Sunday, Feb. 18 and Monday, Feb. 19, SVSU’s baseball team took on the University of Findlay in Chillicothe, OH, opening their baseball season.
Colin Cornwell, a fifth-year rehabilitation medicine major, spoke on the games. “We had a big weekend matchup against an in-region opponent to start the year so all of us were really excited to start out hot,” he said.
“I was holding back emotion since it was my final opening day of my career here. I just tried to take in all the moments of the game, the interaction with my teammates, and just having the opportunity to play on the field again. It was a bittersweet day for me,” he said.
They played doubleheaders on both Sunday and Monday for a total of four games. They lost the first game and won the last three.
Hayden Jatczak, a fourth-year business major, said, “As a team, we were able to overcome the loss we had Sunday almost immediately. We were hungry to get right back on the field and win the next three games we played.”
“It felt great to get back on the field with my brothers again. I was ready to go the minute we got to the hotel the night before our game, he continued. “I’m happy I was able to contribute to some of our success.”
“I think our team is going to do well this season,” Jatczak said. “We have big goals for this season as a team, and I think we have the potential to achieve every goal we have set. It will be important for us to be able to bounce back from the adversity we face throughout the year.”
Adam Pitrowicz, the head coach, also spoke on the team’s potential this season. “This team has earned the right to have high expectations this season,” he said. “We have talent up and down our roster but it’s more than the work put in on the field that makes this group different.”
Pitrowicz said that 37 of the team members have over a 3.0 GPA and 23 of them were on the Dean’s List this past semester.
“They work hard in the classroom … [and] They give back to the community through various community service projects throughout the year,” he said. “It’s because of all these intangibles that make this group believe they are capable of winning a GLIAC Championship”.
“I’m extremely excited to see what this group does,” Cornwell said. “We have a great mix of really old talent and younger, tough players that are going to contribute a lot for us this season … We’re focused on the next day ahead, the next series, and the next opportunity to take the field together.”
They will play Friday, March 1 at Maryville University against University of Missouri St. Louis at 1 P.M.
More details on the games, as well as the full schedule of upcoming games and event pictures can be found on the SVSU athletics website, www. svsucardinals.com.
