Senior firstbaseman Andy House will blog the Piedmont College baseball team's trip to the 2008 NCAA Division-III Baseball South Regional in Danville, Virginia giving fans an inside look about the journey. House has been a four-year starter in the Piedmont College baseball program and graduated last week with a double major in Political Science and Sociology.
Blog #5 - Friday, May 16, 2008 - Game vs. Johns Hopkins
Today turned out to be the last day of our magical season. We fought very hard, but came up short against Johns Hopkins 13-6. It is the end of our season, and for the seniors, the end of our careers. We went out the way we wanted to, fighting. Unfortunately, it was not our day on the diamond. The most important part of the day was the quality time we got to spend together as a team afterwards. We went out for a nice team dinner after the game, and we began to reminisce about our great season. To finish 34-14 this season with a regular season and tournament conference championship and a NCAA South Regional appearance, we feel like this team has made our mark on this program and this institution. I know that I speak for everyone when I say thank you to the all of the people that helped make this possible for us and for all of those that have followed us throughout the season. Personally, I would like to thank our coaches for making me a better player and a better person, and of course, my parents for being my ultimate supporters throughout every aspect of my life. As we get ready to head back to Demorest tomorrow for the last time, we will always remember the great memories that we have created, and we will look for continued success from the Piedmont College baseball team in the future.
Blog #4 - Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Game vs. Salisbury
We won!!! That is the most important thing to say about today. I figure if you’re reading this blog you already know that, but it still feels great to say. As a senior I can tell you that to be faced with the end of your career and come out with a win to keep it going is an amazing feeling! This morning everyone was still a little groggy following the tough loss the night before, but me and Cole Spedale managed to get up and go eat breakfast at the McDonald’s next to the hotel. After that, the rest of the team was leaving to go to the mall area again to walk around and get something to eat before going to the ballpark, but I just didn’t feel like going so I stayed at the hotel and went to the ballpark early with my uncle instead. I was sitting in the lobby before we went to the stadium and senior Justin Oates’ father told me that he still had confidence in us, so it gave me a sense that everyone still believed in us. When we played the game, the most overwhelming feeling from the rest of the team, and the seniors in particular, was that while we really wanted to win, the most important part was that we just wanted to play the best game we could play regardless of whether or not it would be good enough to win. Fortunately, we got lots of clutch hits and we were able to get the victory. After the game, we tried to figure out the confusing bracket, but for now all that matters is that we play Johns Hopkins University at 3:30 tomorrow. Hopefully we can continue to play into the weekend!
Blog #3 - Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - Game vs. Lynchburg
Today we started the tournament. Not to jump ahead, but the result of our game was not what we had hoped for, a 9-1 loss. The day started with a late wake up call, and breakfast in the hotel lobby. Then, at 11:00, we went over to the stadium for the first game between Salisbury and Randolph-Macon. After watching most of that game we then went back to the mall area to grab a bite to eat before we prepared for our game. The bad thing about playing the night game is that you have to wait around all day to finally get to play. The day just seemed to drag on, but when game time came around we were ready to play. After we arrived at the stadium again, we hit batting practice in the cages, then watched the end of the game before ours. When it was finally time to play, we unfortunately did not have the game we would have liked. While little seemed to go our way we still have the confidence to win the tournament. After all, it is double-elimination for a reason. We play a single game again tomorrow at 3:00 against top-seeded Salisbury. With our backs against the wall, we hope to come out fighting and ready to survive and advance.
Blog #2 - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - Practice Day
Today we were given the opportunity to practice at the tournament site. This was the first time any of us players have ever seen Dan Daniel Park, and we were all pleased to see that it is a nice facility. Because we were the only team that traveled up the day before we were given the earliest practice time at 11:00 AM. After we ate breakfast we all went to the field and were able to walk around for awhile on the field before we got started with practice. Our first observation is that because the field is very large (it is definitely the biggest we have played on this year) it will play into our game as a faster team that does not rely on power as much. The practice went “crisp”, as Coach Peeples would say, and we were able to have an opportunity to hit batting practice afterward at a local high school. After the practice we were able to just hang out around the hotel and rest before the hectic tournament starts tomorrow. For dinner, we rode to the local mall and were able to eat at any of the places around that area. This gave us an opportunity to chill out before winding down for the night. At 11 we had our team meeting in coaches’ room where he presented us with our NCAA Tournament Participant passes which will get us into the stadium. We must have them with us, even when we are in uniform to get around the tournament site. For me personally, that is when it really hit me that we are here, and now I am very anxious to get the competition going. We are all very excited, and we are very much looking forward to the unbelievable opportunity that lies before us.
Blog #1 - Monday, May 12, 2008 - Travel Day
This morning we finally received the news that we are going to the NCAA South Regional in Danville, Virginia. It was something we had obviously been expecting, but it is still a very special day for our team, and the seniors especially, to officially be in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in our careers. We also had practice before we left today. It was a very spirited practice, and the team seemed ready to get on the road to the tournament. We are taking a charter bus for the first time all season, so the whole team is excited to have all of the amenities that the bus will provide on our long trip. The ride was very comfortable, and guys played cards or watched movies basically the whole trip. When we finally got to our hotel in Danville, we had a team meeting and then went to our rooms for the night. My room is with fellow seniors Justin Oates and Cole Spedale, so the first task was of course to determine who gets there own bed! After that though, it was surprisingly easy to go to sleep. I guess we were just that tired. In addition to knowing that we are in we also found out that we are the third seed in the six team regional, and that our opponent will be Lynchburg College in the first round. Our game will be at 7:00 which is the last game of the day. I know that we have to be rested to play our games, but I really am looking forward to watching as many of the other games in the tournament as I can. It is going to be an amazing experience for all of us, and the whole team is anxious and ready to get the tournament started. Hopefully we will be ready to go on Wednesday.
