ETSU’s baseball team started the season off strong last year with a 12-3 victory against the Clemson Tigers, but having to stop playing in the midst of a great season can be rough for anyone.
“We put so much effort and time into it and there was a huge challenge, mentally for that,” said head coach Joe Pennucci. “I think a lot of guys felt like they were cheated. They felt like we had a pretty good thing going.”
Success in baseball comes from a team effort, and ETSU had some powerhouses last season such as pitcher Landon Knack (Johnson City, Tennessee).
“When you do this long enough, you lose players and you hope that some people can pick up where people left off,” said Pennucci. “I think it’s challenging and tough sometimes to replace somebody like Landon, but at the same time you just hope that some people were paying attention how he works, how he goes about his business and how he takes care of his body.”
The baseball team is preparing in all the ways they can for the spring.
“We’ve spent the last four weeks trying to get guys in shape,” said Pennucci. “The biggest concern for me, besides the virus, is injuries because lack of work load and lack of throwing.”
The success of last season and then having to stop playing is something that can motivate the players and get them excited for the upcoming season.
“There’s a majority of guys that are back that understand the preparation that it took to get out of the box hot, and I think we can continue to do that,” Pennucci said. “A lot of it is the work you put in now to see if you can continue to carry that momentum into the spring.”
Overall, the mid-season cancellation of all sports threw everyone for a loop, but just like the others, ETSU’s baseball team is ready to get back to playing.
“We just try to battle through it and understand that there’s bumps in the road,” Pennucci said. “But we can try to get better from it.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.