I am glad to be back and at it on my next blog about Campbell Baseball. Things got a bit busy there between playing on the road and loads of schoolwork. That is where the men are separated from the boys. As a player you have to be able to handle and balance out your life as a student-athlete. I cannot overstate the student part of that. While expectations for our baseball program are always high, they are equaled by our academic expectations. In my classes I am considered a student. In class, I am only a student.
As I write this I am on the way home from Clinton, SC after a road sweep against the Presbyterian Blue Hose. Conference sweeps are always huge for the team that comes out on top but truly detrimental to the losing side. Those on the outside of the fences do not know just how tough these games are and that is what makes them so special.
Before these weekend wins and our mid-week win against Duke, we had been scuffling a little bit. Just coming off of a fourteen game winning streak and having it snapped somewhat killed our spirits. We let that happen. But we are a stronger team because of it. The next time we are on a winning streak or are simply hot for a while and lose a game, we will not let it control us and ruin our focus for games to come. Losing a series on the weekend can always slow down your momentum, but great teams come back and play stronger and better than ever. After suffering the weekend sweep we faced the Duke Blue Devils. We got down early 0-5, but then the Camels dug in and showed the grit that has carried us this year. The bats got going and we stormed back for the come-from-behind victory. We showed great resiliency to come out and have a great weekend in Clinton against the Blue Hose. The 3 game sweep was important for our conference standing and our team confidence.
As we continue to go through the season it gets more and more exciting. We always set many goals for ourselves and it is so much fun to see us start to reach some and set even more. We live by the old baseball cliché of “One game at a time”. We even take it further and play one inning at a time and one pitch at a time. You can say whatever you want about this old phrase but there is no better way to play the game. This slows everything down for us and helps us to stay in control of our own game.
There are many peaks and valleys even in a single game. It is very easy to stay up and ride high when your team is hot and doing well in the middle of the game. The hard and challenging part is keeping that same attitude and energy when that same team is not playing their best ball. We have struggled with this just like every team does, but we are starting to learn how to truly stay in a game for all twenty-seven outs and it has been greatly beneficial for us as of late. This is all about tenacity and resiliency.
To get to this level of play, all hands need to be on deck. All thirty-five guys have to be invested in the team’s goal. When this is the case, more positive outcomes will be seen than negative ones. We have been doing a great job of this lately and it starts with having a selfless attitude. Success in baseball is about the team. My Camels are a team. Keep your eye on us.
Drew Butler
