrow. Although I am not pitching, I’ll be waking up early to cook breakfast with a few of my teammates, then go to the field to complete my post-pitching workout. Even though it won’t be for another six days, I need to rejuvenate my body as quickly as possible to prepare for the Baylor series next week in Waco, Texas.

Sunday, March 7

Thanks to six runs in the final two innings, we were able to complete the sweep of Cincinnati, 11-2. Ryan Mullins gave a solid performance, and home runs were hit by Cesar Nicolas and Mike Baxter.

The game was close for the first six innings, and we failed to execute on several opportunities to advance our lead. But, we continued to play quality defense and make quality pitches.

Overall, the weekend was a success, and a great confidence builder for our team. Now we must turn our focus to Austin Peay. We play them on Tuesday. This is our first away game, so it will be important to be prepared. The game will be a good introduction to playing on the road, before we travel to Waco, Texas, to play a highly-talented Baylor team.

Jeremy Sowers

(photo courtesy of Vanderbilt Media Relations Office)