By Cierra Loomis on April 10th, 2020
It's no lie that the aftereffect of the coronavirus pandemic has changed the framework of college baseball and left athletes walking off their fields with an unfinished season behind them. College and university seasons came to a sudden, wrenching end that athletes never saw coming.
Players from all divisions will forever remember the season of what-ifs: What if the season was played out in its entirety? Would we have won a division championship? Could we have surpassed the previous records? Would this have been the year I entered the big leagues?
Athletes from different schools and backgrounds spoke out about how they're handling the cancelation, preparing for their upcoming seasons, and the steps they will take during this time of uncertainty.
This is just a small sampling of how thousands of college baseball players are handling the season of what-ifs and their emotions towards it all.
Cam Climo / OF and 1B / Sr. / University of Massachusetts Lowell
"I had broken my hand in the first weekend of the season and planned on redshirting due to it. However, as a group, it was unbelievable that this would be how it ended. We were at LSU the weekend prior, had gone to Virginia, and still really had no concerns about our season. Then, the Ivy League canceled their season, and the domino effect began to happen and we soon assumed it would be us next. It felt surreal when we had to leave William and Mary without playing a single game. It was one of the eeriest feelings that I have been a part of in my life. It’s very cliche, but it’s true. Don’t take anything for granted. I was one weekend into my senior year when I realized it very well could be over. Then I watched my whole team go through the same process again, and the amount of uncertainty around the whole process was astronomical. Play every game like it’s your last."
Sean Kealey / LHP / Sr. / Allegheny College
"Well, granted that my school does not have a masters program, and we are a Division III program, most of our seniors who had their season canceled already have jobs or plans for after college. We were on a five-game win streak and planned on leaving for our spring break trip to Arizona the day after our season got canceled. I planned on playing this year and seeing if I could get drafted, but if not, I was just going to work in Pittsburgh. Now, I am weighing options of where to play while getting my masters. For my career at Allegheny, it will always feel unfinished because I was on track to break records but now I will never know what would have happened."
Tyler Thorington / RHP / Sr. / Western Michigan University
"It was heartbreaking news at first and very tough to take in. I planned on graduating this year and either getting a job or hoping to continue playing beyond the collegiate level. My teammates were devastated as well because we were off to a great start and felt this team was different than previous years"
Matt McDermott /2B / Jr. / College of William and Mary
"My teammates and my life have obviously and unfortunately changed a tremendous amount. Not only can we not compete for a championship like we hoped and prepared for, but the laws put in place also make it super tough to train and get better every day. It is tough to have to move on from the opportunity to achieve something great with a group of guys you worked hard with all off-season. Spending time with each other is a way we’re trying to deal with it and make it somewhat better. The main thing we can focus on now is staying positive and mentally preparing for whenever baseball picks up again. Keeping confidence, staying disciplined, and not losing the sense of competing are extremely important for when we get to pick back up and start games again."
Kevin Brenning / RF / Jr. / University of North Alabama
"It’s definitely tough to stay ready for the next season, whether that’s summer ball (if it still happens) or school ball starting back this fall. I’m not using anything as an excuse though and doing everything I can to keep my body and mind in shape as if we play tomorrow. I’m very fortunate as my dad lent me his bench/squat rack from back in his college days, so I have access to more than the next person already. I work out six times a week and use Sunday as a recovery day. It may seem like a lot, but what else is there to do? It’s very sad and hard to keep my sanity but everyone is going through it. My dream ever since I was a little kid was to play professional baseball. This year I have been working my tail off in hopes of seeing my name picked by an MLB team. Unfortunately, with COVID-19, the draft is looking to lose quite a bit of the rounds compared to usual, so we will see what happens but all I can do is keep my head high and continue moving forward."
Connor Charping / C and OF / Jr. / Western Michigan University
"It is devastating to lose a season, our team this year had a special bond and it makes it even harder. Due to the virus, we aren’t allowed to use our facilities at school either, so it’s hard for a lot of people to train and prepare to the level that we would like. In my opinion, the best thing to do to continue to prepare is to stay optimistic and know that everything is going to get better. We have to keep training and bettering ourselves because we know this isn’t the end, just a bump in the road. I am focused on what I can control, and that is just continuing to work while we all wait to see what happens."
Enzo Stefanoni / RHP / Jr. / Harvard University
"The whole team was told that the Ivy League season was canceled at practice one afternoon, we were the first conference to find out in all D1 college baseball so it was quite a shock. Lots of at-home workouts, throwing every day, and praying for the well-being of those affected by this disease. Hoping for the best but not expecting too much with the shortened draft."
Sean Flaherty / C / So. / Hofstra University
"Personally, I just lost my sophomore year of baseball, and now I am halfway through my college career. I'm also unsure what to do for the summer and have so many questions; is there going to be summer baseball leagues, when would they start, are host families going to be okay with having kids live in their house, especially a kid from New York which is the epicenter of COVID-19 right now. It's tough, our strength coach has sent us a workout program to do at home that requires no extra weights, which is good. I'm just trying to do the best I can to get ready for summer ball if there is even a summer ball season."
Nicholas DeGennaro / RHP / So. / Stony Brook University
"When you play for a team in college, you are immediately granted 30 new brothers or sisters, and you spend nearly every day with them. You laugh, fight, compete, party, study, and live together. It's a bond that can never be replaced or created in another environment. When I found out the season was canceled, I immediately was hit with the grief that the older guys who took me in when I was a freshman would be done, and there was a chance I wouldn't see them again. When you look around the locker room and you saw the tears in the eyes of your older brothers, you'd give almost anything for them to get to complete their final season."
Zack Will / SS / Fr. / Bryant and Stratton College
"When COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic, our season has become nothing but chaos. We had to forfeit games in North Carolina due to safety concerns for both teams. Our guys were starting to get really hot. We were on a 5 game win streak and finally starting to click as a whole. Everyone played a very important role and everyone knew their role. It’s definitely been a mental and physical grind. I make sure I get my work in every day with intent."
The emotions and friendships suddenly behind thousands of college players are moments they will never forget.
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