2019 is a new year for the Scots baseball team
Coming off of a season filled with highs and lows, the MC Scots Baseball team is very confident that this upcoming season will be a great one.
The Scots started off the 2018 season blazing by their opponents on the way to a 26-5 start. The Scots were ranked 18th in the nation at one point according to D3baseball.com. By the end of the season, the Scots had lost eight games straight and tumbled into a 26-13 (10-8 USA South) record.
“We just weren’t able to finish like we thought we were capable of doing,” said fifth-year Scots Coach Cody Church. “Hopefully it’s a little motivation to get us started in this season that we’re in.” The USA South coaches have predicted that the Scots will finish fourth in the conference this year, but this is a new Scots team and a new Scots season.
“Every year has a new dynamic,” said Church. “Every team has different personalities, different leaders. There’s so much that changes on a year to year basis but at the end of the day, the game doesn’t change.”
The players and coaches are focused on being consistent, showing up, and getting better every day. Achieving these small daily goals will ultimately lead the team to the big prize: a conference championship.
“The team is making the effort to have everyone on the same page, and that’s winning the conference championship and making a run in the conference tournament and so on when it comes time,” said senior third baseman Mike Homan.
In order to earn the baseball team’s first USA South conference championship, Coach Church will depend on Homan, an Honorable Mention All-Conference player last season, and senior transfer Peyton Sawyer, who is a utility player. Coach Church believes that the strength of the team will be in the pitching.
Junior LHP Anthony Rodriguez, junior RHP Jordan Davis, senior RHP Sam Joiner, and senior RHP Christian Poulsen will all be forces on the pitcher’s mound for the Fighting Scots this season.
Continuing to grow in skill and depth over the course of this season will be the biggest challenge this year. A lot of new players have come in and will be thrown into the fire of this season immediately.
“With a lot of young guys on the team, being a role model to them is the main priority,” said Homan. With the season being three to four months long, the young Scots have plenty of time to grow and hopefully peak at the right time.
The 2019 Fighting Scots understand that there is no secret formula for success and victory. They are focusing on the minute details of the game in order to reach their full potential at the right time.
“Guys have to understand that it’s not just about showing up on game day and performing, it’s about all the other stuff that go on behind the scenes to be successful,” said Church. “You got to be able to play catch well, you got to be able to hit when need to and throw a lot of strikes. We’re excited.”