(photo by Craig Jackson, @leftfieldlounge)
Nearly 30 years after my first college baseball opening day, I still have a hard time sleeping the night before.
Way back in 1992, I was a baby-faced walk-on at a solid mid-major. I had transferred in from a power program in the Southeast, where I lasted all of two hours in a tryout that probably led coaches to believe I should write about baseball instead of pursue the actual sport as a diversion from class. I didn’t know what to think at my new school, where the coach promised me a year to prove myself.
Somehow, despite not really expected to contribute much to the team as a freshman, I made the travel roster for the opening-weekend trip: a visit to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama. Maybe it was the fact that I was from Atlanta and it might be the only time my folks could see me in my never-stained uniform on the road. Maybe I actually was in the mix to get a few innings, that is if we were up 20 or down 15.
It didn’t matter.
Opening Day was all that mattered. I was equal-parts giddy and nervous. What if I did actually have to play? We took the first two games before getting hammered in the third game. And thankfully, I didn’t have to do much other than soak it all in.
I was fortunate to enjoy three more Opening Days as a player. And thanks in part to the coaches at South Carolina, who temporarily ended my baseball dreams as a player and started my passion for writing about baseball, I’ve been able to enjoy the past 18 college baseball Opening Days as a writer.
Today, Valentine’s Day, CollegeBaseballInsider.com starts its 19th season of covering Division I college baseball. We started out compiling scores when very few were doing that kind of thing online. And we’ve grown from there.
Admittedly, life has changed our site. A couple of career changes for my partner in crime Phil Stanton and I. Three kids, including one who will start high school, for me. Trips all over the place and way too many late nights for Phil as a college sports information director, the same role he had when we first met and probably talked baseball for hours on that long trip to Alabama. Three state baseball titles and a lot of long hours coaching high school baseball for me.
A lot has changed over the years. One thing that hasn’t is our passion for college baseball. When we first started this ride, we wanted to help shine a light on the college game, to help it grow. As we enter the 2020 season, we’re thrilled to see the growth college baseball has experienced. And we’re excited to get a chance to do what we can to promote the players and coaches who make the game tick.
We’re grateful for all our readers and all the coaches, players, administrators and fans who have helped us along the way. While this remains a hobby for us, we hope to shine a deserving light on as many stories as we can throughout the year.
Opening Day has arrived.
Play ball.