This past spring break provided time for the Houghton Men’s Baseball team to embark on the 26-hour drive from campus to Florida to participate in The RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The week-long trip was an opportunity for the team to build relationships between each other and test their skills on the field. Ten games were scheduled; however one junior varsity game was rained out. A total of eight varsity games were played as well as one junior varsity game for freshman and sophomores.
Up to this point the baseball team had only participated in scrimmages. The tournament consisted of mostly northern college baseball teams and was intended to provide extra playing time for an otherwise short season. It also gives players the chance to encounter scenarios that do not surface while practicing indoors.
Having participated in the tournament two years previously, with a beginning record of 1-7, the team is excited about this year’s record of 4-4.
Pitcher and DH Seth Cornell, a junior, remarks on the team saying, “We have improved every year and it’s nice to see that we compete.”
Coach Brian Reitnour says, “The team was competitive in all the games and this gives us a look at the big picture in order to move in the right direction for the upcoming season.” Reitnour points to the two home runs and two triples by freshman Tommy Walker as just one example of the type of playing exhibited by Houghton during the tournament.
The trip involved many activities for the baseball team besides the tournament itself. Just one example was the parents’ cookout that was held for family that travelled to see the team compete. Additionally, the team held a worship service for a time of praise and testimony, spotlighting players such as Mike Kerr and Kevin Cassar in which teammates were able to see each other in a more vulnerable light. They were also able to spend time bonding during a Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins game where two home run balls were caught.
For freshman Joe Gilligan, the trip gave him just a small look at the camaraderie shared between the players. Gilligan says, “I thank my teammates for making this such a great experience.”
This season’s team consists of 12 returning players, 17 new players, and no seniors. Being such a young team means that they are “not experienced yet at such a level, but have a lot of promise,” says Reitnour.
Watching the players grow into new roles on the team, especially those who have been on the team since its start three years ago, has been exciting for Coach Reitnour. He says, “the guys teach each other academically, socially, and athletically.”
With such a team, Reitnour added that, “they play for something more than themselves, making it more meaningful individually and collectively.”