The End

The end of every season sucks. Simple as that. You never really think it’s going to be over until the final out is recorded. I’m not much of a crier, but it certainly is an emotional time. Some guys will never play again, and you may never see some guys again. That’s the nature of the beast.

This is my 4th go round but it never gets any easier. I remember my freshman year we got beaten by the same team twice to end our season and we really didn’t play that well in the postseason. I thought our coach was going to freak out on us. We went to eat after the game, and he said “this exact group of guys will never be together in full again. So enjoy it.” That has stuck with me over the years, and he was absolutely right. I’ve stayed in contact with my fair share of guys over the years, but also lost contact with a lot. Nobody’s fault, just part of the game.

That’s the part that really sucks about your season being over. Knowing that you won’t be around the group you’ve spent so much time with over the past nine to ten months. Some guys will transfer, others graduate, and a new group will form come next August.

And now on the bus ride home, it’s a good time to reflect on what was a dam fun year. This was my first year at Concordia, and I felt apart of the group immediately. It helps being foreign, extremely funny, and having mutual connections with most guys on the roster, but nevertheless the family atmosphere was evident immediately.

In my opinion, this season of Concordia baseball can be summarized with the saying, “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Being 6–10 after our Tucson trip and going into conference play was not ideal. There was no question of our talent, but just whether it would show up on the field. The coaches kept preaching to stay the course, and not get too high or too low, and while that was used as a tongue-in-cheek joke at times, it was very important for our success in the end.

Then we go ahead and reel off 15 in a row to start the conference season and it felt like we couldn’t be beaten. I’ve been lucky enough to be on a team two years in a row now with a long win streak and there’s no better feeling. It’s like no matter the deficit, or how late in the game, we’re going to find a way to win.

Winning a regular season GPAC title was special, and that’s starting to feel like the expectation for this program which is great. And while we were the underdawgs in our regional, I thought we competed very well against some very talented teams. I also think we started to realize that we can beat top tier teams if we play our best, but there’s still room to improve to get to that level. I don’t want to be a team that just wins one game at a regional, and chalks it up as a great year. While it has been great, the bar has been raised and I think we can go deeper, to really shake things up.

Last night when we got back on the bus, Bohman said “this is the most fun I’ve had playing baseball.” And that’s what it’s all about. A healthy dose of wins and some meaningful friendships will certainly make for a fun year.

To those moving on, thanks for setting the standard, these past four years appear to some of the program’s best. To those coming back, we’ve got a chance to take this thing to another level and I’m excited.

Time for the victory lap.

See y’all in the fall.