Troy University Athletics
Two For The Price of One
4/16/2009 12:45:00 PM | Baseball
When you go to baseball games, not only college games, but professional as well, you notice that each and every player has their own personal style and way of doing things. As many people notice this, they ask around to find out why this is so.
Well baseball is a game of superstition. Now you may ask the question, “does this really help the player?” I, being a player, can say that it depends on who the player is. I have noticed that college players throughout the country will start with a certain way of doing something and eventually change it when they go through a period where they struggle.
I personally believe that if a player is successful when doing certain things before the game or during the game then they should stick with it. But it seems more of a mental thing than anything.
For example, a batter may tap each corner of home plate before each and every at bat. It is something that when you are doing well, you want to keep doing the same thing until you are no longer doing well.
I have also noticed that within our team, many of our players are very superstitious. Ever since high school I have had to wear two pair of slider shorts for every game I pitch. Also, I never touch the foul line anytime I am on the diamond. Here are some of the other things guys do on the team this year:
Trevor Tyre: when taking the field at 2nd base he touches 2nd base with is left foot immediately followed by his right foot.
Adam Bryant: before every at-bat he has someone lick his bat (may sound gross but it is a baseball player thing).
Ryan Ditthardt: when batting, has to have the TPX label on the bat facing him at all times.
Steven Felix: before every at bat, has his own way of tapping the plate.
Brett Henry: will not cut his hair because he has been doing good the whole year (knock on wood).
While each player has superstitious ways, we have certain things we do as a team as well. First, before every game, certain players have certain handshakes they do. Second, during an inning where we are scoring runs, we will stay in the same spots in the dugout until the inning is over. Last, at the end of each game, if we are losing, we will wear rally caps to hopefully win the game.
As you come out next week when we are back at home against UAB and ULL, hopefully you will notice these things and it will help you get into the game more.
Once again, we love to see new faces at the games and hope to see many next weekend when we return home for a three weekend home span.
Trevor
As hard to believe as it may be, the spring sports season here at Troy University is in the home stretch and headed for the finish line.
Through two months of the 2009 baseball season, it has seemed that every Troy game has been played on the road. In fact, the Trojans have played just 16 home games so far this year, but that is all about to change.
Following this weekend's trip to play Arkansas-Little Rock, the Trojans will not leave the state of Alabama again this year. In fact, of the final 17 games of the season, only five will be played away from Riddle-Pace Field.
The Trojans enter this weekend's series at UALR on a roll. The team has rebounded from a 2-5 start in league play and has now won eight straight SBC games to move into sole possession of third place, just two games behind league leading Western Kentucky.
The stretch run sets up well for the Trojans with 12 of the next 14 games at home, with only non-conference games at UAB and Auburn mixed in. The squad is looking to continue building momentum toward the SBC Tournament, and the Trojan fans will have a big hand in that.
Consecutive home conference series against the Ragin' Cajuns of UL Lafayette, the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee and the Warhawks of UL Monroe should be enough to get Troy fans excited. In baseball terms, those are three of the Trojans biggest rivals and, when we go to play at their home field, the games always attract some of the biggest, and loudest crowds of the year.
Mix in non-conference home games with UAB, Auburn and Kennesaw State, and there is no reason to think that Riddle-Pace Field won't be filled to near capacity for each of the last 12 home games.
Speaking of UAB, when the Blazers visit next Tuesday to start the home stretch, it will mark the first ever visit to Riddle-Pace Field for legendary coach Ron Polk, who currently serves as a volunteer assistant coach at UAB. Polk has taken teams from Georgia Southern, Mississippi State and Georgia to Omaha for the College World Series in his career and is one of the most successful baseball coaches in NCAA history. He is also one of the most colorful characters in college baseball.
I'll see you at the ball park.
Go Trojans!
Ricky
