College baseball fans,
Summer has come and gone and the fall season is upon us! Teams all around the country are now getting in the full swing of team practice and scrimmages as the leaves and temperature are slowly changing. The same goes for the Fighting Camels as we are holding our first scrimmage this Saturday. But before I shift all of my focus to Campbell baseball, I would like to reflect on the end of my summer with the Holly Springs Salamanders.
We didn’t quite get things going to make a run for the playoffs, but it was an eventful and memorable end to the season nonetheless. I had the honor of creating many great friendships with this group of guys as we all became closer throughout the summer. I guess it’s kind of hard not to mold with a group of guys you see every day and ride on 6 hour bus rides with just to get rained out when you get there. I look forward to seeing some familiar faces on spring gamedays in the opposing dugout.
The “Manders” or just simply “Ders” were well represented with players from all over the country from a variety of good schools and baseball programs. It is always interesting to play with guys that you played against during the spring season. This sparks many conversations of playbacks of games and some friendly smack talk as well.
Some of the best memories with a summer ball team come at the least expected moments though. For example, during a home game nearing the end of summer, we played the top of the first inning and then the rain decided to have different plans. It continued to rain, yet we were able to play about one more inning. After this inning it began to rain even harder and we were back in a delay. This back and forth match went on until about 1:00 AM until the rain finally cleared and we were able to finish the game. But it was the moment right before we hit the field after the last delay that will stick with me and bring a laugh and smile across my face. We had an ongoing joke all summer about how Nickelback was our favorite band. At this moment, we put our beautiful voices together and sang their famous song “Rockstar” obnoxiously in the dugout. It was quite the concert, thought there were less than 10 people left in the stands. The guys in the press box then played it over the speaker to top it off. It sure sounds silly, but it brought us together even more and made for a fun way to handle the long, rainy night. This is what summer ball is all about behind the scenes of what the fans see every day. Obviously we love playing the game and getting to spend our summer on the diamond, but making lifelong friendships and connections is pretty awesome too.
I had the pleasure to make many memories just as good as this in my two summers with the “Manders”. Holly Springs welcomed me with open arms and will always hold a special place in my heart. Being such a great place and so close to Campbell, it has become a second home for me. I cannot thank the coaches and people at Holly Springs enough for providing such a great baseball experience with many growing traditions.
Now, it is time to get things “Rolling” with the Camels. This is my last year at Campbell and possibly my last year ever playing baseball. Four years sure did fly by. Follow me on this journey throughout the year as it is going to be a fun one. Get ready because the season will be here before you know it! As always, Roll Humps and Roll “Ders”!
Andrew Butler
